If you're a high school junior or senior looking to get a jump start on your college education, the High School Dual Credit (HSDC) program is for you!
Our courses are designed to fulfill both high school and college requirements. You can take HSDC courses on our main campus in Aberdeen, at the Huron Community Campus, or online.
Plus, we make it easy - and affordable - to transition to becoming a full-time student at Northern.
Earn a College Scholarship
Now if you earn NSU credit through HSDC, our Rising Scholars Program or E-Learning dual credit - and then attend Northern - you can earn scholarship money!
Dual Credit Scholarship
- You may qualify for a Northern dual credit scholarship of up to $1,000!
- No need to apply - it's applied automatically if you qualify
- You'll still be eligible for other scholarships, including Northern's WolfPACT!
WolfPACT Scholarship
- For first-time freshmen
- Awarded over four years
- Learn more about the WolfPACT Scholarship, see how much you may qualify for and apply today!
courses AVAILABLE
- Select Browse Courses to go to Ellucian/Banner Self-Service
- Select the appropriate term and click Continue
- Click Advanced Search
- In the University field, choose "NSU Northern State University"
- Select your preferred location
- From Gen Ed and Honors Courses, select "High School Dual Credit Course"
- Click Search
For help finding courses, please contact Matthew Perreault.
NOTE: The prefix for all of Northern’s German classes has changed to GLAN (Global Language). When searching for German classes on the Northern State University website or in Banner, please use the GLAN prefix.
General Education Courses
Visit General Education Courses to see courses based on your desired area of study.
First-time Dual Credit students
First-time students should create an account with a personal email address (to avoid security measures that might cause issues with K-12 student email accounts.)
Continuing Dual Credit Students
Students who previously have taken dual credit coursework with a South Dakota Board of Regents university will log in with their university-provided email address and password.
Northern Academy
Learn more about this exciting option for students taking dual credit classes on campus at Northern State University!
Northern's Dual Credit Scholarship
How Northern's Dual Credit Scholarship works:
- There’s no need to apply! Any new freshman who took Northern HSDC courses in high school will automatically receive the scholarship when they enroll at Northern State University as a full-time, degree seeking student.
- Students who took one to eight credits receive $500 ($250/year for two years).
- Students who took nine or more credits will receive $1,000 ($500/year for two years).
- Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA as an undergraduate student to continue receiving the scholarship.
- Credits must be successfully completed (a grade of “C” or higher) to be included in the student’s total NSU credit count.
- Even better: This scholarship can be awarded on top of the WolfPACT, the largest guaranteed scholarship in the region!
Ready to take the next step? Learn more about how Northern is offering scholarships to high school dual credit students, or get information below:
- What is High School Dual Credit?
High School Dual Credit courses provide an opportunity for high school students to enroll in college courses at Northern State University and simultaneously earn credit towards their high school diploma while starting on their requirements for a degree from NSU. Dual credit allows you to get a jump start on your college education and ease the transition from high school to college, all at a discount of up to 85 percent. Dual credit courses are available at the affordable cost of $48.33 per credit hour, plus textbooks and course materials.
Many on-campus and online general education courses are available for students to select. System General Education Requirements (SGR) courses promote educational breadth, develop critical thinking, and equip students with the skills needed to engage in their communities and the world at large.
The South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) has identified six goals that reflect the skills and learning outcomes students are expected to possess upon fulfilling their general education:
- Goal 1: Students will write effectively and responsibly and will understand and interpret the written expression of others.
- Goal 2: Students will communicate effectively and responsibly through listening and speaking.
- Goal 3: Students will understand the organization, potential, and diversity of the human community through study of the social sciences.
- Goal 4: Students will understand the diversity and complexity of the human experience through study of the arts and humanities.
- Goal 5: Students will understand and apply fundamental mathematical processes and reasoning.
- Goal 6: Students will understand the fundamental principles of the natural sciences and apply scientific methods of inquiry to investigate the natural world.
- Eligibility
South Dakota high school juniors and seniors are eligible to participate in the dual credit program if they meet any of the following requirements:
1. High school junior eligible to enroll in a high school in South Dakota who meets one of the following requirements:
a. Earn an ACT composite score of 24, reflective of the 70th percentile; or
b. Rank in the upper one-third of their graduating class; or
c. Earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale.
