For educators, career development and continuing education is important to stay up-to-date with your teaching skills and innovations. Instead of spending your summer break on-campus or at a workshop, enroll in an online class from USD. We offers quality courses at affordable rates that make it possible to advance your career.
Some programs are funded externally by non-university partnerships as projects or classes. You may earn college credits for the courses, however, the funding to offer the course is provided by the external source or organization.
If you are interested in offering a course for educators through partnership with USD, please contact us.
Inquire About Offering Course(s)
BIOC 592: Modeling: It Takes All Shapes and Sizes
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Instructor: Benjamin Benson, Louisa Otto
Location: Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD
Dates: August 2-3, 2023
Tuition: $40/credit
Credits: 1
Course Description: Attending teachers will spend two days at Sanford Research, visiting with scientists about current research projects and developing models. Classroom sessions include studying software, laboratory techniques, and games used to model health/disease in the human body. Time will also be provided to explore models available through the PROMISE lending library. Attendees will develop a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) lesson plan introducing current modeling practices into their classrooms.
EDFN 592: Fundamentals of Data Use for Educators
Register: Vermillion, Watertown, Rapid City
Instructor: Jake Cummings
Location: Online and in-person
Dates: June 1- June 30, 2023
Tuition: $40/credit
Credits: 1
Course Description: Understanding and using data will assist educators in making decisions to foster powerful improvements in student outcomes. Effective use of data can support student learning and success. This course will provide educators with the skills they need to analyze and use data to answer important questions to drive positive change in their district, school, or classroom.
ELED 492/592: Kindergarten Academy: STEM
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Instructor: Tricia West
Location: Canton Performing Arts Center, Canton, SD
Dates: June 19-20, 2023
Tuition: $40/credit
Credits: 1
Course Description: A two-day workshop geared at providing teachers innovative ways to incorporate evidence-based practices into their daily routines and interactions with students. Topics will focus on STEM strategies in the early grades, including introducing students to math and engineering concepts through the use of blocks, ramps and games. Teachers will be equipped to implement these strategies in their own classrooms or areas of instruction through hands on activities during the course.
ELED 592: Science in Action
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Instructor: Louisa Otto, Benjamin Benson
Location: Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD
Dates: June 20-21, 2023
Tuition: $40/credit
Credits: 1
Course Description: Elementary teachers will participate in lessons created by the Sanford PROMISE team that focus on health literacy topics such as sugar metabolism, hydration and kidney function, and the effects of breathing on the nervous system. Teachers will receive resources and lessons from Sanford fit, the children’s wellness initiative of Sanford Health. Teachers will receive training on NGSS lesson design. They will use their understanding of fit and PROMISE resources to create a 5-E lesson for use in their classroom that is tied to South Dakota Science Standards and a health literacy topic.
MUS 790: Band Directors' Institute 2023
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Instructor: Paul Schilf
Location: University of South Dakota- Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts
Dates: June 21- 23 (Final project is due July 1, 2023)
Registration fee: $195 - participants may pre-register by June 1, 2023, for a reduced fee of $175
Tuition: $40/credit (In addition to the registration fee)
Credits: 0-3 (1 credit per class)
The University of South Dakota’s Band Directors Institute is an intensive program designed to expose music educators to the best in current and standard literature in addition to teaching methods and materials. The three-day institute will include large ensemble reading sessions, master classes and clinic sessions that focus on a wide variety of teaching subjects for band directors. Participants are highly encouraged to pre-register for purposes of instrumentation for the reading bands. Registration for the institute is $195. Pre-registration by June 1 will lower the fee to $175.
Schedule: Sessions will be held daily June 21-23, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. on June 21. The seminars conclude on Friday afternoon by 4 p.m., June 23. Graduate credit is available for some sessions.
Housing: Participants have the option of staying on campus or planning their own accommodations during the institute. Participants wishing to stay on campus may stay in airconditioned, single occupancy rooms at a rate of $45 per night plus applicable tax, pending Board of Regents approval. These rates do not include bed linens or towels.
Optional Graduate Credit: Participants have the option to earn graduate credit for participation in certain sessions. Payment of tuition ($40 per credit hour) for graduate credit is due on the day of registration. Tuition rates are set by the South Dakota Board of Regents and are subject to change without notice. Selected clinicians and/or USD faculty instruct all sessions.
MUS 790 Instrumental Techniques and Ideas for Music Educators - Master classes, clinics, and discussions that will focus on teaching materials, rehearsal techniques, and instrumental pedagogy for instrumental music educators. Methods and materials will be available to take back to the classroom.
MUS 790 New and Standard Music for the Instrumental Music Educator - Reading sessions that will focus on a wide variety of instrumental music for public school bands including concert, marching, and jazz music. The selections will include previous and newly published works at a variety of grade levels appropriate for all levels of bands.
MUS 790 Tendencies and Trends for the Instrumental Music Educator - This course will provide seminars and panel discussions with veteran master teachers and band music composers. Topics covered will include current discussions and issues facing instrumental music educators. A written final project is required.
MUS 793: Choral Directors' Institute 2023
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Instructor: Don Langlie
Location: USD - Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts
Dates: June 21 - 23 (Final project is due July 1, 2023)
Registration fee: $195 - participants may pre-register by June 1, 2023, for a reduced fee of $175
Tuition: $40 per credit hour (in addition to the registration fee)
Credits: 0-3 (1 credit per class)
The University of South Dakota’s Choral Directors Institute is an intensive program designed to expose music educators to the best in current and standard literature in addition to teaching methods and materials. The three-day institute will include large ensemble reading sessions, master classes and clinic sessions that focus on a wide variety of teaching subjects for choral directors. Participants are highly encouraged to pre-register to ensure an appropriate number of reading packets are available. Registration for the institute is $195. Pre-registration by June 1 will lower the fee to $175.
Schedule: Sessions will be held daily June 21-23, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. on June 21. The seminars conclude on Friday afternoon by 4 p.m., June 23. Graduate credit is available for some sessions.
Housing: Participants have the option of staying on campus or planning their own accommodations during the institute. Participants wishing to stay on campus may stay in airconditioned, single occupancy resident hall rooms at a rate of $45 per night plus applicable tax, pending Board of Regents approval. These rates do not include bed linens or towels.
Optional Graduate Credit: Participants have the option to earn graduate credit for participation in certain sessions. Payment of tuition ($40 per credit hour) for graduate credit is due on the day of registration. Tuition rates are set by the South Dakota Board of Regents and are subject to change without notice. Selected clinicians and/or USD faculty instruct all sessions.
MUS 793 Instructional Techniques and Classroom Ideas for the Choral Music Teacher - Department of Music for the Choral Music Teacher Master classes, clinics and discussions that will focus on teaching materials, techniques and pedagogy for choral music educators, grades K-12.
MUS 793 New and Standard Choral Music for Education - Reading sessions focusing on a variety of choral music for public school choirs, grades K-12 will be presented. Materials will include both standard works and new releases in numerous choral genres from music major publishers.
MUS 793 Tendencies and Trends in Choral Music Education - Seminars and roundtable discussions that will allow the choral director to focus on current trends in the area of choral music education. A written final project is required.
