State Authorization

Where You Live Matters

It matters where you live when taking any course outside the state of South Dakota. You are entitled to certain consumer protections, and USD is obligated to comply with certain state regulations, in the state in which you live while taking any USD course. This permission process is called "State Authorization" and includes any traditional, online, or hybrid program, or any course involving learning placements outside South Dakota. A learning placement includes an activity such as internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, proctoring, etc.

To ensure any educational programs and/or learning placements you are considering outside South Dakota have state authorization, and that you’ll be able to pursue these opportunities, please see the authorization map below which indicates USD’s authorization status for distance education. If you have additional questions, contact the Division of Continuing & Distance Education at 605-658-6152 or by email at cde@usd.edu. 

Admission into a distance education program is granted at the time of initial acceptance into the program and is dependent on program availability in the state where you live at the time of admission. If you move to, or live in, a different state after admission to the program, continuation within the program and Federal financial aid will depend on the availability of the program within the new state where you live. Whether military personnel stationed outside the state of South Dakota may enroll or continue in a USD distance education program is based on where they are stationed. It is your responsibility to notify USD’s Registrar of a change in location. Please send your new address to registrar@usd.edu from your USD email account and include your USD STUDENT ID number in the email.

The disclosure map and lists below show USD’s licensure-track programs and whether the program’s curriculum meets each State’s educational requirements for professional licensure or certification. USD makes every effort to ensure state licensure and certification information is current; however, state requirements may change after these disclosures have been made. You are strongly encouraged to contact your State’s licensure board (contact information is included on the map and lists) to review all licensure and certification requirements imposed by that state before beginning an academic program. If you don’t see a program listed that you think may lead to professional licensure or certification or if you have questions about baccalaureate minors, please contact the academic department offering your major or the Division of Continuing & Distance Education.

It is important to understand that should you change your program, your state of location, and/or where you intend to practice during your matriculation at USD, that the educational prerequisites can be very different based upon the state involved.