South Dakota State University. College of Education and Counseling

South Dakota State University has always served as a training ground for educators, although in the earliest years this was not a primary function of the university. Many of the earliest graduates went on to become teachers, and many students taught rural school during college breaks. The first formal department for the preparation of teachers was organized as the Department of Latin and Pedagogy in 1904. In 1906, this department was reorganized as the Department of Philosophy, and courses such as history of education and methods of teaching joined philosophy and psychology offerings. In 1913, a Department of Education was created, and professional courses were added to the curriculum. In 1924, when the various departments were organized into divisions, the Department of Education was grouped with the General Science Division, which later became the College of Arts and Science. The College of Arts and Science administered education until 1975, when it became an autonomous unit called the Division of Education. In 1989, the division was organized into the College of Education and Counseling to serve as the coordinating unit for all professional education programs at South Dakota State University.

The College of Education and Counseling merged with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences to form the College of Education and Human Sciences. This college is home to 15 majors and 22 minors offering programs in consumer sciences, counseling and human development, health and nutritional sciences, and teaching, learning and leadership.