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Psychology Schools in South Dakota

The following guide to psychology schools in South Dakota features essential information on the undergraduate and graduate psychology programs in the state and is designed to make choosing the right psychology program easier. Colleges and universities in South Dakota allow students to earn a general psychology degree or to concentrate in such areas as clinical psychology. Students who need flexibility and convenience may want to pursue an online bachelor’s or a master’s degree in psychology.

Quick Facts

  • There are 10 not-for-profit colleges and universities with psychology degree programs in South Dakota.1
  • No schools offer an associate’s degree in psychology.1
  • 9 schools offer a bachelor’s degree in psychology.1
  • 3 schools offer a master’s or advanced degree in psychology.1
  • No schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best College Values for 2019.2
  • 1 school ranked in the Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Psychology Majors for 2018.3
  • No schools ranked in PsychologyDegree411’s Top Schools with Online Psychology Programs.4
  • No schools ranked in Times Higher Education’s Best Universities for Psychology 2019.5

For not-for-profit colleges and universities with psychology degree programs.

Top-Ranked Schools with Psychology Programs in South Dakota

Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Psychology Majors for 2018

  • University of South Dakota

Keep reading to learn more about several of the popular undergraduate and graduate psychology programs offered in South Dakota and online.

Schools in South Dakota with Psychology Programs

Traditional Undergraduate Programs

Dakota Wesleyan University

Dakota Wesleyan University’s undergraduate program in psychology leads to the award of a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Students learn about the field of psychology from various perspectives – biological, behavioral, cognitive, social, and cultural – while developing research skills and an understanding of ethics in the social sciences. Students complete 36 credit hours of psychology courses such as Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Experimental Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology. Various internship opportunities are available to earn credit towards the degree while gaining real-world experience. The degree plan culminates with a six-credit capstone course that revolves around an undergraduate thesis and supporting independent research.

Presentation College

Presentation College offers a Bachelor of Science in Psychology that teaches students to recognize the value and dignity of individuals. The curriculum offers opportunities for students to tailor their degree plan to focus on areas of personal and professional interest. Service learning is also emphasized, with students commonly completing internships and other field experiences. Graduates will be prepared to seek-entry level work and to apply to graduate school. 47 credit hours of the total 120 credit hours required to earn the bachelor’s degree are dedicated to psychology study. Courses include Theories of Personality, Psychology of Aging, Research Methods in Psychology, and Psychopharmacology. Students also take a senior seminar in psychology during the final year of study.

Traditional Graduate Programs

University of South Dakota

USD offers a Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology, a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology with a specialization in Human Factors and Clinical Psychology, and a Certificate in Disaster Mental Health. The MA program is not a terminal degree program; rather, it is directly connected with the PhD program, so only students who plan to continue on to a PhD should apply to this program. The University of South Dakota graduate certificate is focused on preparing current professionals in mental health for disasters, including terrorist attacks, disasters, and public health emergencies. The certificate program comprises 12 credit hours and includes courses like Crisis Intervention, Management in Disaster Mental Health, and Traumatic Stress. The PhD program in Human Factors Psychology requires 84 total credit hours and includes courses such as Human Engineering, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation, and Multivariate Statistics. The Clinical Psychology PhD program consists of 106 credit hours and includes courses such as Child Psychopathology, Rural Community Psychology, and Psychotherapy Research and Practice.

South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (I/O). The full-time program takes two years to complete and consists of 44 credits in addition to an internship and a Master’s thesis. A cohort model is used, allowing students to start and finish the program with the same classmates. Equal emphasis is placed on research and applied skills. Courses include Job Analysis and Performance Appraisal, Applied Research Methods in I/O Psychology, Leadership and Motivation, Work Attitudes Theory and Measurement, and Organizational Development.

