SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Welcome to the School of Behavioral Sciences! This School encompasses the majors of Exercise Science, Human Services, Outdoor Education, Psychology, and Sociology. With an outstanding job placement rate for student interns, the School of Behavioral Sciences is your link to a bright and successful future in whatever field you decide to pursue. As you discover truths about human nature, you’ll find endless new opportunities. Follow in the footsteps of previous students who continue to achieve amazing success in the workplace as well as in graduate and professional schools.

Our outstanding faculty will help guide you through your education with classroom interaction, advising, internships, and research to assist you with your career goals. Apply today and join us in the Behavioral Sciences!

The Exercise Science program at BHSU will allow you to obtain a career in health and fitness related fields. Students work with professors who have outstanding expertise and experience.

Graduates of the program are prepared to enter the fields of exercise physiology, kinesiology, cardiac rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and personal training. In addition, graduates are strongly positioned for advanced study in the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, athletic training, and nursing.

A degree in Sociology at Black Hills State University will prepare you for the ever-changing demands of our contemporary workplaces. The Sociology professors at BHSU bring a wealth of experience to their classrooms to make your education a real hands-on learning experience. With expertise in the areas of sociological theory, inequality, criminal and deviant behavior, social organizations, gender, and gerontology, the faculty at BHSU help you prepare for employment in business and industry, community social services, social policy, advocacy, communications, services for the aging, government service, education, the justice system, and research. Learn to interpret group behaviors, to engage different social groups, and to respond to social problems. Gain real-world experience with an internship and take part in cutting-edge research projects.

As a Psychology major at Black Hills State University, you will have the unique opportunity to assist faculty members in conducting psychological research in your area of study as well as develop and conduct your own research all while earning course credit. Our majors have presented research at numerous professional psychological conferences at the regional, national, and international levels and have also published research in peer-reviewed scholarly journals. These research experiences have helped our graduates get into numerous Master’s and Doctoral programs throughout the country and have also prepared students for jobs.

The Black Hills State University Human Services program (BHSU HMS) will provide you with the knowledge necessary to understand and address unique needs of various human populations. BHSU HMS is an interdisciplinary program which allows you to study the psychology and sociology of human behavior and learn how this information can be used to address human needs. BHSU offers emphases in Community Studies, Family Studies, and Justice Studies, allowing you the opportunity to focus your research and take internships within the field best suited for you. Our alumni are currently employed as ranking law enforcement officers, child protection specialists, probation and parole officers, disability services administrators, and many other related professions. Graduates also attend graduate school in the counseling, social work, and public health fields.

BHSU’s Outdoor Education Program will prepare you for a professional career in one of many fields, including adventure education, parks interpretation, and environmental education. You will be grounded in experiential education theory and natural history knowledge; develop skills in outdoor pursuits, education methods, and interpretive communications, and become adept at outdoor program management. As a student, you will practice program delivery via our numerous partnerships with regional parks, nature centers, and camps, as well as with BHSU’s Collegiate Outdoor Leadership Program (COLP).

Obtaining a degree in Outdoor Education from BHSU will equip you for numerous careers. You will have all of the knowledge necessary to become an educator within natural resource management agencies, parks, zoos, aquariums, eco-tourism programs, wilderness programs, 4-H extension programs, non-profits, lodges, and other locations that value hard-working, knowledgeable, well-rounded educators.

If any of this interests you, then the Outdoor Education program at BHSU is the right degree path for you!