High School Dual Credit Gateway Certificates

The Gateway Certificates are programs consisting of 3-4 courses that can be taken by high school students through the High School Dual Credit (HSDC) program. The certificate is made of up courses geared toward a specific career pathway (i.e., education, engineering, agriculture, business, etc.), as well as general education courses.

Upon completion, students will be awarded a credential for the certificate on their South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) transcript. The Gateway Certificates are geared toward students in the HSDC program but are open to all SDBOR students.

Gateway Certificates allow students who are interested in a specific career path to take university courses in that career area prior to high school graduation. This allows students to get a jump start on their chosen major and/or gives students an opportunity to see if a major is right for them. Students who go on to major in the certificate area have a head start on their major requirements, as well as some general education course work complete.

Students can register for a Gateway Certificate as part of the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) Dual Enrollment Application. On the application, students will be provided a list of certificates to choose from and have the option to select the Gateway Certificate they are interested in completing. Students will also select the university that they would like to award the certificate when completed. Once the student has selected the Gateway Certificate on the application, the high school official will confirm enrollment in the certificate program by also selecting the certificate when they complete their portion of the application. Both the student and the high school official must select the certificate for it to be added as a program on the student’s record.

Depending on the Gateway Certificate selected on the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) Dual Enrollment Application, there will be a dropdown of universities offering that certificate. The SDBOR encourages students to select the university they are considering attending upon graduation when it’s an option. Otherwise, students can select any eligible university for their chosen certificate.

Since all Gateway Certificates are South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) system certificates, courses can be taken through any of the SDBOR universities—not just the university that the student selected to award the certificate.

If a student signs up to enroll in a Gateway Certificate but does not complete the required courses prior to high school graduation, they can continue to complete the certificate if they attend a South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) university. Students are not required to complete the Gateway Certificate prior to high school graduation. There are no negative repercussions if a student is unable to complete the certificate.

If a student takes coursework in a specific area as part of a Gateway Certificate (i.e., education, engineering, agriculture, etc.), but ultimately decides not to major in that area, the content-specific coursework can still count as electives to complete their chosen degree. Additionally, all Gateway Certificates include general education courses, which count toward the completion of the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) general education requirements, regardless of the student’s eventual chosen major.

Yes—AP credit, as well as other credit by exam methods, can count toward a Gateway Certificate. The student will need to take at least half of the courses through a South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) university for a certificate to be awarded, but one to two AP courses can contribute to the certificate if credit has been awarded for the exam by the university.