South Dakota State University has a long tradition of, and responsibility for, delivering a variety of outreach efforts to locations across the state, region, and world. These include educational services to University Center in Sioux Falls, the West River Graduate Center in Rapid City, the Capital University Center in Pierre (CUC), Nursing Upward Mobility, and numerous other distance education classes, workshops and services.

Continuing and Distance Education, also formerly known as Outreach Programming, and the Division of Lifelong Learning and Outreach, provides coordination and support for off-campus educational programs and, as such, serves as a conduit for the University's service mission to citizens of South Dakota, the region and the world. Outreach Programs are designed to deliver both state- and self-supported education through on-site or distance education credit courses, non-credit conferences, short courses, and workshops.

In 2000, Outreach Programming was administratively placed with the College of General Registration. In 2007, the Office of Continuing and Extending Education was created removing it, administratively, from the College of General Registration. / The following are administrated by this office: / Distance Education, including internet courses and Digital Dakota Network (DDN) courses;

Outreach sites, including the Capital University Center (CUC) in Pierre, the University Center / (South Dakota Public Universities and Research Center) in Sioux Falls, the West River Graduate Center in Rapid City, and Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI) in Watertown; and Outreach Programs including University Week for Women, Tax Update Workshops and Continuing Education Units. Also under this office is the Nursing RN Upward Mobility program, and conferences and institutes.