Best Psychology Programs in South Dakota for 2027

Both research methods courses come with a lab in the psychology major at South Dakota State University, which takes 41 credits. General Psychology and a History and Systems capstone bracket them, and you choose three courses from each of three domains: Sensation and Perception, Cognitive Psychology or Physiological Psychology; Child Psychology, Social Psychology or Cross Cultural Psychology; and Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Psychological Therapies or Psychology of Abnormal Behavior. A declared minor outside the major, a second major or a teaching specialization is required. The BA adds a modern language through the 202 level, and the BS adds two lab sciences. Students can finish on the Brookings campus or online, starting fall, spring or summer.

Major Credits

41 credit hours within 120.

Research Courses

PSYC 375 and PSYC 376 Research Methods, each with a one-credit lab.

Domains

Three courses from each of three domains, nine credits apiece.

BA Versus BS

BA: language through the 202 level. BS: 10 or more credits in two lab sciences.

Delivery

Brookings Main Campus or online; start in fall, spring or summer.

Program Sources: Program: Psychology (B.A./B.S.) - South Dakota State UniversityPsychology (B.A./B.S.) | Academic Program | South Dakota State University

A dozen research labs, a psychology clinic and the Disaster Mental Health Institute sit inside the University of South Dakota psychology department, and undergraduates can work in them. The major takes 34 to 38 hours: General Psychology, a pair of statistics and methods courses, four foundation courses with at least one lab, a diversity course and nine hours of electives. The foundation list runs from Sensation and Perception to Cognitive Neuroscience, Motivation and Emotion and Theories of Personality. A Disaster Response specialization adds Introduction to Disaster Response, Psychological First Aid, Children and Trauma and Introduction to Disaster Psychology. You can complete the degree in Vermillion or Sioux Falls.

Major Hours

34 to 38 within a 120-hour degree.

Research Pairing

Understanding Social Science Research with Statistics in Psychological Research, or Integrated Stats and Methods I and II.

Foundations

Four courses, one with a lab.

Disaster Response Specialization

37 to 38 hours, with 12 hours of disaster courses and one elective.

Locations

Vermillion Main Campus and Sioux Falls.

Program Sources: Program: Psychology (B.A., B.S.) - University of South DakotaUndergraduate Psychology | University of South Dakota

Statistics and Research Methods carry four credits each in the 35-credit-hour psychology major at Augustana University, and a Senior Seminar closes the required courses along with General Psychology. Three more courses come from menus that include Life-Span Human Development, Psychopathology or Counseling and Psychotherapy, Social Psychology, and one of Cognitive Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience or Social, Affective, and Developmental Neuroscience. Four psychology electives follow, and Psychology of Aging or Social Science Research Methods can count as one of them. You can graduate with Honors in Psychology by keeping a 3.50 department GPA and completing a Senior Research Project.

Major Credits

35 credit hours, C- or higher in every major course.

Required Courses

General Psychology, Statistics, Research Methods and Senior Seminar.

Menu Courses

Three courses covering life-span, clinical or counseling, social and neuroscience or cognitive topics.

Electives

Four psychology courses, or three plus Psychology of Aging or Social Science Research Methods.

Honors

3.0 cumulative and 3.50 department GPA plus a Senior Research Project (PSYC 4960).

Program Sources: Augustana University - Psychology Major

Your concentration in the University of Sioux Falls psychology BA is either Applied Science or Mental Health, and each takes three required courses plus six semester hours of electives. Applied Science requires Cognitive Psychology, Learning and Behavior, and Motivation and Emotion. Mental Health requires Abnormal Psychology, Counseling and Psychology of Personality. Both build on a shared core with General Psychology, Experimental Psychology, a human development or child psychology course and a biology lab, within at least 37 semester hours in the major. Internship placements include Avera Behavioral Health, Avera Research Institute, Sanford Health and the South Dakota Court System.

Major Hours

At least 37 semester hours.

Applied Science Concentration

Cognitive Psychology, Learning and Behavior, Motivation and Emotion, plus 6 hours of electives.

Mental Health Concentration

Abnormal Psychology, Counseling, Psychology of Personality, plus 6 hours of electives.

Core Courses

General Psychology, Experimental Psychology, and Human Development or Child Psychology.

Internship Sites

Avera Behavioral Health, Avera Research Institute, Sanford Health and South Dakota Court System.

Program Sources: Psychology B.A. | University of Sioux FallsPsychology | University of Sioux Falls

Creativity in Cognition and Social Psychology of Media are among the choices in the Psychology BS at Northern State University, where the major takes 41 credits. The required courses are a First Year Seminar, General Psychology, Lifespan Developmental Psychology, History of Psychological Ethics, Research Methods in Experimental Psychology and a Senior Capstone. You then take three experimental courses such as Biological Psychology or Statistics in Psychological Research, two social courses such as Abnormal Behavior or Theories of Personality, and two developmental courses, plus one more elective. The program emphasizes public and community service values and is offered on campus.

