USD Graduate School

09/18/2026

Please join us in celebrating Laura Nelson, a USD School of Education Curriculum and Instruction doctoral candidate, on successfully defending her dissertation, "Understanding English Learner Teachers' Self-Efficacy in South Dakota's Rural and Town Schools."

Laura's research highlights the experiences of English learner teachers and contributes valuable insights to education in communities across South Dakota.

Congratulations on this outstanding achievement, Dr. Nelson! 👏🎓📚

08/06/2026

Next up in our Behind the Dean's Desk series is Dr. Elizabeth McKay Freeburg of the Graduate School!

Her perspective on what it means to be a Coyote is rooted in putting people first. She believes in investing in our students, colleagues and communities because when people succeed, communities thrive.

Read more: https://www.usdalumni.com/news-and-stories/behind-the-deans-desk-elizabeth-mckay-freeburg

07/13/2026

Recent University of South Dakota graduate Darla Biel, Ed.D., was awarded the USD 2026 Distinguished Dissertation Award.

06/11/2026

The University of South Dakota School of Education is celebrating a major milestone in teacher preparation as the first graduating cohort of its Master of Arts in elementary education plus certification.

USD’s online master’s + certification programs are designed for individuals seeking a meaningful transition into teaching. All programs are fully online, paired with supervised clinical experiences, and lead to both a graduate degree and licensure. Programs include elementary education with a K-8 licensure, multi-categorical special education in K-12 special education licensure and secondary education for grades 5-12 in a content area.

USD is the only institution in South Dakota offering all three M.A. plus certification pathways in a fully online format, making high-quality teacher preparation accessible across the state and beyond. Likewise, USD’s programs are growing rapidly and are removing geographic barriers while creating accessible, high-quality graduate pathways. In doing so, USD is helping address critical teacher shortages across South Dakota and the region.

Read the full story here: https://usd.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/school-of-education/south-dakotan-education/usd-school-of-education-celebrates-first-ma-in-elementary-education-plus-certification-graduates

06/03/2026

The University of South Dakota’s School of Education has received national recognition for its graduate programs, with U.S. News & World Report including USD among the 2026 Best Education Schools.

04/01/2026

USD was well represented at the Midwestern Association of Graduation Schools (MAGS) conference last week in Kansas City. Former History Graduate Student and current employee Arianna Van Kaley was runner-up for the MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Thesis Award. Current Business Analytics student Nicky Apenahier and USD 3MT winner also competed at MAGS 3MT.
Congratulations to both of these students for their amazing accomplishments!

03/19/2026

Congratulations to Anna Van Kley on winning the USD 2026 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award!

Anna Van Kley, a ’24 graduate of the University of South Dakota, has received the 2026 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award. This honor recognizes the dedication, research and originality required not only to complete a master’s degree, but to craft an exceptional thesis.

02/19/2026

Congratulations to the three winners of our 8th Annual Three Minute Thesis Competition!
First Place: Nicky Apenahier
M.S. in Business Analytics
Second Place: Gopala Krishna Murthy Kalapala
Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry
Third Place: Casey Wall
Ph.D. in Data Science and Engineering

02/18/2026

Final Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition is today! Join us in MUC Ballroom 225BC to support your USD Graduate Students as they present their thesis/dissertation research today at 3 p.m.

02/11/2026

Congratulations to our winners Bethany Larson and Mariana Astete!

The University of South Dakota Graduate School is honored to present two graduate students—Bethany Larson and Mariana Astete—with the Graduate Excellence in Teaching Awards for their outstanding contributions to promoting a culture of educational excellence at the university.