BHSU collaborates with SD Mines on business management degree with technology focus

Black Hills State University is collaborating with South Dakota School of Mines & Technology to offer a new degree at Mines integrating business and management principles with engineering and science. The Board of Regents approved the program starting this fall.

The degree, to be called a bachelor of science in business management in technology, will position SD Mines’ graduates to manage a business, lead a team of engineers and scientists, manage complex projects and budgets, and understand the financial impact of decisions on a project or within a company. 

The university in Rapid City will collaborate with the College of Business and Natural Sciences at BHSU to offer the degree, including an option for online delivery. Each university will offer coursework related to their approved mission, with engineering courses provided by SDSM&T, while business-related coursework will come from BHSU. The degree awarded will be a Mines’ degree, and neither university requires additional resources to offer the program.

University officials said this new degree responds to changing industry needs and strong job growth in engineering disciplines, as well as in management and business, or a combination of the two.

Eighty-two percent of respondents to a national job outlook survey this spring said they planned to hire for business openings, while 73 percent said they had engineering positions to fill, or a combination of both.