University of South Dakota - Profile

Profile

The University of South Dakota was founded in 1862 by the Dakota Territorial Legislature. It is the state's oldest public university, and is one of six universities governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents. USD has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1913 and is an active member of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. The school houses the state's only law and medical schools and the lone College of Fine Arts.

USD is also home to the state's oldest and largest political science department. Within the program is the Farber Fund, named for storied university professor emeritus Dr. William O. Farber, which provides subsidy to political science and criminal justice majors to attend conferences, participate in study tours, complete internships, and study abroad.

Since 1897 The University of South Dakota has had an extensive Greek system as well. The university is home to the fraternity chapters of Phi Delta Theta, Delta Tau Delta, Sigma Nu, Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha and Phi Kappa Theta. Sororities include the following: Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Alpha Phi and Alpha Xi Delta.

The Sanford School of Medicine, a community-based program, emphasizes family medicine and primary care with the support and participation by practicing physicians and community hospitals throughout the state. Community hospitals and clinics provide teaching sites and the practicing physicians are teachers. The Lee Medical Sciences building houses the basic science education.