public institution covering more than 120 acres (45 hectares) in Spearfish, S.D., in the Northern Black Hills. The university, founded in 1883, enrolls roughly 2,900 students, including some 100 graduate students studying education. About a fourth of the students come from outside of the state. Women outnumber men. Approximately a third of the undergraduates are over the age of 25. Traditional-age freshmen must reside in campus housing. Black Hills State operates on the semester system and awards associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. Disciplines offered include liberal arts and sciences, education, business, visual and performing arts, communications, community services, hospitality and travel services, industrial arts, library science, construction technologies, gerontology, physical fitness, and environmental sciences. About 60 percent of the full-time faculty hold doctorates. Opportunities exist to study off-campus at South Dakota State University. Approximately 15 percent of the undergraduates pursue advanced studies within a year of graduation. Extracurricular activities at the university include performance groups, a campus radio station, fraternities and sororities, publications, and intramural sports. Varsity sports teams compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. |