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Home ― News ― DSU Approved for New High-Tech Degrees

DSU Approved for New High-Tech Degrees

April 3, 2014

The South Dakota Board of Regents has given its approval for a new doctoral degree in cyber security at Dakota State University, along with a plan for DSU and South Dakota State University to jointly offer master’s degrees in analytics and data science, building on each other’s unique academic strengths.

The doctor of science degree in cyber security is only the second doctoral degree offered at Dakota State; a doctorate in information systems is already delivered there. The new program prepares students for cyber security careers in government agencies, the private sector, and as higher education faculty. Campus officials say they expect many of Dakota State’s undergraduate and graduate students in computer science and information assurance will be interested in the new degree program, which starts this fall. DSU expects to admit 20 students and graduate about 18 annually, once the program is fully ramped up.

Plans for a M.S. degree in analytics at Dakota State and a M.S. degree in data science at SDSU were developed collaboratively to allow students at both institutions to take advantage of DSU’s strengths in information systems, computer science, and information technology and SDSU’s strengths in statistics and computational science. The two programs will share the same core set of courses, regents’ officials said.

Data science and data analytics are rapidly growing sectors of the economy, with forecasts for continued job growth. South Dakota employers in the financial services sector seek graduates with this level of advanced expertise, campus officials said. Coursework for both degrees will be offered on campus and through online delivery.