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Program in
Neuroscience

Major & Minor

Explore and Discover. The study of the nervous system draws upon scientific disciplines including molecular biology, biophysics, computational science, engineering, cognitive psychology, neurology, chemistry, and mathematics. Important to many fields, neuroscience serves as a springboard for students who want to enter medicine and beyond. 

The Neuroscience Major

The major in neuroscience is designed to fulfill a pre-med curriculum and prepare students to pursue graduate work in neuroscience or related fields such as biology or psychology. The program engages several departments and schools across the university to provide a comprehensive background in the basic sciences. As students advance, they can pursue advanced work in one or more specific sub-areas through elective courses.

Requirements

The neuroscience major consists of 38 credit hours of coursework, including 8 credit hours of organic chemistry and 30 credit hours of neuroscience and related courses distributed among specific disciplines.

Students majoring in neuroscience are also required to complete a set of introductory courses in mathematics, statistics or computer science, biology, and physics that provide the broad scientific background necessary to the study of neuroscience. The areas and associated course options are listed below. Excluding research credit (NSC 3861, 3862, 3863, 3864, and 4999), the neuroscience and related courses must be drawn from at least two departments or programs.

Students seeking a second major within the College of Arts and Science may count a maximum of 6 credit hours of 2000-or-higher-level course work to meet the requirements of both majors.

Math and Science Courses

  • Biological Sciences (8 credit hours) – BSCI 1510, 1511, 1510L, and either 1511L or 1512L
  • Chemistry (8 credit hours) – CHEM 2211 or 2221; CHEM 2212 or 2222; CHEM 2221L; and CHEM 2222L
  • Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science (6 credit hours) – MATH 1100, 1200, or 1300; and one of MATH 1201, 1301, BSCI 3270, PSY 2100, PSY-PC 2110, CS 1101, 1103, or 1104
  • Physics (8 credit hours) – PHYS 1501, 1601 or 2051; PHYS 1502, 1602 or 2053; PHYS 1501L, 1601L or 2052; and PHYS 1502L, 1602L, or 2054

Neuroscience Courses

  • Introduction to Neuroscience (3 credit hours) – NSC 2201
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (6 credit hours) – BSCI 3252, 3256; NSC 3235, 3240, 3245, 3260, 3269, 3891; PSY 3630
  • Systems, Integrative, and Cognitive Neuroscience (6 credit hours) – BSCI 3230, 3254; NSC 3270, 3274, 3275, 3892, 4961, 4969; PSY 3120, 3620, 3700, 3715, 3730, 3750, 3760, 3765, 3775, 3780, 3785, 3892; PSY-PC 3190
  • Neuroscience Laboratory (6 credit hours) – NSC 3861, 3862
  • Neuroscience Electives (6 credit hours) – Two additional courses from the Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience and/or Systems, Integrative, and Cognitive Neuroscience courses listed above. NSC 3863 or NSC 4999 may be used to count for one elective course.

Related Course Electives

  • One course not used to satisfy the required Math and Science course requirement above (3 credit hours) – BSCI 2201, 2201L, 2210, 2210L, 2520, 3270, 4265; BME 3100, 3101; CHEM 2100, 3310, 3710, 4720; CS 1101 or 1103 or 1104; MATH 2300, 2400 or 2420; PHIL 3616, 3630; PSY 2100, 3100, 3600, 3625, 3705, 3715, 3810

See the full course checklist for neuroscience majors.

The Neuroscience Minor

The minor in neuroscience is designed for individuals who wish to understand the fundamentals of neuroscience because they have a general interest in the nervous system or are majoring in a related discipline.

Requirements

As prerequisites, students are required to complete CHEM 1601 and 1601L, BSCI 1510, 1511, 1510L, and either 1511L or 1512L.

The minor program consists of 18 credit hours of course work distributed as follows:

  • NSC 2201
  • 3 credit hours in Statistics/Computer Science: BSCI 3270, PSY 2100, PSY-PC 2110, CS 1101, 1103, or 1104
  • 6 credit hours chosen from the Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience category (listed above)
  • 6 credit hours chosen from the Systems, Integrative and Cognitive Neuroscience category (listed above)

The chosen courses must come from at least 3 different departments or programs (e.g. NSC, PSY, and BSCI). Research courses (NSC 3860, 3861, 3862, 3863, 3864, and 4999) do not count towards the minor.

Declaring a Major or Minor

Undergraduate students can utilize the Major/Minor Declaration form in Kuali to request to add, drop, or change their majors and/or minors. For assistance in Kuali, please reference the Student User Guide.

Once submitted, the request form will then route to Oliver Schoonover in the Neuroscience program office, and to the A&S Dean’s Office for approval. Upon final approval, the Office of the University Registrar will process the declaration.

If you would like to request a specific neuroscience faculty member as your adviser, please add the name in the comment box on the Kuali form. Please note that is contingent on whether the faculty member is accepting new advisees at that time.

Transfer students: Please add a note in the comment box that you’re a transfer student so the advisor is appropriately assigned. Transfer students should be assigned to our DUS.

IMPORTANT: We do not accept declarations one week prior to the A&S declaration moratorium, which typically occurs during the fall and spring registration windows. Please reference the University Academic Calendar for specific dates. Declarations that come in during this time period will be held until the moratorium has ended.