Bachelor of Science, Major in Agricultural Systems Technology

at South Dakota State University USA

Dietetics is the education and practice of food, nutrition and wellness and offers a wide variety of jobs in the health promotion, wellness, nutrition care and foodservice administration areas. Registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) provide nutrition education and counseling and are pivotal in preventive health care and community nutrition programs. Additionally, a RDN is essential to the total care of a patient in a healthcare facility through nutritional assessment and medical nutrition therapy. Students develop an understanding and competency in food, nutrition, wellness, and management and a background in the basic and behavioral sciences to apply the science of nutrition for the promotion of health and disease prevention.

The employment opportunities are in health promotion and wellness programs, public health agencies, foodservice and food production industries, schools, universities, the armed services, hospitals, nursing homes, and state, national and international organizations. Governmental regulations require the services of dietitians in federally supported programs. The consulting services of a dietitian are often sought by architects and hospital administrators in planning and equipping food preparation and services facilities.

Mission and program objectives are available on the Nutrition and Dietetics homepage at www.sdstate.edu/health-and-nutritional-sciences/nutrition-and-dietetics. Program outcome data are available upon request from the program director.

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Nutrition and Dietetics major, students will:

• Demonstrate how to locate, interpret, evaluate and use professional literature to make ethical, evidence-based practice decisions. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy)
• Use current information technologies to locate and apply evidence-based guidelines and protocols.
• Apply critical thinking skills. (Cross-curricular Skill: Critical and Creative Thinking)
• Demonstrate effective and professional oral and written communication and documentation.
• Describe the governance of nutrition and dietetics practice, such as the Scope of Nutrition and Dietetics Practice and the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Nutrition and Dietetics; and describe interprofessional relationships in various practice settings. (Cross-curricular Skill: Ethical Reasoning)
• Assess the impact of a public policy position on nutrition and dietetics practice.
• Discuss the impact of health care policy and different health care delivery systems on food and nutrition services.
• Identify and describe the work of interprofessional teams and the roles of others with whom the registered dietitian nutritionist collaborates in the delivery of food and nutrition services.
• Demonstrate an understanding of cultural competence/sensitivity. (Cross-curricular Skill: Intercultural Knowledge)
• Demonstrate identification with the nutrition and dietetics profession through activities such as participation in professional organizations and defending a position on issues impacting the nutrition and dietetics profession. (Cross-curricular Skill: Intercultural Knowledge)
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and expectations of a professional in mentoring and precepting others.
• Use the Nutrition Care Process to make decisions, identify nutrition-related problems and determine and evaluate nutrition interventions.
• Develop an educational session or program/educational strategy for a target population.
• Demonstrate counseling and education methods to facilitate behavior change for and enhance wellness for diverse individuals and groups. (Cross-curricular Skill: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Explain the processes involved in delivering quality food and nutrition services.
• Describe basic concepts of nutritional genomics.
• Apply management theories to the development of programs or services.
• Evaluate a budget and interpret financial data.
• Describe the regulation system related to billing and coding, what services are reimbursable by third party payers, and how reimbursement may be obtained.
• Apply the principles of human resource management to different situations.
• Describe safety principles related to food, personnel and consumers.
• Analyze data for assessment and evaluate data to be used in decision-making for continuous quality improvement.

The Global Studies program allows students to investigate and evaluate critical global issues, hone verbal and written communication skills, and develop intercultural competence necessary essential in a global marketplace and society. The interdisciplinary global studies major combines a set of required core courses, a modern language series, an international study abroad or internship experience, and a flexible series of electives from disciplines such as economics, geography, history, modern languages, philosophy, political science, religion, and sociology.  These components are designed to educate students in the complexity of the diverse cultural, environmental, political, religious and social interactions that comprise our modern world and to help them find solutions to the complex global challenges of the 21st century.

