Dakota State University’s DSc Program

My first semester at Dakota State University (DSU) just wrapped up last weekend. I just found out that I received an A for both courses.

The master's level course I had wasn't too bad, although there were sections that were very difficult. The doctoral level course I had (An Introduction to Research) just about killed me. The work was challenging and rewarding, but the course contained enough requirements to easily make 1.5 courses. Nonetheless, I persevered thanks to the encouragement from my wife.

The professors I had for these courses were excellent. They were very friendly, willing to help, and provided excellent feedback.

I start another course on 21 May. The course is a master's level course on database and SQL and is five weeks in duration.

 

Excellent! I'm really glad to hear that this is shaping up to be a good option for you. In this area of South Dakota (just a stone's throw from Madison, where DSU is based), this school has a really great reputation, particularly in technology-related fields. I'm glad that their offerings are proving to be of value to a broader constituency.

 

Looks like a solid program. It seems like it is possible to complete it in 3 years if you already have a masters. Are you trying to complete the program in 3 years? What are the residency requirements? Is around $20-$30K a good estimate for the cost of the program?

Thanks for the feedback. Good luck with you studies.

 

I agree; it does appear to be a solid program. It is possible to complete the DSc in 3 years providing you have an MSIS. If you don't have an MSIS, then you are looking at around 5-6 years. I don't have an MSIS, so I am on the slow road to the DSc.

DSU hasn't nailed down the residency requirements for the program yet, but most of the degree can be done online. There is only one course that I am aware of right now that has a limited residency requirement. One thing DSU is looking into is a way to conduct residencies via some sort of electronic means such as VTC, over the internet, etc.

Without an MSIS, it is around $28K (not including books). With an MSIS, it is around $18K.

 

Cory,

Thank you for the feedback on DSU last fall. You provided me with the local reputation of DSU, which helped me make up my mind to apply.

 

This seems like a very exciting program. What are the entrance requirements? Do you have an idea of how many students are in the program? Have you narrowed down a research focus? Curious. Thanks.

Dave

 

The entrance requirements are as follows:

http://www.departments.dsu.edu/gradoffice/Admission%20Forms/Application%20Instructions.pdf

Additional entrance requirements:

http://www.departments.dsu.edu/gradoffice/Program%20Specific%20Forms/Additional%20Information%20Required%20for%20D.Sc.%20Applicants.pdf

I think there are currently only 12 of us in the program.

I have narrowed down my research focus down some. DSU likes their doctoral students to start looking into possible research topics as soon as possible. The intro to research course required a literature review and a research proposal, which were just two of the numerous assignments required for the course. These assignments are what really got me thinking of possible research topics.

 

I've got this on my list of programs to consider, but one thing I couldn't determine from the website is which specialties can be completed at a distance. As of next week, I'll have a related MS, and I was thinking that the Information Assurance program at DSU looked interesting, so I'd be interested to hear what you know.

 

The MSIA can be completed at a distance. According to DSU's web site,

The Wireless and Networking Specialization seems to be the only specialization that requires some residencies.

http://www.departments.dsu.edu/gradoffice/Programs/MSIA/Prospective/ProgramDelivery.htm

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was referring to the D.Sc program. http://www.departments.dsu.edu/gradoffice/Programs/D.Sc/Prospective/ProgramDelivery.htm

I'm specifically interested in the Information Assurance and Computer Security specialization. . .

Bill

 

To be quite honest, I have no idea. I am just planning on handling the residency requirements, if any, when they come up.

On the negative side of the program, DSU does require students to take all of the following required courses and three courses in one of the master's level specializations. If you have had any of the courses from past graduate level work, then you may not need to take all of the courses.

http://www.departments.dsu.edu/gradoffice/Programs/D.Sc/Mater'sLevelRequiredCourses.htm

On the positive side, DSU put a solid program together: It includes a solid research component, a specialization component, and enough coursework to ensure you have a solid IS background.

 

I just finished my third course at DSU and so far so good. The course I just finished was 5-week course on database design and Oracle 10g: SQL. The course was a lot of work for five weeks, but it was manageable because it was the only class I had. I ended the course with an A.

My next course starts today and covers data warehousing and data mining. I have been looking through the required books and it looks as though this course is going to be very interesting.

 

Congrats on finishing the course...3.7% closer to being completed

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Thanks. 3.7% may not be much, but it feels very good.

 

Very Good job!

 

Thanks! How is the DBA from Argosy going?

 

Hey, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty good. Let me guess, you're a 'the glass is half full' type of guy.

 

Is going! Hopefully I will hat it in 2 1/2 to 3 years if my new employer start to kick in 80% tuition (So I was told). But the good thing is that you can find a program you like in the field you like.

 

Fourth course complete and quite a few more to go.

I just finished a course on data warehousing and data mining. The material was really interesting. The material was more in line with my job than my previous courses.

The downside to the course: The professor did not provide feedback. This aspect was very disappointing. But, in an email sent yesterday, he stated that he will be returning assignments and exams over the next few weeks. Since it was a six-week course, he felt the extra time was needed in order to provide all of us with meaningful feedback. Nonetheless, I got an A for the course.

My next courses start in September, so I am going to enjoy a little break for now. The courses coming up are IS project management, information retrieval, and a one-credit seminar course for doctoral students.