Sonoran Desert Institute

Specialties

The Sonoran Desert Institute, or SDI to our students and faculty, is an accredited online school providing undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs in allied health, real estate and construction and firearms technology.

The Sonoran Desert Institute’s 40 semester-credit*/certificate course in Gunsmithing is the most complete training program of its kind. No other school gives you the quantity and quality of professional Gunsmithing tools.

You can learn Gunsmithing at home, and at your own pace, without interrupting your current work schedule. Everything you need is included from step-​by-​step lesson instruction to top-​quality Gunsmithing tools. In just 48 weeks, you can actually start collecting cash for your services. Hobbyists and competitive shooters alike will spend top dollar for a professional gunsmith’s know-​how.

History

Established in 1921.

The Sonoran Desert Institute and its history link back to 1921 and the National Radio Institute which was formerly owned by the McGraw-​Hill Corporation. The original program — gunsmithing — was developed by the owner’s great grandfather and licensed to NRI in the early 1920’s.

In 1992, SDI President Kube was a participant in the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Subsequently, then U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley invited Mr. Kube to participate in the national task force that established the financial review criteria still used today in American Higher Education for Title IV programs.

In 2006, SDI president Kube helped establish the educational facility planning curriculum offered at the School of Education Administration at San Diego State University. This on-​line program is the first of its kind in the United States and trains in the emerging field of planning spaces where people learn.