Specialty Graduate Program Applications

Applicants must complete the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) online application. 

The GRE is no longer required for these programs.

For more detailed admission materials and requirements, please refer to Communication Sciences and Disorders section in the current graduate catalog.

We participate in the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). All applicants must register with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) and register for the CAS to apply.

For more detailed admission materials, requirements and how to apply, please refer to Knudson School of Law admissions website. 

Applicants must complete the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) centralized medical school application processing service.

Register with AMCAS 

• We will contact you regarding interviews after we have reviewed your completed application

• Interviews will take place October through February

For more detailed admission materials, requirements and how to apply, please refer to the Sanford School of Medicine admissions website. 

Applicants must complete the NursingCAS online application. 

For more detailed admission requirements, please refer to the Nursing Department section of the current graduate catalog.

Our Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program is a three-year, clinical program for students seeking entry-level professional education. Enrollment is limited to 32 students selected through a competitive application process. Applicants are responsible for verification or receipt of all documents to OTCAS and the Graduate School. 

Applicants must complete the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) online application. 

Questions about the application, forms, or processing can be directed to:

ot@usd.edu or 605-658-5999 

Admission Requirements

OTCAS

Students applying to the program must obtain a bachelor's or master's/graduate degree prior to entrance into the OTD program unless they are applying through the 3+3 accelerated OTD program. Applicants may apply during their senior year of undergraduate study. For more information on applying as a sophomore or junior undergraduate student, refer to the OT Scholar Program.

For more detailed admission requirements including prerequisite listing, please refer to the Occupational Therapy section of the current graduate catalog.

WICHE Applicants

The University of South Dakota participates in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s Professional Student Exchange Program. For more information about this program, including states that participate in physical therapy programming, please visit the WICHE FAQ web page. 

Our Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) program is offered in three consecutive years of coursework. You may apply in the final year of your undergraduate education. Enrollment is currently limited to 32 students that begin coursework in the fall (July) each year and are selected through a competitive application process. USD PT does not accept transfer credits toward the doctoral degree for previous courses, time in other programs or work experience.

Questions about the application, forms or processing can be directed to:
pt@usd.edu or 605-658-5999

Admission Requirements

Applicants must complete the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) online application.

PTCAS

For more detailed admission materials and requirements, please refer to the Physical Therapy Admission Requirements in the current graduate catalog and review physical therapy's Admission Policies and Procedures.

WICHE Applicants

The University of South Dakota participates in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s Professional Student Exchange Program. For more information about this program, including states that participate in physical therapy programming, please visit the WICHE FAQ web page. 

Applicants must complete the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) online application.

For more detailed admission materials and requirements, please refer to the Physician Assistant Studies section in the current graduate catalog.

Admissions Process

Each applicant must apply to the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). CASPA deadline is Sept. 1 for the following July/August. You can begin applying to CASPA as early as April in the year of application.

CASPA is a service that collates materials, computes grade point averages and transmits standardized information to the applicant and the physician assistant program(s) the applicant designates. CASPA takes no part in the evaluation, selection or rejection of applicants. It is the applicant’s responsibility to complete and submit all supporting documentation to CASPA in a timely manner. The application status check, provided to applicants as part of the CASPA service, should be monitored throughout the application process. CASPA will not mail incomplete applications. Please see CASPA Admissions Code of Cooperation for more information.

Step 1 - Eligibility

The physician assistant program has several requirements for admission including prerequisites. Make sure you meet these requirements before you apply.

Step 2 - Applications and Communication

The following materials must be submitted by September 1 to be considered for admission:

• CASPA Application – Complete, verified applications must be received by the PA program by Oct. 15 to be considered for an interview. We highly recommend submission of all materials to CASPA four to six weeks prior to the September 1 deadline.
• In addition to the CASPA online application, all applicants are required to pay a $35 application fee. 
  
