Program Information

The interdisciplinary (biology, chemistry and psychology) Neuroscience Program (NSCI) is an undergraduate degree program in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). Neuroscience is a dynamic, rapidly growing interdisciplinary field that aims to understand the carefully orchestrated nervous system, its structure, function, and role in behavior and neurological diseases. Through this interdisciplinary program, we provide integrated and diverse education, impossible to achieve within any single discipline.

The program trains students to use scientific inquiry to creatively answer contemporary questions in neuroscience. The program centers on state-of-the-art lecture and hands-on laboratory courses designed to infuse cutting edge research methods, approaches, and techniques directly into the curriculum with the goal of stimulating real understanding. Besides mastering a wide-range of techniques, students will gain the practical knowledge necessary to propose and present new experimental approaches to address a scientific question.

Curriculum

The core curricular structure is preceded by requirements and foundational courses in biology, chemistry, and psychology, so students have sufficient background in the sciences to engage meaningfully in the most advanced concepts in neuroscience.

Download a NSCI Program Flow Chart. This chart describes the order in which courses are to be taken.

Career Pathways

The new program will provide students with a solid background and preparation for:

  • Graduate programs in cellular, molecular, or behavioral neuroscience fields;
  • Professional programs (e.g. medicine, dentistry, neuropsychology, audiology);
  • Opportunities in academic or government institutes (e.g. CDC) to study laboratory-based neuroscience or field-based studies to examine animal behavior and disease transmission;
  • Employment in biotechnology companies developing therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders;
  • Jobs in pharmaceutical development or sales; sales for biomedical companies; and/or technical writing/journalism, conveying complex scientific findings in simple terms;
  • Translating research findings for science education or regulatory/governmental agencies.