University of South Dakota

I was an online student in the Addiction Theory department. I withdrew after 1 month. I did so because it became evident quickly that USD didn't have the best interest of its students in mind. Let me explain. First, their graduate outline dictates that students aren't actually taught. They are supposed to teach themselves from the text books with occasional feedback from professors. Which works if the professors are responsive and give proper feedback. It fails miserably when they do not. One professor... Read More used her feedback to vent frustration. In my group of 4, 2 of us dropped and a third was in the process when I left. She drove us all out. And she only reached out to provide scathing criticism of our work. No instruction whatsoever. In the other class, we were using a text book from 2009 (this was this year, 2019) with Data from 2006. In a class about substance use. When data from six months ago is outdated on this topic, using a book a year or two old is understandable. But, in 2019, to have a text book on this topic discussing the physical addiction of marijuana (it isn't) with no mention of the sweeping legalization, nor any discussion of the opioid crisis, that's downright educational malpractice. When I raised these concerns both to the head of the department and to my adviser, BOTH said the issue was mine and if I wasn't prepared for grad school I should withdraw. Which, look, I admit some fault. Clearly I didn't do my homework. Every other grad level class I've taken included copious amounts of interaction from professors so no, I didn't think to ask about that before I applied. That's my fault. By allowing someone unfit to teach to do so and another to use a dangerously out of date text book with no instruction on what is no longer known to be true and what the book is missing, I refuse to allow them off the hook for that. That's losing accreditation worthy.

This program greatly helped to bridge the gap between the associate's degree in nursing and the bachelor's degree in nursing. For students who are pursing a degree in the non-traditional way, like this, the program offered by the University of South Dakota is highly recommended by myself. The program is offered online, making it ideal for non-traditional students who may already be working and for those who have priorities and responsibilities outside of school or for those with children. Personally,... Read More as someone with children and as someone who was already working as a nurse, this program was fantastic. I was able to continue working full time but still gain a complete education. After completing this program, I feel as though I am better able to conduct research and provide care for not only individual patients but also for families and communities which is very important for holistic care. The instructors knowledge regarding the subject matter was very evident and feedback was always provided and helpful. The classes and program were structured in a manner designed to ensure that students are successful in their endeavor of furthering their education. I appreciated that the classes were broken down into modules and each class was provided a schedule. This schedule had specific time lines for assignments regarding when each assignment would be due. Many places do not do this. This allows busy students to prioritize their time. I also felt more prepared as I entered a graduate program having finished my bachelors degree at the University of South Dakota.

I've now had to change my plan of study for graduate school twice in seven months. The course rotation provided is wrong and over half of the classes offered for my specialization aren't even really offered. "TBA" is listed behind 1/4 of the offered courses. Advisors recommend completely unrelated courses, just for you to stay full time. My course quality so far has been hit and miss. I have had one great course, and three courses that I learned nothing in. I feel that this graduate program is just... Read More in it for the money and don't care if I learn anything relevant or not. Faculty and advisors are not helpful, and it is like pulling teeth to get a response from someone. I graduated with two undergraduate degrees from USD. They provided me with so many wonderful opportunities, but graduate school has been a frustrating mess.

The MSA program needs a serious overhaul. The online classes are not challenging or engaging. Most graduate level classes have an undergraduate feeling by failing to challenge students and are lectured by the same professor. Students are expected to teach themselves by using the antiquated D2L system which does not allow adequate discussions nor is iPad or another device friendly. Severely limited class choices which will keep you from graduating on time. The MSA degree program has severe overlaps... Read More that fail to expand on proper real-world preparations. The English department and MSAS department have a disconnect issue with APA formatting. USD may appear to save you money, but with the course selection availability you may end up spending more than you anticipated. I would suggest looking elsewhere for a graduate program.

The pro to The University of South Dakota (USD) is that it is situated in a smaller town where you can get to know the citizens on a personal level. This will be important as I get out into the clinic and provide therapy services to those citizens. The con of this town is that, besides the bars and movie theater, there is little else to do (e.g. shopping at the malls). The pro to the occupational therapy program is the caring environment that the professors create. They are always willing to help... Read More you understand concepts in and out of the classroom. The con to the this program is the amount of work required of each student. However, for the student who is up for the academic challenge and small-town life, USD would be perfect.

USD is a great school, there is not much diversity. Most of the professors here are easy and will work with you, unless your going for medical Biology my friends have told me horrific things. I am a triple major and would advice those majoring solely in Sociology to find a better school. There are only a few professors who teach Sociology classes, the program is super weak and there are alternatives for nearly every class, hence my triple major. The head of the department is soon to be retiring leaving... Read More even less experienced professors without tenure. The Psychology major is great, there are plenty of Psych majors and its quite competitive, the professors are great and are truly interested in your success. The Criminal Justice Major is very friendly, they meet often and have banquets and etc to keep all of the students aware of what classes will be offered the up coming year and opportunities available. The University Housing is not the best and could use better RA's but still very cheap for what you are getting, just don't expect to fit much into a tiny room. North Complex is the best for freshmen it's great to meet new friends. Coyote Village is great for the space but it's a lot less social. Brookman is much to quiet for my liking, mostly upperclassmen who study too hard and those grad students. The food isn't the best, the first semester is good but you get tired of Chick-fila, Q-doba, the Market place, and the commons area really quick. There is not too much to do here in Vermillion so it keeps you very focused on your work which is great, there are also several parties every week and it gets annoying. Greek life is very big at this University, almost everyone I know is in a house. Overall USD is a good school for those interested in a good education for not too much money.

My fields of study were exceptional. The number of the classes for English and History (primarily British/Euro) was enough to allow one variety, and the numbers of the students was small enough to be able to provide a more intimate learning experience. The psychology professors I had were good, though some of the courses were slightly repetitive. The English professors, especially in higher level courses were knowledgable individuals with their roots stemming from all over the globe. Their personal... Read More experiences gave a strong foundation to the courses they taught. The same was true of my history professors. Their courses and subjects were strengthened by their personal life experiences. Overall the professors were invested in the success of their students, lending time for conversation and extra books if they were needed. Attending this university gave me the option to unlock a part of myself and succeed where I was once too shy to!