  • You must submit the fee by September 1 at the latest, but we recommend payment at the same time as the CASPA application. This will ensure the application moves forward in the review process.
  • All applicants to the USD PA Program are required to submit a $35 application fee the University of South Dakota’s Graduate School by September 1. All questions about the Graduate School application fee should be direct to Graduate Admissions at 605-658-6200 or gradadmissions@usd.edu. In order to submit the application fee, please go to apps.usd.edu/administrative/deposits/ and select USD Graduate Application Fee ($35.00).
• Failure to return all materials by the stated deadline will result in the withdrawal of the application from consideration for interview or acceptance.

The program communicates with applicants exclusively via email throughout the admissions cycle. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the program has the correct email contact information. If you do not receive communication from our program within one week of the date CASPA verifies your application, it is possible that the email communication is being blocked by your service provider or is being placed in your junk mail.

Applicants who do not receive this communication should contact the program to ensure that future communications can be delivered. Failure to follow up with the program may result in withdraw of the application if requested materials are not returned by stated deadlines.

Step 3 – Program Interview

Interview invitations are extended to those applicants that the selection committee perceives to be competitive for admissions. The interview dates are determined by the program and will be communicated with candidates in the offer to interview.

Step 4 – Complete Enrollment Requirements

Instructions for enrollment requirements will be provided by the PA program after acceptance. Enrollment requirements include:

1. Terms of acceptance
2. Non-refundable tuition deposit ($400)
3. Criminal background check
4. Health screening
5. Immunization requirements
6. Proof of health insurance
7. Proof of completion for any outstanding prerequisites
8. Proof of conferred degree

Admissions Timeline

• April 30: CASPA application opens for this cycle
• May – September: CASPA applications reviewed by faculty and staff
• September 1: CASPA application deadline (11:59 PM Eastern Time; 10:59 PM Central Time; 9:59 PM Mountain Time; 8:59 PM Pacific Time)
• September 1: Graduate School Application fee of $35 must be submitted
• October 15: Applications must be verified by CASPA in order to be considered for this cycle
• September – October final review of CASPA applications to determine which applicants will be invited for an interview.
• Late October:

1. Interview invitations sent via email
2. Interview wait list offer sent via email
3. Application declined for this cycle

• November – December: tentative interviews held on USD's campus dates scheduled
• December: Offers of admission sent via email
• July: Orientation for incoming students; classes begin

If you have any questions about these items or the admissions process, please contact the program.

Selection Criteria

The requirements for admission are minimum requirements. Because admission is competitive, the program has designed a number of selection criteria for applicants. In considering applicants for admissions, the admissions committee will give preference for admission to applicants who possess the following at the time of application:

• An overall grade point average (as calculated by CASPA) of 3.2 or higher (on a 4.00 scale). Grades obtained in repeat courses are averaged into this GPA by CASPA
• A GPA of 3.2 or higher in the last 40 semester hours of coursework (on a 4.0 scale)
• Grades for coursework taken following submission of the CASPA application are not considered in the GPA calculation and therefore not considered in selecting qualified applicants.
• We strongly recommend that you have no more than three prerequisite courses outstanding at the time of application submission.
• Applicants are required to have a minimum of 500 direct patient care experience hours prior to submission of their CASPA applications.
• Significant extracurricular, professional, research, or service organization involvement and activity.
• Motivation to become a physician assistant based on a thorough understanding of the PA profession.
• Ability to communicate effectively in the personal written statement, in the application, and in the interview.
• Personal qualities relating to maturity and professionalism as demonstrated in the interview and letters of recommendation.
• Resident and non-resident students are selected for admission.
• In accordance with the PA program mission and goals, the program will give preference to applicants who indicate a high potential for future practice in primary care or in a medically underserved area as well as individuals from targeted populations.  This includes individuals who are first-generation college students, veterans, economically disadvantaged, underrepresented populations and those from rural backgrounds.