Online Psychology Programs

South Dakota State University

In 2017, South Dakota State University launched its first online Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology program. Students may specialize in one of two areas of emphasis: graduate school preparation or psychological services. The graduate school emphasis provides courses preparing students to succeed in graduate school, while the psychological services emphasis provides courses preparing students for entry-level work as aides and case managers. Undergraduates must complete 39 credits in psychology to fulfill major requirements. Courses cover general psychology, biopsychology, environmental psychology, behavior modification, and cognitive psychology. All students are assisted by advisors in selecting a personalized degree plan that matches personal and professional goals.

University of South Dakota

The University of South Dakota offers an online Master of Arts in Addiction Studies that aims to prepare graduates for addictions counseling licensure in South Dakota. Depending on the student’s professional and educational background, the degree can be completed in as few as 33 credit hours on the advanced track. For students who do not have a background in counseling or addictions studies, the degree typically takes 45 credit hours to complete. Required courses include Alcohol and Drug Continuum; Advanced Legal/Ethical Issues and The Addiction Profession; and Case Management and Assessment of Co-Occurring Disorders. Admission is competitive and requires students to submit letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a resume, and a face-to-face interview. The MA in Addiction Studies at the University of South Dakota is accredited by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC).

EPPP Pass Rate and Accreditation Information for Psychology Programs in South Dakota

The table below is designed to help you compare not-for-profit psychology schools in South Dakota on a variety of factors. Clicking on the arrows in the top row allows you to sort the table. In addition to factors such as focus areas offered and tuition costs, accreditation is an important consideration when researching psychology programs. Depending on the type of program and the ultimate career path you are considering, accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Education Programs (CACREP), or the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) can make it easier to become licensed in your desired area of practice. For more information on these accreditations, see our overview of accreditation for psychology programs. You should also ensure that the program you are considering will meet the licensure requirements in the state where you wish to practice. The Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP), a licensing exam administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), is required in most US states in order to qualify for psychologist licensure. The EPPP results shown below are provided are for the exam period from February 1, 2015 to March 21, 2017.6 Only results from APA-accredited or ASPPB-designated doctoral programs with at least four test-takers during the exam period are included.6

SchoolBA/BSGrad Prog.Online Prog.Nat’l Accred.*Grad Rate**EPPP Pass Rate6# Taking6College Factual Under-
grad Rank7
US News Grad Rank8Net Price
Augustana UniversityYesNoNo70%$23,257
Black Hills State UniversityYesNoNo34%$15,317
Dakota Wesleyan UniversityYesNoNo60%$22,500
Mount Marty CollegeYesNoNo51%$19,539
Northern State UniversityYesNoNoCACREP48%$15,668
Presentation CollegeYesNoNo27%$21,067
Sinte Gleska UniversityYesYesNo11%$12,234
South Dakota State UniversityYesYesBachelor’sCACREP56%$18,253
University of Sioux FallsYesNoNo46%$20,627
University of South DakotaYesYesNoAPA, CACREP, NASP58%92%12181^$17,354

Schools marked with a caret (^) in US News Best Graduate Psychology Programs ranked in a tie with other programs in their respective positions.
*See our guide to psychology program accreditation for more information on these accrediting bodies.
**The graduation rate is for first-time, full-time undergraduate degree- or certificate-seeking students who began studies in Fall 2012 and is calculated based on the percentage of students earning their degree or certificate within 150% of the normal time for program completion.1

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best College Values: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Table
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 382 Colleges, 2018 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2017.
4. PsychologyDegree411 Top Schools with Online Psychology Programs: https://www.psychologydegree411.com/degrees/online/
5. Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019 – Psychology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/subject-ranking/psychology
6. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, Psychology Licensing Exam Scores by Doctoral Program: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.asppb.net/resource/resmgr/eppp_/2017_Doctoral_Report.pdf
7. College Factual, Best Colleges Offering Degrees in Psychology (Nationwide): https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/psychology/rankings/top-ranked/#
8. US News & World Report Best Graduate Psychology Programs: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/psychology-rankings