The University of South Dakota is offering a new bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience in the fall.
The Board of Regents approved the degree last week along with specializations in cognitive neuroscience and molecular and cellular neuroscience.
Doug Peterson is an Associate Professor of Psychology at USD. He says this new degree provides students the opportunity to study how the nervous system applies to daily life.
"Everything we encounter in the world is processed through visuals, hearing, taste, smell, and all of that adheres to the rules of the functioning of the nervous system," says Peterson. "Every decision we make is affected by the functioning of the nervous system.”
Peterson says he hopes more interest in this subject will provide more of a neuroscience perspective on subjects like mental health and the opioid crisis.
The Board of Regents estimates around ten students a year will graduate with the new degree.