Over half of the matriculants are South Dakota residents or those with strong ties to the state:

• One or both parents South Dakota residents
• Graduated from high school in South Dakota
• Graduated from an accredited South Dakota university or college
• Member of a federally recognized tribe from a bordering state

For any other consideration of ties, applications are reviewed by the program and interviews are offered at their discretion. An example of this would typically be applicants who are non-residents who lived in South Dakota previously but have moved out of state.

The program continues to accept non-resident students and encourages them to apply.

Technical Standards

Technical Standards for Admission, Continuation and Graduation

The University of South Dakota physician assistant program affirms that no applicant to the program will be excluded on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, gender, transgender, sexual orientation, religion, age, genetic information, veteran status or disability. Otherwise qualified applicants with a disability will be considered in relation to the guidelines listed below.

In evaluating applicants for admission and preparing PAs, it is essential that the integrity of the curriculum be maintained, that those elements necessary for the education of the PA be preserved and that the health and safety of patients be maintained. While reasonable accommodation can be made for certain disabilities, those candidates and students who have a disability will be held to the same performance standards as their peers who do not have that disability.

Because the PA degree signifies that the holder is a person prepared for entry into the practice of medicine, it follows that graduates must have the knowledge, skills and ability to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. Therefore, candidates for the Master of Science in physician assistant studies (MSPAS) degree from USD must have certain sensory and motor functions that permit them to carry out the activities described in the sections that follow. They must be able to consistently, quickly and accurately integrate all information received by whatever sense(s) employed, and they must have the intellectual ability to learn, integrate, analyze and synthesize data.

A candidate for the MSPAS degree must have abilities and skills of five varieties, including:

1. Observation
2. Communication
3. Motor
4. Intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities
5. Behavioral and social attributes

Technological accommodation may be available to assist for some disabilities in certain of these areas, but a candidate and student should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner without reliance on a trained intermediary to replace the candidate’s judgment or power of assessment and observation.

1. Observation

The candidate and student must be able to participate in activities determined to be essential by the faculty. This may include physiologic and pharmacologic demonstrations, anatomic dissection, microscopic studies of microorganisms, observation of tissues of normal and pathologic states, and accurate observation of the numbers and patterns on diagnostic instruments and simulations. They must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand with the ability to observe patient responses to physical exams. Observation necessitates the functional use of the senses of vision, hearing and somatic sensation.

2. Communication

The candidate and student must be able to speak to, hear, and observe patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal communication. They must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with colleagues and patients. Communication includes not only speech but reading and writing. They must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written form with all members of the health care team. They must be able to read and record observations in a legible, efficient and accurate manner including the effective use of electronic documentations.

3. Motor

The candidate and student must have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers. They must be able to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients. Examples of such care reasonably required of PA’s are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the administration of intravenous medication, placement of catheters, the application of pressure to stop bleeding, suturing of simple wounds, assisting in surgical procedures, and the performance of simple obstetrical maneuvers. They must have adequate endurance to carry out clinical activities for extended periods of time. They must possess adequate sensorimotor function and equilibrium to assume reasonable body postures when performing these skills and to perform them in a manner that does not compromise test accuracy, treatment effectiveness, or patient safety.

4. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities

The candidate and student must have sufficient cognitive abilities which would include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of PAs, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition they must be able to comprehend three dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures. They must be able to perform these problem solving skills in a timely manner.

5. Behavioral and Social Attributes

The candidate and student must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, recognize multiple points of view, identify personal reactions and responses, and integrate these into clinical decision-making. They must be able to communicate with and care for, in a non-judgmental way, persons whose culture, sexual orientation, or spiritual beliefs are different from their own.

Terms of Acceptance

If you have been selected there is a $400 non-refundable tuition deposit required.

Information regarding required immunizations will be given following acceptance. Compliance and documentation deadlines must be followed or your seat in the class will be forfeited.