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the global studies major, students will:

• Demonstrate a broad understanding of global issues, societies, civilizations, economies, and cultures through an interdisciplinary approach. (Cross-curricular Skills: Intercultural Knowledge; Critical & Creative Thinking; Inquiry & Analysis; Information Literacy)
• Gain verbal and written communication skills essential in a global marketplace and society. (Cross-curricular Skills: Critical & Creative Thinking; Inquiry & Analysis; Information Literacy)
• Speak, read, understand, and write a foreign language at the intermediate-high level with solid narrative skills in the past, present, and future tenses. (Cross-curricular Skills: Intercultural Knowledge; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Demonstrate knowledge of intercultural competence and effectively bridge cultural differences and commonalities. (Cross-curricular Skills: Intercultural Knowledge; Critical & Creative Thinking; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Articulate the value of their global, cultural, and language studies and apply these skills to future employment. (Cross-curricular Skills: Intercultural Knowledge; Critical & Creative Thinking; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)

The Master of Science degree in Operations Management (MSOM), offered through the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering, is a program for professionals interested in expanding their ability to manage technical functions in an organization as the next logical step in their career path.

Students may elect to pursue the traditional thesis route under Option A: this is valuable for individuals who anticipate future graduate work toward achieving the terminal degree in a related field. Most students select the research/design paper route under Option B: this requirement generally takes the form of a project in collaboration with local or regional industry to solve a problem or to improve a system or process. A third option, Option C, is a non-thesis program that provides more coursework in lieu of the research component. Option C requires approval of the faculty advisor.

Regardless of the option selected, the student works with his/her Major Advisor to develop the program of study plan, make consistent progress toward completion of the degree, and to show proficiency in integrating and applying  management concepts through the Final Oral Exam.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Able to analyze information & make appropriate decisions.
• Project management skills: Demonstrate competence in developing, managing and closing out a project (simulated, case study, or practical application).
• Effective communication: Effective use of professional communication skills including interpersonal, written, and in presentations.

The Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership Major is a multidisciplinary program that provides a strong foundation in agricultural sciences. The major allows students the flexibility to select a plan of study based on their interests and skills by choosing one of three specializations: Education, Communication, or Leadership. Graduates of the Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership Major - Leadership specialization will be well prepared for employment with agricultural organizations such as breed associations and commodity organizations.

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Leadership Specialization of the Agricultural Education, Communication, and Leadership Major, students will:

• Demonstrate knowledge and skill across the broad field of the Agricultural, Food, and Natural Resources industries.
• Demonstrate and apply in-depth knowledge of leadership principles.
• Upon completion of the program students will explain the importance of and show evidence of ethical and professional behaviors. (Cross-curricular Skill: Ethical Reasoning)
• Locate and evaluate information to solve real world problems. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy; Problem Solving)
• Evaluate core competencies and create plans for effective lifetime learning. (Cross-curricular Skill: Foundational Lifelong Learning Skills)
• Demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills.
• Evaluate a diverse spectrum of agriculturally related global challenges to communicate culturally responsible solutions to a variety of audiences. (Cross-curricular Skill: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)

Psychology is the discipline concerned with the study of behavior and mental processes. It is a tremendously broad field spanning subject matter from the biological to social sciences. The study of psychology prepares students for work in fields like health care, counseling, education, social work, human resources, statistics, probation and corrections, business, politics, public relations, and more. Psychologists are commonly found working in conjunction with other professionals to contribute to every area of society. Advisors assist students to personalize curriculum plans to meet career and educational goals.

Student Learning Outcomes
In the Psychology major, students will:

• Express fundamental knowledge and comprehension of major concepts in psychology. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis)
• Apply scientific reasoning to psychological issues/problems. (Cross-curricular Skill: Critical and Creative Thinking; Problem Solving; Ethical Reasoning)
• Show an understanding of diversity and ethical/social responsibility in professional settings. (Cross-curricular Skill: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Write competently in APA style. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy)
• Demonstrate oral competency. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy)

This program takes advantage of the types of courses central to a liberal arts education. Although the degree is not tied to any specific career aspiration, students often use the degree as preparation for careers in musicology, composing, music librarianship, and private studio teaching. The flexibility of the curriculum is also used by students desiring a performance-based course of study and to prepare for graduate school.