2. High school senior eligible to enroll in a high school in South Dakota who meets one of the following requirements:
a. Earn an ACT composite score of 21, reflective of the 50th percentile; or
b. Rank in the upper one-half of their graduating class; or
c. Earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.
3. High school junior or senior eligible to enroll in a high school in South Dakota who meets all of the following Undergraduate Admissions requirements:
a. ACT score of 18 (or 21 for USD & SDSM&T); and
b. Successful completion of coursework requirements
- Four years of English
- Three years of advanced mathematics
- Three years of laboratory science
- Three years of social studies
- One year of fine arts
4. High school junior or senior eligible to enroll in a high school in South Dakota who meets the benchmark scores on one of the assessments listed below:
a. Smarter Balance – Score Level 3 or higher on the English language arts AND mathematics 11th grade assessments
b. 10th Grade ACT Aspire Summative Assessment – Score 434 or higher
c. ACCUPLACER Classic – Sentence Skills (score 86 or higher) AND Elementary Algebra (score 76 or higher)
d. ACCUPLACER Next Generation – Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics (QAS – score 255 or higher) AND Writing (score 263 or higher).
Home School Student Eligibility
1. Students receiving education opportunities through alternative education are eligible to participate if the sponsoring parent has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the South Dakota Department of Education (SDDOE).
2. These students can qualify for the program by taking the ACT, ACT Aspire, or ACCUPLACER exams and must receive the specified scores listed above.
Foreign Exchange Student Eligibility
1. Students who are classified as J-1 Secondary School Student Program participants or J-1 High School Exchange students and enrolled at public, private, or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school districts in South Dakota are eligible to participate if the districts have a signed a MOU with the SDDOE.
2. Enrollment eligibility is restricted to no more than two courses per term, and the school district personnel are required to notify the student’s program sponsor regarding the post-secondary enrollment.
Definition of Junior/Senior
A junior is any student enrolled in his/her third year of high school, or homeschooled student whose high school class is within two years of graduating. The start of the junior year begins in the fall of each academic year.
A senior is any student enrolled in his/her fourth year of high school, or homeschooled student whose high school class is within one year of graduating. The senior year ends at the conclusion of the spring term following high school graduation.
Can I still take courses if I don't qualify for Dual Credit?
High school students who do not meet eligibility requirements for the High School Dual Credit or Concurrent Enrollment programs as outlined above may still enroll in coursework through SDBOR institutions consistent with SDCL § 13-28-37. Any such student must be admitted as a non-degree seeking student as outlined in Section 10 of the SDBOR Policy 2:3 System Undergraduate Admissions. The student shall be assessed full tuition, and all applicable general activity fees and discipline fees as approved by the Board of Regents. All coursework completed will be transcripted by the Regental institution delivering the course, and school districts have final authority for whether credit will be transcripted in accordance with their local policies.
If you do not qualify for dual credit – or wish to take a course that is not dual credit eligible – you may fill out the non-degree seeking student application. For more information, please see the SDBOR Dual/Concurrent Credit Administration Guidelines.
- How to Apply
Visit High School Dual Credit: How to Apply for information.
- Technology Requirements
All full-time students must bring a laptop to campus. NSU recommends computers with extended warranties and the latest operating systems. Devices such as iPads, Kindles, Chromebooks and other Android devices are not recommended as primary devices for your coursework, as they may not be able to run required software from some classes.
For technical support, call the NSU Support Desk at 605-626-2283 or email help@northern.edu.
- Which HSDC Courses Should I Take?
Explore your options at Dual Credit General Education Courses.
HSDC Resources
What to Know as Dual Credit Student
- Northern Academy: An early college, on-campus experience designed to improve the transition to college or technical school for dual credit students. Visit Northern Academy for details!
- FAQs: Browse the HSDC Frequently Asked Questions
- Textbooks: See Online Bookstore FAQs
- Academic information: For course information, see Dual Credit Advising Tracks and SDMyLife/Dual Credit or search courses at Ellucian/Banner Self Service.
- Foreign language: High school students interested in learning a foreign language online can learn details about Northern's modern language classes and programs in our course catalog
Contact Us
For more information about or assistance with high school dual credit courses at Northern, please contact Matthew Perreault:
Matthew Perreault
Assistant Director of Admissions Operations and Transfer Coordinator
matthew.perreault@northern.edu
605-626-7603
For academic advising and student support with high school dual credit courses at Northern, please contact Madia Droppers:
