Dakota State University students walking around campus

Preparation + opportunity = success

That's the DSU equation. We're a four-year university with nationally recognized programs, cutting-edge facilities, and the brightest thinkers. But we're also a tight-knit, inclusive community. Small class sizes mean hands-on training and individualized attention. All this with an affordable, public school price that's among the best values in the region.

Majors & Degrees

Search

Popular searches

smiling woman

Is DSU the right fit for you?

Even the best brochures and postcards (and yes, even websites) can only tell you so much about a college. The only surefire way to know if DSU is right for you is to see for yourself.

Visit DSU

Home ― Academics ― General Beadle Honors Program

General Beadle Honors Program

At DSU, our General Beadle Honors program challenges the brightest minds and motivates students to think independently and imaginatively. Live in the Honors dorm. Excel through academics. Embark on senior-level research. Take on creative projects with peers and faculty.

Are you ready for a challenge?

We have carefully crafted our program to include coursework and experiences that are exciting, inspiring, and captivating. General Beadle Honors students represent the best of DSU. From freshmen to seniors, we have over 120 students who encounter learning that encourages critical thinking and reasoning.

The General Beadle Honors experience features five key elements:

  • Valuable Class Time - Come to class and participate instead of being lectured to
  • Sophisticated Content - Study subjects more deeply & broadly with innovative materials
  • Research – Work with faculty, get your hands dirty & learn that it’s okay to fail (at first!)
  • Quality over Quantity – Enjoy smaller classes featuring not more work but different work
  • Experiential Learning – Embrace an education that also takes place outside of class & off campus

The Honors Program trains students to successfully complete their degree and get rewarding jobs, but it also nurtures intellectual curiosity beyond your degree requirements to open life-long avenues of fulfillment. It is about how to make a life in addition to how to make a living.

Honors students enjoy intellectual, cultural, and professional travel opportunities throughout the year. Many honors courses involve funded off-campus experiences that are part of course content.  The honors program also allows students the opportunity to experience live theater and music in Minneapolis, Sioux Falls, and Kansas City. And students get the opportunity to meet other honors students and present their research on campuses throughout the Midwest at our annual regional Honors Conference.

Benefits of an Honors Education

  • Smaller class sizes in honors-only classes
  • Honors-specific advising and preferential course registration
  • Honors-specific housing
  • Funded research and travel experiences

Becoming an honors student

Students in the General Beadle Honors program usually have:

  • ACT composite scores of 26 or higher
  • High school GPAs of 3.7 and up
  • Graduate in the top 20% of their class

*Students interested in the Honors program with scores or GPAs not quite matching those above are still encouraged to apply. All applications that demonstrate the promise of achievement will be considered.

After you’ve been accepted, you’ll enroll in classes, including Freshman Seminar, and be eligible to live in the freshman honors dorm. As you excel through your academic career, you’ll enter honors-only classes and embark on senior level research, as well as creative projects with peers and faculty. Honors requirements are arranged so that students can fulfill all general education requirements within the honors program.  As a result, the Honors Program does NOT require additional courses or prolong your time to degree.

 How to Apply