Criminal background checks are required as part of provisional admission to all Health Affairs programs:

• Background checks will be performed only after the applicant has received notice of provisional admission.
• Understand that failure to disclose any previous convictions or charges pending at any point during the application process may lead to denial or revocation of admission
• Felony convictions will result in denial of acceptance to the program and/or eligibility for licensure; misdemeanor convictions may result in denial of acceptance to the program
• Additional background checks will be required prior to participation in the clinical phase.
• Drug screening may be required for licensure and/or clinical placement while a student in the program.

All PA students are required to show proof of creditable health care insurance. Health care insurance must meet requirements set forth by Health Affairs. Additional information will be sent to admitted students.

You may choose from two tracks in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program. If you possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited program in social work, choose the 36-credit hour advanced standing concentration. Applicants with an undergraduate degree other than social work can apply for the 60-credit hour regular standing concentration.

Applicants are responsible for verification or receipt of all documents to SocialWorkCAS and the Graduate School. 

Applicants must complete the Centralized Application Service for Social Work (SocialWorkCAS) online application. 

Admission Materials

For more detailed admission materials and requirements, please refer to the Social Work section in the current graduate catalog. 

Transcripts

Official transcript(s) of all academic work at the undergraduate and graduate levels are required to be submitted through the SocialWorkCAS application.

Letters of Recommendation

You must submit three (3) letters of recommendation through the SocialWorkCAS application. One letter from an academic advisor or university faculty member  and one letter from a supervisor (i.e. internship, work, etc.) is recommended. 

Statement of Purpose

Submit a statement of purpose  through the SocialWorkCAS application focusing on the following questions:

1. Tell us about yourself
   • The MSW degree requires a research project, what type of research project would you pursue and what would your research questions be for this project?
   • Time and energy for the MSW program: Do you have the time and energy to devote to graduate school? How do you plan to readjust your life to accommodate graduate school?
   • Why do you want a MSW degree?
   • What areas do you need strengthening?
   • What do you do particularly well?
   • Discuss your attributes and liabilities and how they will impact your social work career?
   • How have your life experiences shaped you for a career in social work?
2. Indicate your career goals
   
   • What do you want to be doing in six years?
   • How will the MSW degree from USD help meet your career goals?
   • What are your career goals?

Essay

A 3-5 page APA style paper with a minimum of 5 scholarly references is required to be submitted through the SocialWorkCAS application focusing on the following:

• A social justice issue that is of interest to you. Examples of social justice issue can include juvenile justice, corrections, medical, homelessness, needs of the elderly, human trafficking, child welfare, welfare programs, community needs, political action, etc.

• An academic paper that includes the following items: thesis statement, identification of problem/issue, contributing factors, evidenced based practices addressing said issue, and how you plan to utilize social work education and experiences to contribute to the resolution of the issue.

Cover Letter and Resume

A current detailed resume including the following: education, paid work experience, volunteer experience and community involvement. Military experience should be included. Please include dates for each of these requirements. 

Criminal Background Check

All accepted applicants into the MSW program are required to pass a criminal background check. Admission is contingent until the background check is completed and reviewed, and the applicant is cleared to start the program. Detailed information will be provided upon contingent acceptance. Felony convictions may result in denial of acceptance and/or eligibility for licensure.

Immunizations

Up-to-date immunizations must be completed prior to the first semester of enrollment in the MSW program. This is a strict requirement of USD Health Affairs and the School of Health Sciences. Immunizations must include:

• Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) (2X)
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (TDAP)
• Varicella (Chicken Pox and Shingles) Titer
• Hepatitis B Vaccine (3 shots), plus Titer
• Tuberculosis (TB) Initial 2 Step - annual screening thereafter 
• Influenza Vaccine - yearly 

Transfer Students

Applicants transferring from another graduate social work program must submit through the SocialWorkCAS a letter of reference from the dean, program director or chair indicating that the applicant left the graduate social work program in good standing.