About SDI

Sonoran Desert Institute was founded in 2000, and was approved for training by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education in 2001. The Institute was accredited in 2004 by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The DEAC is listed by the United States Department of Education as a recognized institutional accrediting agency. The DEAC is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

At its inception, the Institute offered Gunsmithing as a program, which ultimately became the foundation for SDI’s growth.
Key to the success of the Institute is its comprehensive approach to easily understood curriculum, attention to providing quality service to its students, and the flexibility of its instructional model. In 2014, SDI began the process with DEAC to seek Title IV certification. Upon approval, the institute submitted its application to the U.S. Department of Education (ED), primarily prompted by the Department of Defense’s regulatory change linking eligibility for Active Duty Tuition Assistance to a school’s approval and participation in Title IV funding. Recognizing the high percentage of military students, SDI deemed this an important initiative to support our population. SDI began offering Title IV funding to students in 2016. In January 2018, after receiving approval from Department of Education, SDI also began offering Title IV funding to students in the certificate program.

In fall of 2018, SDI transitioned to become an employee owned company (ESOP). SDI introduced unmanned technology course topics, beginning with the Certificate in Unmanned Technology – Aerial Systems program, in January 2022. DEAC granted SDI a 5-year renewal of accreditation in June 2023 and SDI began to offer the Certificate in Firearms Technology – Handgun Specialist program in November of 2023. In December of 2024, SDI began offering the Associate of Science in Uncrewed Technology and a modified version of its existing unmanned certificate, renamed the Certificate in Uncrewed Technology – Aerial Systems. SDI takes pride in upholding the standards of multiple regulatory bodies while continuing a student centric focus on academic quality and superior service to students!

At SDI, our students are the top priority. It is our constant goal to exceed the expectations of our students, whether it be through the quality of our curriculum, the support we offer, or the commitment to making school financially attainable with a variety of available funding options.

We are honored to have been the school of choice for all of our students and are particularly grateful for the service of our military students. Current Servicemembers and Veteran students make up a large percentage of SDI’s student body, and we take pride in our efforts to serve them. Our Military and Veterans Services team works specifically to help military-connected students succeed, while our faculty and staff prioritize communication to ensure that all students feel supported through the programs.

At SDI, we love to see our students succeed, and we continually look for new ways to set our students and grads up for success. SDI takes pride in upholding the standards of multiple regulatory bodies while continuing a student-centric focus on academic quality and superior service to students! We know that students, grads, and employers value educational offerings they can trust to be of high quality, and we work hard to maintain high regard in higher education.

To provide students with current, industry-driven, quality education with a focus on specialized programs delivered through online distance education and practical application. SDI is committed to continuous improvement in our instructional processes and the overall student experience. We accomplish this through student and graduate achievement and satisfaction as well as our stakeholder relationships and reputation in the markets we serve.

Sonoran Desert Institute’s students will develop specialized job skills empowering them to be outstanding employees, skilled hobbyists, and responsible workplace leaders. Each student will be committed to improving their knowledge and skills. SDI’s graduates will make decisions based on sound judgment, technical competency, and an awareness of the connections of their academic discipline and their community. SDI will accomplish these outcomes by continually improving its curricula, instructional delivery, and service, while successfully building partnerships with the students, the community, and the industries it serves.

Review SDI’s Student consumer information to learn more about SDI’s success indicators, student diversity, facilities information and more.

Consider this your official invitation to begin your journey with SDI.