The major in Neuroscience is designed for students with interests that intersect the fields of Biology and Psychology. Neuroscience focuses on the relationships among brain function, cognitive processing and behavior. Researchers in this field come from widely disparate backgrounds, including cognitive psychologists, clinical neuropsychologists, basic neuroscientists or bio-psychologists, physicians, and computer scientists. Thus, research questions are considered from many different levels and many different converging methodologies are used.
The Neuroscience major currently consists of two tracks: the Bioscience track and the Cognitive track. The bioscience track focuses on the biological basis of neural development, function, and plasticity. Students will develop an understanding of the nervous system and its role in cognition, perception and action at the molecular, cellular and systems level. The cognitive track provides students with an understanding of how neural networks and brain mechanisms give rise to specific mental processes and behavior. Students begin with the processes that have been traditionally studied in the area of cognitive psychology, but can tailor the program to include processing that is traditionally studied in developmental or clinical psychology as well.
Program Co-directors: Robert Olberg (Biology), Stephen Romero (Psychology)
Advisory Committee: Stanhope, Greenberg and Romero (Psychology); Fleishman, Olberg and Chu-LaGraff (Biology)
The neuroscience major consists of four parts: (1) A core of required courses; (2) required courses in one of two tracks, bioscience or cognitive; (3) general electives; and (4) a senior writing requirement. Unless listed below, course descriptions are listed under their home departments.
1. Required courses for all neuroscience majors:
Students must also take the following cognate courses: Math 110, Chemistry 101 and 102 (or Chemistry 110). One term of physics is also recommended.
2. Classes for one of the two tracks
Bioscience track- Any TWO from the following list:
4. Senior writing requirement
(a) ONE of the following senior seminars:
-or-
(b) A two- or three-term senior thesis or senior research project that integrates biology and psychology. Students should register for senior thesis or research in the department that corresponds to their neuroscience track. For the Bioscience track: BIO 497, 498, 499. For the Cognitive track: PSY 498 and 499 or PSY 487, 488, and 489.
Option (b) is strongly recommended.
Requirements for Honors: In addition to fulfilling college-wide honors requirements, to earn honors in neuroscience, a student must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.3 in the major (including thesis grades, but not including the cognate courses), a minimum of three grades of A or A- in courses in the major exclusive of the thesis, and satisfactory completion of a senior thesis with a minimum grade of A-.
