Neuroscience (BS)

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Offered by the Neuroscience program , College of Arts and Sciences .

Neuroscience is a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary field, including psychology, chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and computer science. Neuroscientists work on a range of problems that are important for health and for understanding of what it means to be human (for instance, genetics of developmental disorders, pharmacological actions of drugs, animal models of human neurological diseases, human cognition and perception). To prepare students to meet these interdisciplinary challenges, the Neuroscience program capitalizes on the strength of faculty and course offerings from different departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. BS in Neuroscience majors study biological and chemical mechanisms as well as computational and cognitive neuroscience. Two 200-level core courses in Neuroscience build a solid foundation in the field, and coursework in basic biology, chemistry, physics, and quantitative reasoning establishes a general science background. Students achieve depth through upper-level specialization and research experience, and develop breadth by selecting courses from a range of possible electives. Completion of a research project in the final year is strongly recommended for students wishing to pursue a graduate research program. The Neuroscience program is particularly suited to students who are interested in the biological bases of behavior, including those interested in biology, psychology, and pre-medical studies.

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires a grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) and the approval of the program director.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

76 credit hours with grades of C or better, including 6 credit hours of foundation courses, 32 credit hours of basic science, 12 credit hours of basic math/computer science/statistics, 8 credit hours of framework research methods with lab, 12 credit hours of neuroscience electives, and 6 credit hours of other electives.

Course Requirements

Foundation Courses (6 credit hours)

NEUR-210 The Brain (3)
NEUR-220 The Neuron (3)

Basic Science (32 credit hours)

Basic Math/Computer Science/Statistics (12 credit hours)

MATH-221 Calculus I (4)
NEUR-280 Computer Science for Neuroscience (4)
STAT-202 Basic Statistics (4)
or
STAT-203 Basic Statistics with Calculus (4)

Framework Research Methods with Lab (8 credit hours)

8 credit hours from the following:

Neuroscience Electives (12 credit hours)

12 credit hours from the following:

Note: Some courses might require additional prerequisites. Selected topics courses may be taken with approval of academic advisor.

Other Electives (6 credit hours)

6 credit hours from the following:

Note: Some courses might require additional prerequisites. Other electives and special topics courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math, Computer Science, and Philosophy may be taken with approval of academic advisor.