Undergraduate

In high school, study hard and strive for excellence in all your courses. In order to prepare for college and a career in computer science, these are some specific recommendations regarding high school courses:

1. Take as much math as possible. A computer science degree requires 19 credit hours of math, starting with calculus.
2. Take any computer science courses that emphasize structured programming in high-level languages, or take the Advanced Placement course, if available.
3. Take physics and chemistry.
4. Do well in English. Strong communication skills are important too!

Students majoring in software engineering have numerous opportunities to gain part time employment and technical experience while completing their degree. Students can gain valuable technical experience while earning spending money working with local industries, such as Daktronics. Part-time employment opportunities are available with work hours that are flexible for the student. In some cases, these valuable part-time experiences evolve into permanent employment with the company following graduation.

SDSU has been very successful in placing its Software Engineering graduates in exciting positions after graduation. While SDSU graduates can go anywhere from here, many choose to work right here in South Dakota and the Midwest. SDSU has an on-campus placement office to assist students in finding jobs.

A tour of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department is encouraged for all students interested in computer science. This can be arranged by contacting the Admissions Office at (605) 688-4121.