Student Learning Outcomes
Music Studies students will:

• Analyze, synthesize, and create music as a means of supporting developing careers in music education and/or performance. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis)
• Be able to perform as soloists, ensemble members, and/or chamber musicians at appropriate levels for their concentration. (Cross-curricular Skill: Teamwork)
• Integrative Learning (Cross-curricular Skill: Integrative Learning)
• Demonstrate proficient knowledge of the information literacy as pertained to research method—specifically when it comes to researching and writing about music. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy)
• SLO 5 (Diversity and Inclusion) will be assessed through learning opportunities presented in the first-year MUS 119 course, reinforced through discussion of MUEN programming, and through progress in projects associated with MUS 130, World Music. Data will be collected and analyzed every three years and stored in the Music office. Benchmark for success is that 80% of students will demonstrate proficient knowledge of the diversity of values, beliefs, practices, and ideas embodied in the discipline of music. (Cross-curricular Skill: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)

The Operations Management (OM) program has been designed to prepare students to manage operations and resources including people, equipment, facilities, finances, and processes. The OM program is an applied management program tailored to entry-level positions of responsibility in manufacturing, technical services companies, suppliers to manufacturers, and/or industrial sales.

There are two emphases for the OM program. The Manufacturing emphasis includes Lean, quality management systems, process development, workplace safety, supply chain management, and industrial controls. Students may elect to pursue an additional professional certification at graduation. The Electronics emphasis prepares students to work as supervisors or project team leaders in industries that manufacture, service, or develop electronic devices or distributed systems. Courses include circuits, digital & analog devices, networks, microcontrollers, PCBs, industrial controls, and PLCs.

Program Educational Outcomes
SDSU Operations Management graduates will become professionals who:

• Achieve positions of increasing responsibility or leadership with employers, professional organizations, or civic organizations as an indicator of professional competence, demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, and successfully function in team environments (Professional Responsibility and Teamwork);
• Apply management, mathematics and science principles, and appropriate technology to the solution of current and future problems in the field of operations management, and (Problem Solving); and,
• Complete licensure, certification, short courses, workshops, or advanced degrees in technical, professional, or management subject areas to enhance their abilities in operations management practice and the global business environment (Professional Growth).

Student Learning Outcomes

Operations Management graduates will have:

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve broadly defined technical or scientific problems by applying knowledge of mathematics and science and/or technical topics to areas relevant to the discipline. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis)
• An ability to formulate or design a system, process, procedure, or program to meet desired needs
• An ability to develop and conduct experiments or test hypotheses, analyze and interpret data and use scientific judgement to draw conclusions. (Cross-curricular Skill: Problem Solving)
• An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• An ability to understand ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact of technical and/or scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts. (Cross-curricular Skill: Ethical Reasoning)
• An ability to function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty. (Cross-curricular Skill: Teamwork)
• An ability to understand the value of diverse perspectives in the workplace. (Cross-curricular Skill: Diversity, Inclusion & Equity)

The French Studies program allows students to learn a language, gain intercultural competence, and communicate effectively and appropriately with all people.  Studying French provides models to deal with cultural differences that are applicable in any part of the world, including the U.S Students engage with the contemporary norms that structure societies’ politics, religions, identities, and workplaces, as well as with the heritage and diversity of cultures in the French-speaking world. Students also participate in internships, study abroad, and experiential learning opportunities both locally and internationally. Courses in the French Studies program provide students with the flexibility to pair with another major, and with the skills to function and communicate effectively in any environment, and ultimately, to work competitively in the global marketplace.

