The departments of Biology and Psychology offer an interdisciplinary concentration in Neuroscience. The Neuroscience concentration consists of 12 courses.
In 2024 the Program faculty made modifications to the Neuroscience Curriculum that apply to concentrators in the class of 2027 and after. Below are Neuroscience concentration requirements for student in the Class of 2025 and 2026 (first section), followed by the Neuroscience concentration requirements for student in the Class of 2027 and later (second section).
For the Classes of 2025 and 2026, Neuroscience Concentrators must take the following 4 courses PSYCH-101, PSYCH-201/NEURO-201, CHEM-120 and NEURO-500/501 (Student can choose a one-semester (Neuro 500) or a two-semester (Neuro 500/501) senior project in Neuroscience.) And One Introductory Biology course and either NEURO-204/PSYCH-204 or NEURO-205/PSYCHC-205.
Neuroscience concentrators are encouraged to take both 204 and 205 to provide a solid foundation in Neuroscience and to prepare students for the advanced labs and the senior project in Neuroscience
One Human Neuroscience Lab Course
NEURO-320/PSYCH-320,
NEURO-328/PSYCH-328,
NEURO-329/PSYCH-329
Two Neurobiology Labs (at least one must be 330 or 357)
NEURO-330/BIO-330/PSYCH-330
BIO-331/NEURO-331 Vertebrate Physiology
BIO-334/NEURO-334 Developmental Genetics
NEURO-335/BIO-335 Neurophysiology
NEURO-357/BIO-357 Cellular Neurobiology
Concentrators can take both 330 and 357 to fulfill the Neurobiology lab requirement
Two depth options: (select two courses; must be from different options)
Option 1: Take Neuro/Psych 204 or 205
Option 2: Take a 200-level or higher Biology course (must count towards the Biology concentration)
Option 3: Take a 300-level or higher Psychology course (must count towards the Psychology concentration)
Option 4: Take a 300-level Neuroscience course
Concentrators may take the second 200-level Introductory course to fulfill one of the depth courses. For example, if you have already taken 205, you can take 204 to fulfill one half of the depth bin requirement.
Take one affiliated course (select one course from among three options)
Option 1: A Psychology course at the 300-level or above
Option 2: CHEM 190, CHEM 270, CPSCI 375, PHIL 310 or PHIL 440
Option 3: A Physics course at the 100- or 200-level
Neuroscience concentrators in the Class of 2027 and later must take THREE 100-level courses from the list of 100-level courses below, select one Psychology course, one Biology course, and one Chemistry course.
CHEM-120 Principles of Chemistry
PSYCH-101 Introductory Psychology
PSYCH-109/NEURO-109 Cognitive Neuroscience in Film, Art, and Media
Any BIO-100 section
Take all FOUR 200-level courses that are listed below.
NOTE: NEURO 201 is a statistics course that is offered by Psychology faculty, and NEURO 211 is a cellular/molecular course that is offered by Biology faculty. The content of these two courses are highly relevant to your growth as a Neuroscientist, but students will quickly recognize that, as planned, neuroscience-specific content is not the focus of these courses.
Course Number Title Credits
NEURO-201/PSYCH-201 Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology
NEURO-204/PSYCH-204 Fundamentals of Human Neuroscience
NEURO-205/PSYCH-205/BIO -205 Fundamentals of Neurobiology
NEURO-211/BIO-211 Genes, Molecules, and Cells
Take ONE human neuroscience laboratory course from the list below.
NEURO-320/PSYCH-320 Psychology and Neuroscience of Learning
NEURO-328/PSYCH-328 Cognitive Neuroscience
NEURO-329/PSYCH-329 Stress and Psychophysiology
NEUROBIOLOGY LABORATORY COURSE (1)
Take ONE neurobiology laboratory course from the list below.
NEURO-330/BIO-330/PSYCH-330 Systems Neuroscience
NEURO-331 Vertebrate Physiology
NEURO-334/BIO-334 Developmental Genetics
DEPTH COURSES (2)
Take two depth courses (select two courses; must be from different options).
Option 1: Take a 200-level or higher Biology course (must count towards the Biology concentration)
Option 2: Take a 300-level or higher Psychology course (must count towards the Psychology concentration)
Option 3: Take a 300-level Neuroscience course
Take at least one semester of Senior Project in Neuroscience (NUERO-500 or NEURO-501).
To fulfill the Social, Structural, and Institutional Hierarchies requirement in Neuroscience, concentrators must take two courses (one from Biology, one from Psychology), 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.