NDSU’s New Horizon: NDSU 2035 initiative aims to ensure successful pathways for students to enter their careers, grow North Dakota’s competitive edge and improve the quality of life for North Dakotans, particularly in the fields of engineering, precision agriculture, energy, pharmacy, nursing and health sciences.
With a focus on expanding industry partnerships, increasing student career readiness and developing high-demand academic programs, NDSU is positioning itself as a key driver of North Dakota’s economic growth and new career opportunities.
The initiative aims to ensure career success for NDSU graduates by building and expanding “Earn and Learn” models, maintaining professional advising and enhancing industry-connected career coaching and internships.
“NDSU’s New Horizon initiative will keep North Dakota at the forefront of innovation and workforce development,” said Alan Kallmeyer, interim dean of the College of Engineering. “By expanding industry partnerships, introducing new high-demand degree programs and enhancing career readiness, we are preparing our graduates to meet the state’s most pressing workforce demands—especially in engineering and precision agriculture. This initiative will not only create new opportunities for our students to thrive but strengthen North Dakota’s economy by growing our dominance in engineering, agriculture, energy and manufacturing.”
With 64 percent of engineering and computer science graduates in North Dakota coming from NDSU and an overall job placement rate of 92 percent for engineering graduates, the university already is a cornerstone of the state’s technical workforce. In precision agriculture, NDSU is one of only a handful of universities nationwide to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in the field, with roots dating back to the establishment of the department of agricultural and biosystems engineering in 1924.
The health professions are another key pillar of New Horizon: NDSU 2035, addressing critical workforce needs in nursing, pharmacy and allied health. NDSU has the largest nursing undergraduate program in the state by far, and an estimated 95 percent of practicing pharmacists in North Dakota earned their degrees from the university.
“The New Horizon: NDSU 2035 Initiative will help us address critical workforce needs throughout North Dakota,” said Teresa Conner, Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. “North Dakota has thousands of unfilled health care jobs and the demand for pharmacy, nursing and allied health professions is expected to grow at a rapid rate. North Dakota is growing more quickly than 35 other states and the Fargo area is expected to add 80,000 new citizens in the next 20 years. We are not keeping up with demand now and it will take the power of the University System to meet this demand."
The College of Health and Human Sciences is exploring potential new programs, including a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Science and a Master of Healthcare Administration and Informatics.
To further boost North Dakota’s competitive edge, NDSU is introducing new high-demand degrees in robotics and automation, material science and agricultural technology. New Horizon also includes energy engineering certificates, K-12 STEM outreach and industry-faculty exchange programs to help graduates get the latest industry-relevant skills.
New Horizons: NDSU 2035 is a proposal currently being heard during the 69th Legislative Session, and funding for the new programming is dependent on legislative approval.
“There are thousands of job openings across the state in fields like nursing, engineering and energy,” said NDSU President David Cook. “New Horizon: NDSU 2035 looks to meet employer needs while creating stronger career pipelines for students.”
By encouraging industry connections and strengthening career pathways, NDSU is helping to secure North Dakota’s future economic prosperity.