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of the French major, students should be able to:

• Speak, read and write French at the Intermediate-High or Advanced level, developing solid competence in the language needed for everyday life and advanced narrative skills in the past, present, and future. (Cross-curricular Skills: Intercultural Knowledge; Inquiry & Analysis; Information Literacy)
• Demonstrate understanding of and growth in the skills required for intercultural communication and competence and life-long learning. (Cross-curricular Skill: Intercultural Knowledge; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity; Critical & Creative Thinking)
• Identify the cultural perspectives of the French-speaking world’s civilizations and their cultural products, such as literatures, arts, institutions, pop cultures, etc. and compare the cultural frames that determine everyday life in French- speaking cultures and the U.S. (Cross-curricular Skills: Intercultural Knowledge; Critical & Creative Thinking; Inquiry & Analysis; Information Literacy)
• Adapt behavior to a variety of cultural contexts through critical analysis of cultural frames. (Cross-curricular Skills: Intercultural Knowledge; Creative & Critical Thinking; and Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Articulate the value of their language and cultural studies and apply this knowledge in future employment. (Cross-curricular Skill: Intercultural Knowledge; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)

The Early Education and Care (EEC) is an online undergraduate program provided by seven universities working in collaboration. This program will prepare you to work in early childhood settings with young children, especially those whose family members are highly mobile. When students complete the program they will be qualified to work in a variety of programs that offer early care and education in the community and on military installations. Some of these programs are:

• Childcare centers and homes
• Infant/toddler and preschool programs
• Head Start programs
• Before and after-school programs for children ages birth to eight

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students use their understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs, and of multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning, to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child. (Inquiry and Analysis; Critical and Creative Thinking; Information Literacy; Integrative Learning; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Students know about, understand, and value the importance and complex characteristics of children’s families and communities. They use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and to involve all families in their children’s development and learning. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis; Information Literacy; Civic Knowledge and Engagement; Integrative Learning; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Students know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis; Critical and Creative Thinking; Information Literacy; Ethical Reasoning; Integrative Learning; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Students understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise and its details vary depending on children’s ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching, and learning occur. They understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each child’s development and learning. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis; Critical and Creative Thinking; Information Literacy; Integrative Learning; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Students use their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for each and every young child. Candidates understand the importance of developmental domains and academic (or content) disciplines in early childhood curriculum. They know the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas, including academic subjects, and can identify resources to deepen their understanding. Candidates use their own knowledge and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for every young child. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis; Critical and Creative Thinking; Information Literacy; Ethical Reasoning; Integrative Learning; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Students identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources. They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy; Civic Knowledge and Engagement; Ethical Reasoning; Foundational Lifelong Learning Skills; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
• Students develop the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions necessary to promote the development and learning of young children across the entire developmental period of early childhood—in at least two of the three early childhood age groups (birth – age 3, 3 through 5, 5 through 8 years) and in the variety of settings that offer early education (early school grades, child care centers and homes, Head Start programs). (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis; Critical and Creative Thinking; Information Literacy; Civic Knowledge and Engagement; Ethical Reasoning; Foundational Lifelong Learning Skills; Integrative Learning; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)

This degree is designed for students who enjoy music but want a career option outside of performing or teaching music. The program prepares students for careers in music manufacturing, retail sales, music production, publishing, arts management, industry, and a variety of other fields. An on-the-job internship experience is included as part of the professional requirement for the degree.

Student Learning Outcomes
Music Entrepreneurship students will:

• Analyze, synthesize, and create music as a means of supporting developing careers in music education and/or performance. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis)
• Be able to perform as soloists, ensemble members, and/or chamber musicians at appropriate levels for their concentration. (Cross-curricular Skill: Teamwork)
• Integrative Learning (Cross-curricular Skill: Integrative Learning)
• Demonstrate proficient knowledge of the information literacy as pertained to research method—specifically when it comes to researching and writing about music. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy)
• SLO 5 (Diversity and Inclusion) will be assessed through learning opportunities presented in the first-year MUS 119 course, reinforced through discussion of MUEN programming, and through progress in projects associated with MUS 130, World Music. Data will be collected and analyzed every three years and stored in the Music office. Benchmark for success is that 80% of students will demonstrate proficient knowledge of the diversity of values, beliefs, practices, and ideas embodied in the discipline of music. (Cross-curricular Skill: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)