Dickinson State University began to offer baccalaureate programs in cooperation with NDUS regional associate degree institutions in 1998. Bismarck State College was the first site established. In the fall of 2003, DSU online made it possible for DSU to extend their programs offerings globally.

The University serves as the intellectual, cultural, social, and recreational center for southwestern North Dakota. The University and the city are located near the scenic North Dakota Badlands, the historic town of Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the area where the young Roosevelt ranched before entering public life. This region of North Dakota offers some of the country’s most rugged natural beauty and finest hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking.

Dickinson State University recognizes that education is a lifelong process. The role of the Extended Learning is to extend available University resources beyond the campus and traditional offerings. Through a cooperative and coordinated effort, the Office of Extended Learning develops programs, courses, and workshops to provide individuals with skills to remain or advance in the workforce and to meet the needs for continued professional education.

The University is fully committed to equal opportunity in employment decisions, educational programs, and activities in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws, including affirmative action efforts. That’s why, Dickinson State University does not discriminate on the basis of age, religion or creed, national origin, marital status, race or ethnicity, gender, disability, or veterans’ status in its admissions, employment practices, education programs, housing, food service, or other related activities.

This academic institution has a mission which is, in the broadest sense, educational in nature and which is carried out by means of programs and activities devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, the instruction and development of students, and the general betterment of public life in the area it serves. It exists primarily as a community of individuals, including students, faculty, and staff, who provide, participate in, and/or support these activities and programs.