Admissions

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• Pre-Admission Immunization Requirements
• Admissions Requirements

Black Hills State University invites you to apply for admission to enroll in one of our high quality degree programs.  It is recommended, though not required, that you apply at least three months prior to the term to which you intend to enroll.   http://www.BHSU.edu/admissions.

• All students born after December 31, 1956, who reside on campus or who receive instruction at one of the residential campuses (Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, Northern State University, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, South Dakota State University, and University of South Dakota), and students who attend classes at the University Centers in Sioux Falls, Pierre, and Rapid City must document their immune status for measles, mumps and rubella. Students are not required to document their immune status to attend classes at other locations or through the Internet. Proof of two doses of measles vaccine or of the presence of an immune antibody titer against measles shall be required. This documentation may be accomplished by either a State Health Department certificate, or it may be included as part of the institution’s physical exam report. A student who fails to provide satisfactory documentation of his or her immune status shall not be permitted to register for or to attend classes. Every attempt should be made to collect this information at the time of admission. For special circumstances, an institution’s president or the president’s designee may grant an extension of the deadline for an amount of time determined necessary. In no case may the extension be longer than one semester. A medical waiver may also be requested when necessary. Requests for medical waivers will be forwarded to the admitting institution for its review and action.

• Students who are unable to ascertain their immunization status may obtain, at their own expense, the necessary tests and vaccination from the Student Health Service of their university. 

• In the event the South Dakota State Department of Health declares an epidemic of measles or rubella, the institution involved shall provide to the State Department of Health a list of students who have not submitted immunization documentation. Subsequent campus actions shall consider the advice and authority of the South Dakota State Department of Health. Students who have no vaccination or immunity against the required preventable infectious diseases may be dismissed from the campus.

• Vaccination for Hepatitis B is required for students before they can be admitted to certain health profession programs. Each institution will compile information about current program-related vaccination requirements and make this information available to students along with other curricular and registration materials. It will be the responsibility of the department of the specific health profession program to ensure that the vaccination requirement has been met.

• Immunization for tetanus, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, varicella and meningitis is recommended, as is a tuberculin test. Vaccination for Hepatitis B is also recommended.

First-Year Students

To be admitted to Black Hills State University, you must have the following credentials:

• ACT Composite Score of 18 or above OR
• Rank in the top 60 percent of your graduating class OR
• High School GPA of 2.60 on a 4.00 scale

AND

4.   All baccalaureate or general studies students under 24 years of age, including students transferring with fewer than 24 credit hours, must meet the following minimum high school course requirements with an overall grade point average of “C” or higher:

• 4 years of English
  • OR an ACT English subtest score of 18 or above
  • OR an Advanced Placement Language and Composition or Literature and Composition score of 3 or above
• 3 years of Advanced Math (algebra and above)
  • OR an ACT mathematics subtest score of 20 or above
  • OR an Advanced Placement Calculus AB or Calculus BC score of 3 or above
• 3 years of Laboratory Science (biology, chemistry, or physics, or approved physical science or earth science)
  • OR an ACT science reasoning subtest score of 17 or above
  • OR and Advanced Placement Biology, Chemistry, or Physics B score of 3 or above
• 3 years of Social Sciences
  • OR an ACT social studies subtest score of 17 or above
  • OR an Advanced Placement Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Comparative or United States Government and Policies, European or United States History, or Psychology score of 3 or above
• One year of Fine Arts

Applications received from students with deficiencies will be reviewed on an individual basis.

Non-High School Graduates, Including Home Schooled Students

An applicant for baccalaureate or associate admissions who is not a high school graduate must:

• Obtain an ACT composite score of 18, ACT English sub-test score of 18 or above, Mathematics sub-test score of 20 or above, Social Studies/Reading and Science Reasoning sub-test scores of at least 17 and meet any university determined requirements for admission to baccalaureate programs. Students must be at least 18 years of age, or the high school class of which the student was a member must have graduated from high school.

OR

• Completed the General Educational Development (GED) High School Equivalency Certificate with the following minimum test scores: The total cumulative standard test scores for all five test items must total 2250 with no standard test score below 410.

Nontraditional students (24 years of age or older), who do not meet the above criteria, may be admitted at the discretion of the university.

Associate Degree Admission for High School Graduates

A student who seeks admission to an associate degree program may be accepted by meeting one of the following criteria:

• Baccalaureate admission requirements

OR

• Rank in the top 60 percent of your graduating class

OR         

• A composite Enhanced ACT score of 18 or above

OR

• A cumulative high school grade point average of 2.60 on a 4.00 scale

*Admission criteria are subject to change.

Application Procedure: High school students may apply for admission any time after their junior year. Applicants should submit a completed admission application, a $20 non-refundable application fee, a high school transcript, and official ACT or SAT scores.

High School Dual Enrollment

High school students who have completed their sophomore year and who wish to enroll at BHSU prior to completion of their highs school education may be granted temporary admission.

Application Procedure: Students interested in taking college courses at BHSU while still in high school are required to submit a completed admission application form and all other documents as required by the university.

Returning Students (former BHSU students)

Application Procedure: Students returning to BHSU at the same academic level (undergraduate or graduate) are not required to pay the application fee if they attended within the past three semesters, including summer.  All other returning students are required to submit the $20 non-refundable application fee. Returning applicants are required to submit an application for readmission and other required documents if the attendance has been interrupted for one or more semesters. Former students will be considered transfer students if they attended a Non-Regental university during the period of interrupted attendance.

Transfer Students

Transfer to Baccalaureate Program - Students who are under the age of 24 at the start of the term, and who are transferring into baccalaureate degree programs with fewer than 24 transfer credit hours may be required to fulfill the baccalaureate degree admission requirements. Students with 24 or more transfer credit hours with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 may transfer into baccalaureate degree programs. Specific degree programs may include additional admissions requirements. If students are applying for federal financial aid, they must meet federal guidelines for transfer students.

Transfer to Associate Degree Program - Students who are under the age of 24 at the start of the term and who are transferring into associate degree programs with fewer than 12 transfer credit hours must meet the associate degree admission requirements. Students with 12 or more transfer credit hours with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 may transfer into associate degree programs. Specific degree programs may include additional admissions requirements.

Non-Regental Accredited Colleges or Universities – Transfer students may be accepted from other Non-Regental universities outside of the SD system; preferential consideration will be given to applicants from institutions which are accredited by their respective regional accrediting association.

Non-Accredited Colleges – BHSU is not required to accept credits from a non-accredited college or university. The university may admit the applicant on a provisional basis and provide a means for the evaluation of some or all of the credits. Credits from colleges or universities which are not accredited by a regional accrediting association may be considered for transfer, subject to all other provisions of these guidelines and any conditions for validation which may be set by BHSU.

Students on Suspension/Probation – Transfer student who have not maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 may appeal for admissions. If admitted, such students are on academic probation. 

If the last institution attended was outside the Regental system, and the transfer applicant left under academic suspension, the applicant will not be considered for admission during the period of suspension or, if suspended for an indefinite period, until one semester has passed since the last date of attendance at the previous school. Students on academic suspension from a Regental university will not be allowed to register for any coursework at any Regental university except when an appeal has been approved by the Regental university from which the student is pursuing a degree. An approved appeal granted by one Regental university will be honored by all Regental universities.

Application Procedure: Transfer applicants should submit a completed admission application, a $20 non-refundable application fee, a current complete official transcript sent directly from each college, school or institution attended since high school, and an official high school transcript. The application fee is not charged to students who transfer within three semesters, including summer, from other South Dakota Regental schools.

Applicant who are 21 years of age or younger must submit Enhanced ACT (or SAT-I) results. Applicants who are over 21 need to submit their scores if they have taken the test within the last five years.

Students transferring from a degree seeking program at one Regental university to a degree seeking program at BHSU are required to apply for admission.

Note: Transfer students applying for federal financial aid must meet federal guidelines for transfer students.

Non-Degree Seeking Students

Applicants who wish to enroll for a limited number of credit hours but do not wish to work toward a degree from BHSU are required to submit a completed admission application form. Non-Degree seeking students are not required to pay the application fee.

Notification of Admission

After all required items are on record, the student is notified of acceptance by receiving a letter of notification. If the student is not granted acceptance, a letter explaining the reason(s) for the decision will be sent.