Apr 04, 2025  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Neuroscience (B.S.)

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Student Learning Outcomes  

60-61 Major Hours (includes minor), 120 Degree Hours

Students in this major must also complete requirements for a degree in the College of Arts & Sciences .

As part of a broad-based, liberal arts curriculum, degrees in neuroscience will prepare students for a number of professional pathways, including graduate study in behavioral neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, biomedical sciences, or clinical neuropsychology; professional study in medicine, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and law; careers in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries; and careers in science writing and communication. By requiring students to choose either the cognitive specialization or the molecular and cellular specializing, the program will ensure that students focus on one of the two major subfields in neuroscience and tailor their undergraduate curriculum to specific paths for careers and/or graduate study.

Departmental Requirements (23 hours)

Required Support Courses (28-29 hours)

Specializations (9 hours)

In addition, students must choose one of the following specializations. 

Cognitive Specialization (9 hours)

Molecular and Cellular Specialization (9 hours)

B.S. to O.T.D. Accelerated Options

Undergraduate Neuroscience with Cognitive Neuroscience specialization majors may elect to complete both the B.S. with Cognitive Neuroscience and Occupational Therapy, O.T.D. concurrently. Students who pursue the accelerated option will be awarded their undergraduate degree first, but may be awarded both degrees upon completion of the graduate requirements. Students may apply for admission to the O.T.D. program after completing 75 undergraduate credit hours and may begin taking graduate level courses upon completion of 100 undergraduate credit hours at the end of their 3rd year and acceptance into the accelerated graduate program. Additional information about the accelerated degree can be found on the accelerated program catalog page  for the Occupational Therapy, O.T.D.

Four-Year Program Guides and Costs

USD encourages students to take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits within the year in order to graduate in 4 years. To help students complete their academic degree program in four years, we provide a sample academic plan. Please work with your academic advisor to confirm your plan.

Location Matters for Non-Licensure Track Programs

This program is not designed or advertised to lead to a professional license or certification required for employment.

USD is permitted to operate under the terms of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) policies and standards in offering online courses/degree programs to residents in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  Online courses/programs may also be offered to residents of California (a non-SARA state) because it does not regulate out-of-state public institutions.

Additionally, this program is authorized to offer supervised field study experiences (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) in South Dakota. Please be aware that there may be some restrictions on your ability to engage in supervised field study outside of South Dakota. Please contact a program representative if you have questions regarding supervised field study.

Distance education courses or programs will not be offered outside of the United States without prior written approval from the University, which may be withheld for any reason. If you are taking distance courses while physically located outside of the United States, it is your responsibility to confirm the following: (a) if the country will recognize an online degree; (b) the availability of supervised field study opportunities in the country; and (c) if the country charges any additional taxes, withholdings or fees associated with online distance education programs.

For more information, please visit USD’s State Authorization page or contact your admissions counselor.

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