Founded in 2010 to give the region a steady supply of well-trained professionals and to advocate for South Dakota communities, the program offers a four-year, 120-credit pre-professional Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture (BFA-Arch) and a professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch).

Architectural education is rooted in the studio model. On the third floor of the AME building, a 10,000-square-foot open studio gives every student a desk of their own, with pin-up space for project review and critique.

To become a licensed architect you must hold an accredited degree. SDSU’s M.Arch is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

Design is something you learn by doing. The curriculum puts hands-on, project-based learning at the center: students research, experiment, make, critique, revise and learn to explain the thinking behind their decisions, building skills in typography, image-making, visual systems, technology and communication.

Students explore a wide range of media, from typography and motion graphics to interactive design and emerging creative technologies, and graduate with a professional portfolio that shows both what they can make and how they think.

Travel studies are a required part of the program. Past destinations include London, Paris, Barcelona, New York and San Francisco. Beyond the BFA, students may add a graphic design minor (18 credits) or certificate (12 credits).

The School of Design offers the only four-year Interior Design degree in South Dakota, accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). The curriculum offers interactive, performance-based problem-solving across human factors, materials, history, building systems, codes, lighting and professional practice.

A practicum between junior and senior years provides a real transition from college to professional employment, and a travel-study requirement raises cultural and global awareness through both domestic and international sites.

Facilities include exhibit space, a resource library and three well-equipped studios with drafting tables, scanners, printers, light tables, Wacom tablets, VR goggles and touch-screen displays. Students can specialize in lighting, sustainability, or kitchen and bath design.

An integrative STEM profession with a focus on art and design, landscape architects plan and design parks, playgrounds, campuses, downtowns, streets, trails and plazas, synthesizing environmental studies, biology, horticulture, geology, hydrology, art, architecture and planning.

The SDSU program is nationally accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) and delivers a four-year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA). Students take classes from art and design to horticulture, biological sciences, site planning and engineering.

The studio-based curriculum builds a broad base that synthesizes natural sciences with strong design, addressing social and environmental issues with creative, achievable solutions.

Students build a strong technical and conceptual foundation across studio specializations, enhanced by access to the South Dakota Art Museum and its historical and contemporary works.

Students curate public exhibits of their own work in the on-campus Ritz Gallery, interact with a vibrant visiting-artist program, and receive mentorship from faculty who are active artists and scholars.

They are guided through professional engagement and encouraged to pursue exhibitions and competitions, developing a personal artistic identity as they advance.

Students study a variety of art-making methods and techniques alongside education courses, learning to design lesson plans, create project ideas and develop classroom-management skills.

The degree meets the requirements for South Dakota teacher certification, a clear, licensure-backed path from the studio to the classroom.

Art Education sits within Studio Art, so students build the same strong making foundation while preparing for a career in teaching.