Neuroscience Major/Minor Requirements

The field of neuroscience uses an interdisciplinary approach to study the brain and nervous system. Humans and other animals rely on the nervous system in order to process environmental stimuli, integrate this information and produce an adaptive response (motor, hormonal, behavioral). A response may be as straightforward as a knee reflex or as complicated as understanding Plato.

The fields of biology, chemistry, and psychology provide much of the core knowledge needed to pursue study in neuroscience, and the major will prepare students for graduate study in neuroscience or allied health areas. However, knowledge from neuroscience may inform creative and scholarly endeavors in many areas including literature, music, and art. Therefore, it is an advantage for a neuroscience major to be in a liberal arts setting that can provide exposure to a wide spectrum of interests.

Students who complete the major in neuroscience will be able to explain the connection between nervous system structure/organization and sensory and motor pathway functions. They will relate molecular/cellular processes to electrophysiological activity and describe how behavior is a result of combined activity of neural networks. By the culmination of the major, they will integrate research literature on a specific topic into a meaningful analysis.

The major in neuroscience requires the following:

1. The following foundation courses: (5 courses)
   1. BIOL 130: Cellular Form and Function ^a 
   2. BIOL 150: Organismal Form and Function ^a 
   3. CHEM 115: Principles in Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity ^b 
   4. CHEM 116: Principles of Chemistry: Energetics and Dynamics 
   5. STAT 107: Principles of Statistics or STAT 255: Statistics for Data Science ^c
2. The following core courses: (3 courses) 
   1. NESC 200: Foundations of Neuroscience ^d
   2. NESC 284: Research Methods in Neuroscience ^e 
   3. NESC 580: Topics in Neuroscience ^f
3. One course from the cellular/molecular lab course group: (1 course)
   1. BIOL 325: Cell Biology 
   2. BIOL 354: Molecular Biology 
   3. BIOL 444 or CHEM 340: Biochemistry I 
   4. BIOL 453: Developmental Biology 
4. One course from the systems lab course group: (1 course)
   1. BIOL 242: Comparative Physiology ^g 
   2. PSYC 343: Cognitive Neuroscience 
   3. PSYC 365: Brain and Behavior  
5. One course from the neuroscience elective group: (1 course)
   1. PSYC 347: Hormones, Brain and Behavior 
   2. PSYC 420: Clinical and Affective Neuroscience 
6. Completion of NESC 600: Neuroscience Senior Capstone ^h

In the Neuroscience Program senior capstone (NESC600), students meet collectively in one or more small seminar sections supervised by a faculty mentor. Sessions are dedicated to collaborative engagement, where students convene to delve into shared readings, offer valuable feedback on each other's projects, and showcase ongoing works. Through vibrant discussions, written assignments, and oral presentations, students will sharpen their capacity to conceptualize significant inquiries within the field, devise effective approaches to address them, and articulate their thoughts coherently both verbally and in writing.

Throughout the term, students immerse themselves in their projects, ultimately leading to the completion of a comprehensive senior thesis. Section meetings include interactive workshops, discussions, and presentations, all geared towards aiding students in developing an original empirical research proposal after first establishing a critical review of existing research and theory. Students will publicly present their work in classroom presentations and receive regular feedback from their faculty mentor throughout the term.

1. The following core courses: (6 courses)
   1. BIOL 130: Cellular Form and Function ^a 
   2. BIOL 150: Organismal Form and Function ^a 
   3. CHEM 115: Principles in Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity ^b 
   4. CHEM 116: Principles of Chemistry: Energetics and Dynamics 
   5. NESC 200: Foundations of Neuroscience ^d 
   6. NESC 580: Topics in Neuroscience ^f 
2. One of the following neuroscience courses: (1 course)
   1. PSYC 343: Cognitive Neuroscience 
   2. PSYC 347: Hormones, Brain and Behavior 
   3. PSYC 365: Brain and Behavior (with lab) 
   4. PSYC 420: Clinical and Affective Neuroscience 

^a Students who have earned AP or IB credit in biology are exempt from BIOL 130, but not the other introductory courses. Students also can take a departmental exemption exam for either BIOL 130 and/or BIOL 150 if they feel well qualified based on previous coursework. 

^b Students who test into CHEM116: Principles of Chemistry: Energetics and Dynamics are exempt from CHEM115: Principles in Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity 

^c Students with a double major or minor requiring a statistics requirement can petition to have one or more of their quantitative requirements substitute for STAT 107: Principles of Statistics or STAT 255: Statistics for Data Science. 

^d Students who have already taken PSYC 348: Biological Psychology should not take NESC 200: Foundations of Neuroscience but will be required to take PSYC 365: Brain and Behavior as their Lab Systems course elective. 

^e Students with a Psychology major or minor requiring PSYC 284: Research Methods in Psychology (with laboratory) can use this course as a substitute for NESC 284: Research Methods in Neuroscience 

^f Prerequisite for NESC 580: Topics in Neuroscience is CHEM 116: Principles of Chemistry: Energetics and Dynamics, BIOL 150: Organismal Form and Function, and either NESC 200: Foundations of Neuroscience, PSYC 348: Biological Psychology, or consent of instructor. 

^g Students taking BIOL 370: Human Physiology as a prerequisite for an allied health program e.g., nursing, can replace BIOL 242: Comparative Physiology with BIOL 370: Human Physiology.

^h Students double majoring may count a senior experience in Biology, Psychology, or another similar discipline upon petition as their Neuroscience senior experience, provided there is a substantive Neuroscience component to their thesis. Students wishing to apply a neuroscience senior experience towards the senior experience requirements of another major are encouraged to look at the degree requirements or consult with the department chair or program director of the respective other major.