Here are some things we are especially proud of:

• The Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology is fully NASP accredited.
• 100% of our graduates are employed on or before graduation in the field of School Psychology. 
• Graduates work with children both locally and across the nation. Recent graduates are working in California, Nevada, Kentucky as well as those in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska 
• Salaries range from 30,000 to 70,000 depending on location (internship salaries range from 28,000 to 45,000). 
• Our graduates command these salaries because they get excellent preparation. often comment on the excellent preparation they received from the School Psychology Program at University of South Dakota. To date, 100% of our graduates are employed on or before graduation in the field of School Psychology. 
• Employers are so impressed with our students, many contact us seeking our students for employment. In fact, our graduates are usually our best recruiters.

The School Psychology Program at University of South Dakota is a small program dedicated to excellence. Therefore, we offer a higher level of training to those students selected to be in the program. Students work with children, teachers and families in school settings beginning in the second year of the program. We are very proud of the quality of our students and their ability to make a positive contribution to children. 

The School Psychology Program at University of South Dakota offers two degrees. The Educational Specialist degree is 69 semester hours beyond a Bachelor’s degree. The doctorate is 111 semester hours beyond a Bachelor’s degree. When you graduate with an Ed.S degree, typically you would be employed in a school setting. Graduating with a doctorate gives you the opportunity to work in schools, agencies or in higher education upon graduation. 

When you graduate with a degree in School Psychology from University of South Dakota, you will know you made a wise investment. As a school psychologist trained at University of South Dakota, you can compete with any other student from any other program across the nation and know you have had training experiences that are outstanding. You are highly prepared to make a positive contribution to children. In fact, 100 % of our students who have applied for internships approved by the American Psychological Association have been awarded these highly competitive internship placements. We don’t know of another program that can make that claim! 

As you can see School Psychology as a profession is one of the best secrets in the field of psychology! After graduation from the School Psychology Program at University of South Dakota, you join fellow alumni who all employed on or before graduation! You have the opportunity to get an excellent job in a variety of locations as a trained, respected professional who works with children. The School Psychology Program at University of South Dakota, gives you the advantage of highly personalized training that goes beyond most programs in personal attention. We are proud of our growing reputation in the region and nation. Both our graduates and students currently enrolled in the program make positive contributions to the children in their communities through the provision of psychological services in the forms of consultation, direct intervention, and assessment. 
 
 

Faculty

The School Psychology faculty are usually in their offices or in the schools supervising students. This means it is easy to talk to them and to get your questions answered. The faculty are dedicated to student training and excellent performance. Our faculty strongly believe the only way to give you excellent training is give you excellent instruction and then spend time with you while you practice the skills you are learning. The coursework and practica experiences follow the guidelines outlined by the National Association of School Psychologists. The School Psychology Program at USD however, goes beyond this and provides you with extensive opportunities to work with children families and schools throughout training. We do this by working side by side with you while you are in training. We give comprehensive feedback to assist you in improving your performance so you can be the best School Psychologist possible. 

Student Association

The School Psychology Student Association is an excellent support system for new comers and students in the program. Through this association, students meet bimonthly to address various issues relating to their progress in the program. They also initiate many exciting and entertaining activities that promote close social and personal involvement. The student association will help you by giving you a peer mentor, during your first year. In addition, it provides all students in the program with opportunities to visit with our graduates in the field and students on internship by hosting a symposium every semester so that students can find out what it is like in the field and also establish connections in various regions.