Overview
Program Committee
Vik Bejjanki (Psychology)
Rhea Datta (Biology)
Kelly Faig (Psychology)
Ariel Kahrl (Biology)
Herman Lehman (Biology)
Alexandra List (Psychology)
Siobhan Robinson (Psychology), Director
The goal of the Neuroscience Program is, through interdisciplinary approaches, to facilitate students' understanding of the nervous system and development of rigorous scientific research, analysis, and communication skills.
Students will learn to:
- Engage in scientific inquiries that are informed by ethical and/or socio-cultural perspectives
- Communicate ideas effectively and concisely
- Integrate scientific literature to develop neuroscientific research questions
- Apply appropriate scientific methods to address neuroscientific research questions
- Demonstrate an interdisciplinary understanding of the nervous system
The departments of Biology and Psychology offer an interdisciplinary concentration in neuroscience. The concentration consists of 12 courses, which must include:
Five Introductory courses
One of the following Human Neuroscience lab courses
Two of the following Neurobiology lab courses (at least one must be 330 or 357)
Two depth courses total (each course must be selected from a different option)
- option 1 - PSYCH/NEURO-204 or PSYCH/NEURO-205
- option 2 - a 200-level or higher Biology course (must count towards the Biology concentration)
- option 3 - a 300-level or higher Psychology course (must count towards the Psychology concentration)
- option 4 - a 300-level Neuroscience course
The senior project in Neuroscience can be completed in either one or two semesters
NEURO-500 and/or NEURO-501
One of the following affiliated courses (from either option 1, 2, or 3)
- option 1 - a Psychology course at the 300-level or above (this may be a second 300-level or above Psychology course depending on the selection from the depth bin)
- option 2 - CHEM-190, CHEM-270, CPSCI-375, PHIL-310 or PHIL-440
- option 3 - a Physics course at the 100- or 200-level
To fulfill the Social, Structural, and Institutional Hierarchies requirement in Neuroscience, concentrators must take two courses, which may concurrently fulfill other concentration requirements:
-PSYCH-101: Introduction to Psychology. Students who place out of PSYCH-101 through AP or IB must replace the course with any SSIH-designated Psychology course to fulfill the requirement.
-BIO-100: Introduction to Biology.
* Students who place out of Biology 100 through AP or IB must replace the course with any SSIH-designated Biology course to fulfill the requirement.
Either BIO-100 or PSYCH-101 (not both) may fulfill Neuroscience concentration requirements if taken on a credit/no credit basis. No other courses taken on a credit/no credit basis will fulfill Neuroscience concentration requirements.
Program honors recognize the distinguished achievement of students who excel in their coursework in the concentration, including the Senior Project. Students considering graduate work in neuroscience should consult with members of the Neuroscience Program Committee to determine additional courses that might be helpful.