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 GRADUATE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

APPLYING:

Applications from US residents should be received sixty days before the beginning of the semester of desired admittance. International students should apply 120 days prior to their expected date of matriculation. All individuals who have graduated from institutions with accredited engineering and science curricula are encouraged to apply. The Graduate Record Examinations is required of all applicants for admission to AEWR, atmospheric sciences, computer science, and MES; it is required of all applicants for admission to electrical and mechanical engineering who are (or will be) graduates of non -ABET accredited schools. For geology/ geological engineering and paleontology, the GRE is required of all applicants residing in the United States at the time of their application. The GRE General Test is desirable but not required in other departments. A minimum score of 520 on the TOEFL is required (560 for admission without additional English tutoring) of applicants from non English speaking countries. GMAT or GRE scores are required for technology management.

ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL :

The Graduate Office encourages applications from qualified students holding Bachelor’s degrees in engineering or science from accredited four-year colleges and universities. Bachelor’s degrees or “diplomas” in technical engineering fields generally do not qualify as accredited four-year degrees for purposes of admission. A student desiring admission should request an application form from the Graduate Office. The completed form, accompanied by a transcript of all undergraduate work and a non-refundable application fee of $35 for all applicants should be submitted to the Graduate Education Office. Application materials of domestic applicants should be received at least two months before the beginning of the semester for which the student desires admission. International applicants must submit all of their materials at least four months before the beginning of the semester (see application form for target dates). Applicant files will not be reviewed for possible admission until the $35 application fee has been paid.

Three letters of recommendation are required. These should be submitted, upon request of the applicant, by three persons familiar with the scholastic ability and interests of the applicant. However, applications from students at or graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology need only to include the names of two faculty members familiar with the applicant’s academic performance.

If the applicant has not completed an undergraduate program, a list of the remaining requirements should accompany the application; evidence of graduation should be submitted as soon as available. Students who fail to complete all Bachelor’s degree requirements by the end of their first semester as a graduate student will be suspended from their graduate program until these requirements are complete.

Although not required by every graduate program, the Graduate Office strongly recommends that all applicants submit scores of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) in advance of registration. This examination is prepared by the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey. Moreover, any applicant whose background is deemed to be weak may be requested to take the GRE. The descriptions that follow provide information on requirements for specific graduate programs.

When an application for admission to a graduate program is received, the chair of the department or the coordinator of the multi-disciplinary program in which the applicant expects to major will evaluate the applicant’s academic qualifications. The chair/coordinator will recommend whether or not the applicant should be accepted into the graduate program, and whether the admission should be as an unconditional, provisional, probationary, or special student. The Graduate Dean will review this recommendation and provide a letter of decision to the applicant. For further information, refer to the section on “Probation Policy.”

Admission to the Graduate School for study toward a Master’s degree does not imply that the student will be allowed to work toward a doctorate. A separate application and evaluation of the student’s qualifications are necessary before acceptance into a doctoral program. It should be noted further that admission to the Graduate School for study toward a Ph.D. degree does not constitute admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Refer to a later section for information on admission to candidacy

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ADMISSION:

An international applicant for graduate school must provide evidence of English proficiency. English proficiency for graduate applicants from countries in which English is not the native language must be verified by the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). TWE (Test of Written English) scores are recommended but are not required. TOEFL results must be sent to the Graduate Office, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 East Saint Joseph Street, Rapid City, SD 57701-3995. A minimum score of 560/220 is required for unconditional satisfaction of the requirement. Students having scores greater than 520/190 but below 560/220 will be required to undergo an evaluation and may be required to complete a program of study in English as a second language. Admittance will not be granted to students with TOEFL scores below 520/190. Information on worldwide test centers and on registration for the TOEFL can be obtained by contacting any U.S. Embassy or Consulate or by writing to Test of English as a Foreign Language, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, U.S.A. International students from countries where English is either the native or common language may be exempted by the Graduate Dean from the TOEFL requirement. Likewise, applicants who have a prior degree from a college or university in the United States are generally exempted.

An international applicant will not be issued the U.S. Department of Justice Form
I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant (F-1) Student Status, until admission to graduate school for study toward a specific advanced degree has been granted and the applicant has provided documentary evidence of financial ability to cover the projected annual costs of education at this university. Form I-20 is usually necessary for admission to the United States for college attendance. This institution will issue a Form IAP-66 only in very exceptional circumstances.

All international applicants are required to submit the $35 application fee. (At the time of first registration on campus a $106.50 international student enrollment fee must be paid.) Both charges are non-refundable.
International students are advised that full-time status at this university is necessary in order to satisfy F-1 status requirements (see “Tuition and Fees” section of the catalog).

Each international student (and any dependents accompanying him/her to the United States) is REQUIRED to enroll in the Major Medical Hospitalization/Surgical Insurance Plan provided through SDSM&T. No outside policies will be accepted as substitutes. The only exception to this rule is if the student is covered by his/her home country (documentation of this policy is necessary). Additionally, each international student is required to carry at least $10,000 of life insurance while enrolled at SDSM&T.