South Dakota State UniversitySchool of Design
South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD

Where art and design
live under one roof.

The SDSU School of Design unites the visual arts and the built environment as equal partners. Six accredited programs, one studio culture, and a path from first-year core to a licensure-ready degree.

Explore the programs Plan your visit
NAAB · CIDA · LAAB · NASAD accredited Art & design at SDSU since 1887 Ritz Gallery & visiting artists
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Welcome to the School of Design

Art and design elevate everything.

We initiate and engage in conversations that shape creative practices and enhance understanding of art and design. This exchange enriches the way we live and work. We challenge limits and nurture confidence as we transform our students, our communities and ourselves.

Our vision

The unique composition of our School unites the visual arts and the built environment as equal partners, weaving dialogue and collaboration across everything we do. A dynamic coexistence that keeps us agile and innovative.

School of Design studio
The School at a glance

One School, six programs, countless makers.

1887
Art & design at SDSU since
6
Accredited programs
400
Students
28
Faculty
5
National accreditors
Six ways to make

Find your program.

Architecture and the built environment, visual communication, interiors, landscape and fine art. Each accredited, each hands-on, all under one roof.

Architecture01
M.Arch · NAAB

Architecture

Shape the built environment.

A four-year pre-professional BFA in Architecture and a NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture, 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.

  • Founded 2010
  • 120-credit BFA-Arch
  • NAAB-accredited M.Arch
Graphic Design02
BFA · NASAD

Graphic Design

Make ideas visible.

Turn information, stories and ideas into experiences people can see, understand and use. Hands-on, project-based studios build typography, image-making, motion and interactive skills, with required travel studies and a professional portfolio.

  • NASAD-accredited BFA
  • Required travel studies
  • Minor + certificate
Interior Design03
BFA · CIDA

Interior Design

Design for how people live.

The only four-year Interior Design degree in South Dakota, accredited by CIDA. Performance-based studios cover human factors, materials, lighting, codes and professional practice, with a summer practicum and travel study.

  • Only 4-yr ID in South Dakota
  • CIDA-accredited BFA
  • Summer practicum
Landscape Architecture04
BLA · LAAB

Landscape Architecture

Steward the land.

An integrative STEM profession, one of the fastest growing. The LAAB-accredited Bachelor of Landscape Architecture spans art and design, horticulture, biological sciences, site planning and engineering to shape parks, campuses and public space.

  • LAAB-accredited BLA
  • STEM-designated
  • Four-year studio
Studio Art05
Professional BFA · NASAD

Studio Art

Make, exhibit, grow.

A Professional BFA with specializations in Ceramics, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture and Art Education, enhanced by the South Dakota Art Museum, the student-run Ritz Gallery and a visiting-artist program.

  • Five specializations
  • On-campus Ritz Gallery
  • Visiting-artist program
Art Education06
BFA · NASAD + SD DOE

Art Education

Teach the next makers.

Studio experience, art history and the teacher-education sequence, leading to South Dakota K-12 art teaching certification. A clear, licensure-backed path from the studio to the classroom.

  • Leads to SD teacher cert
  • Studio + education
  • K-12 classroom focus
How the degree works

From a shared first year to a senior passion project.

Every School of Design student travels the same arc, choosing a major from experience, not a brochure.

01

Common Core

Every student begins with DSGN 110 Creative Thinking, shared across all six programs, and samples each major before committing.

02

Foundations

You settle into your major and build its technical and conceptual foundation, with an elective from the other side of the visual-arts / built-environment divide.

03

Studio & Field

Deep studio work, travel studies, a summer practicum and real client projects take you beyond the classroom.

04

Passion Project

A senior capstone in cohorts of 18–24, each led by two faculty from different areas. You graduate with a portfolio or an accredited, licensure-ready degree.

Accreditation & licensure

Accredited degrees, real professional paths.

Five national accreditations back licensure-ready degrees. Where a profession requires a license, an accredited degree is the prerequisite.

NAAB
Architecture, M.Arch
Licensed Architect
CIDA
Interior Design, BFA
Certified Interior Designer
LAAB
Landscape Architecture, BLA
Licensed Landscape Architect
NASAD
Graphic Design & Studio Art, BFA
Professional Designer / Artist
HLC
Institutional (university-wide)
Regionally accredited
Ritz Gallery
Studio Art & the Ritz Gallery

Make it. Show it.

The Professional BFA in Studio Art builds a strong foundation across five specializations, enhanced by the South Dakota Art Museum and a visiting-artist program. Students curate and install public exhibitions in the student-run Ritz Gallery, including the Stuart Artist-in-Residence each fall.

CeramicsPaintingPrintmakingSculptureArt Education
Beyond the classroom

Travel studies, built into the degree.

Travel studies are a required part of graphic design and interior design, combining observational drawing with cultural engagement. Past destinations:

London
London
Paris
Paris
Barcelona
Barcelona
New York
New York
San Francisco
San Francisco
Where it leads

Careers our graduates build.

From licensed architects and landscape architects to brand designers, art teachers and practicing artists.

Brand DesignerEditorial DesignerUX/UI DesignerInteractive DesignerPackage DesignerExhibition DesignerDesign StrategistCreative DirectorArt DirectorLicensed ArchitectInterior DesignerLandscape ArchitectK-12 Art TeacherPracticing Artist
Alumni work at
NBC SportsTarget CreativeDaktronicsIBMDisneyGoogleSanfordLawrence & SchillerLemonlyColle McVoyJanus et CieEpicosityNBC SportsTarget CreativeDaktronicsIBMDisneyGoogleSanfordLawrence & SchillerLemonlyColle McVoyJanus et CieEpicosity
Your next step

Come see the School of Design.

Visit the studios, meet the faculty and see what you could make. Applications and visits run through SDSU Admissions.

Apply to SDSU Plan your visit Contact the School →