Protected: Student Services

Yes! All students enrolled in programs within the School of Firearms Technology will need access to a firearm when they begin classes at SDI.

• Operating System: Windows 10 or higher / Mac OS High Sierra 10.13 or higher
• CPU: Intel Core i7 @ 3.6 GHz or equivalent
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Hard Drive: 8 GB available in hard disk
• Graphics Hardware: Direct X 10 or higher compatible graphics card (GTX660 equivalent or higher)
• Internet Connection: DSL or higher
• Smartphone

Phones, tablets, and Chromebooks are not fully compatible with SDI's course content. You will encounter errors when completing assignments using a phone, tablet or Chromebook.  You'll need to have access to a PC or desktop computer to complete your course work each week. Please check out the technology requirements on the SDI website for details ( https://sdi.edu/about-us/technology-and-equipment-requirements/ ). Having the minimum technology requirements is the sole responsibility of the student and technology issues are not considered an extenuating circumstance for missing attendance or late assignments. We always recommend having a backup plan in mind just in case there is an issue that occurs!

The Canvas app is not fully compatible with SDI’s course content or assignment submissions. You will encounter errors when attempting to complete assignments via the Canvas app.

Your student email account can be accessed through office.com by signing in using your SDI credentials. Be sure to check this email regularly as this is where most of your communication will be sent!

Your SDI password can be reset through office.com by providing your SDI email address and selecting “Forgot my password.” This will reset your password for ALL of your SDI accounts and is the only place you can reset it.

ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE IN FIREARMS TECHNOLOGY DEGREE/CERTIFICATE IN FIREARMS TECHNOLOGY – GUNSMITHING:

• Full-time schedules for these programs will consist of two 8-week courses at a time, sometimes paired with a third course being a 4-week lab. A typical student usually dedicates roughly 30 hours per week towards school work at this pace.
• Part-time schedules for these programs will consist of one 8-week course at a time, sometimes paired with a second course being a 4-week lab course. Students report spending about 12-15 hours per class per week on their studies.

CERTIFICATE IN UNMANNED TECHNOLOGY – AERIAL SYSTEMS:

• Full-time schedules for this program consist of two 8-week courses at a time. We recommend about 30 hours to dedicate towards school per week.
• Part-time schedules consist of one 8-week course at a time. You can expect to dedicate about 12-15 hours per week completing coursework.

CERTIFICATE IN FIREARMS TECHNOLOGY – HANDGUN SPECIALIST:

• This program can only be taken at a full-time pace with one 5-week course at a time. You can expect to dedicate about 36 hours per week to your studies.

Your classes will be completed through the online classroom called Canvas (classroom.sdi.edu).The Online Classroom (Canvas) can be easily accessed through the sdi.edu website. Select "For Students" then "Canvas Online Classroom" from the drop down menu. When signing in, be sure to select the “Microsoft account” login method. *Note: If you forget your password, you'll need to go to office.com using your SDI email address to reset it-do not use the "reset password" option within the Student Portal. Your courses will populate in the Online Classroom (Canvas) on the Monday that they are scheduled to begin.

Your courses will become visible on the first day the course is scheduled to start.  Remember, if your program has lab courses, lab courses may appear in the Online Classroom mi-way through an 8-week session.

The Student Portal (portal.sdi.edu) can be easily accessed through SDI's website: sdi.edu. Select the "For Students" header at the top of the page, then, "Student Portal". Next, click on "Student Portal Homepage (current student login here)". When signing in, be sure to select the “Microsoft account” login method. *Note: If you forget your password, you'll need to go to office.com to reset it-do not use the "reset password" option within Canvas.

• View your course schedule
• Change/Update your address
• Complete any required documents (FFL, Elective Course Selection, etc)
• View transcripts
• View transfer credit
• Make payments
• View assigned Financial Services Advisor and Academic Advisor/Student Success Coach

Each class will be set up the same way:

• Initial discussion posts: Due on Wednesdays each week
• Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussion Replies: Due on Sundays each week
• All assignments are due by 11:59pm ARIZONA TIME each week

There are no specific scheduled times that you will need to be in class. Attendance is taken through the submission of discussion boards, discussion replies, quizzes, and assignments.

• Your attendance must be secured by posting attendance within the first 7 days of any new class you start. You will then need to post at least every 14 days to avoid being unofficially withdrawn by the Registrar's Office for non-attendance.
• Students who do not post attendance for 14 consecutive days of a course will be withdrawn from the course and are subject to withdrawal from the Institute for non-attendance.
• Please be advised that there is no flexibility with the attendance policy.

Tip: You will have assignments due more frequently than this so as long as you get your assignments in on time, you will stay aligned with the attendance policy!

You will need to submit videos for the majority of the courses you take at SDI. Videos can be recorded on your phone, a video camera, or a webcam.

Tools and equipment are provided by the Institute and included in the total program cost. These items are shipped to the student with other learning materials and will belong to the student.

• Students in Firearms technology programs need to have access to a firearm for certain courses and may need additional supplies to complete certain projects.
• The Lab Tools List on the SDI website will outline the provided tools (what we send to you), required tools (what you will be responsible for obtaining), and recommended tools (optional).
• Please review each course in your program on the Lab Tools List to see what you will need: https://sdi.edu/current-students/lab-tools/
• Our Shipping Department will send tracking information to your SDI email address when materials are sent out.

Digital copies of the textbooks are provided to all students and can be found in the online classroom. Click into the course and find the first module titled “Course materials.” Under this module you will find “Textbooks” with your textbooks linked.

You can either contact your instructors through the Canvas Inbox (found on the left-hand side of the online classroom)-which is recommended or through your student email. Please refrain from sending instructors emails from your personal email address as they will not be able to respond.

Your Microsoft account through office.com will also give you access to things like Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. This account is only compatible with the web-based version so you will not be able to access these through desktop or app versions.

Students cannot work ahead. The school week goes from Monday-Sunday and students will need to stay within the week that their course is in. As long as assignments are completed by the deadlines each week, you can submit homework whenever in the week that works best for you.

Reach out to your assigned Student Success Coach (SSC) as soon as you know deployment or training are coming up.  Your SSC will help you determine what options you have.  The Student Success Department can be reached at studentsvc@sdi.edu, or call: (480) 314-2102 option 3