Major Credits

41 credits within a 120-credit degree.

Required Courses

First Year Seminar, General Psychology, Lifespan Developmental Psychology, History of Psychological Ethics, Research Methods and Senior Capstone.

Experimental Area

Three of Cognition and Learning, Biological Psychology, Statistics, and Testing and Measurement.

Social and Developmental Areas

Two courses from each area.

Delivery

On campus.

Program Sources: Program: Psychology (BS) - Northern State UniversityPsychology Bachelor's Degree | Northern State University in South Dakota

A minor or second major is required with the psychology major at Black Hills State University, and 36 of the 120 degree hours must be at the 300 or 400 level. The 19-hour required core covers General Psychology, The Psychology Major, Statistics in Psychological Research, Research Methods in Experimental Psychology with a lab, Psychology of Abnormal Behavior and a Senior Capstone. You then take one course in each of six areas: experimental, biological, developmental, social-personality, clinical application and diversity. The experimental area pairs courses such as Sensation and Perception or Cognitive Psychology with a lab. Students join faculty-mentored research projects and can take internships in applied settings.

Required Core

19 semester hours, ending with PSYC 489 Senior Capstone.

Research Courses

PSYC 371 Statistics in Psychological Research and PSYC 373 Research Methods in Experimental Psychology with its lab.

Area Requirements

One course each from experimental, biological, developmental, social-personality, clinical application and diversity areas.

Minor

A minor or second major is required.

Upper-Level Hours

36 of 120 hours at the 300-400 level.

Program Sources: Psychology Program | Black Hills State University

An internship of at least three credits and a Senior Research course are both required in the 48-credit psychology major at Mount Marty University. Around them sit Introduction to the Human Service Profession, a one-credit Service Learning course, Experimental Methods I and II, Introduction to Counseling, and Social Psychology, Personality Theory, Physiological Psychology, Memory and Cognition and History and Systems. Two more psychology courses and Elementary Statistics complete the major, and the Senior Seminar finishes it. Minors in Psychology of Behavioral Neuroscience, Psychology of Leadership and Sport Psychology can go with the major.

Major Credits

48 credits within a 128-credit degree.

Methods Sequence

Experimental Methods I and II plus Elementary Statistics.

Applied Work

Service Learning, and an internship of at least three credits.

Senior Courses

Senior Seminar and Senior Research.

Psychology Minors

Behavioral Neuroscience, Leadership and Sport Psychology.

Program Sources: Psychology | Mount Marty University

In the capstone course at Dakota Wesleyan University you develop a thesis and run independent research on a topic you choose. The 36-credit major leads up to it with Statistical Methods I, General Psychology, History of Psychology, Developmental, Cognitive and Abnormal Psychology, Psychology of Personality, Social Psychology, Experimental Psychology and two electives. Two concentrations can stand in for a minor: Counseling, with Theory and Practice of Counseling, Group Counseling and Family Counseling, and School Counseling, which adds education courses such as Human Relations and American Indian Education. Pairing with Mitchell Technical College's associate degree in Human Services gives you a 2+2 route.

Major Credits

36 credits.

Core Courses

Statistical Methods I, General Psychology, History of Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology and Senior Thesis.

Counseling Concentration

18 credits, including Drug Use and Abuse, Alcohol Use and Abuse and Group Counseling.

School Counseling Concentration

22 credits with education courses and Adolescent Psychology.

2+2 Option

With Mitchell Technical College's Human Services associate degree.

Program Sources: 2026-2027 Undergraduate, Graduate & Online Catalog - Dakota Wesleyan UniversityDWU | Psychology

Human factors and applied cognition students at the University of South Dakota complete 84 credit hours for the PhD in Psychology: 15 in core research design, statistics and a six-credit master's thesis, 9 in a specialization core, at least 15 of dissertation and 45 of electives. Electives fall into human capabilities, human factors methods and human factors applications. Faculty research includes driving and aging, interface design for educational technology, risk perception and decision making, video game motivation, traffic safety and mental workload. A written exam before candidacy and an oral dissertation defense are required. The same department also offers a clinical psychology PhD, a 106-hour program with at least two practicum experiences.

Total Credits

84 credit hours.

Specialization Core

Human Factors Psychology, Advanced Cognitive Neuroscience and Seminar in Human Factors Research.

Elective Areas

Human Capabilities, Human Factors Methods and Human Factors Applications, six credits minimum each.

Milestones

Comprehensive written exam and oral defense of an original dissertation.

Master's Along the Way

The thesis-track master's may be earned while completing the PhD.

Program Sources: Program: Psychology-Human Factors & Applied Cognition (Ph.D.) - University of South DakotaGraduate Human Factors & Applied Cognition | University of South DakotaClinical Psychology | University of South Dakota