The neuroscience major exposes students to a rapidly growing field at the intersection of biology and psychology. Educating students about the human nervous system in health and disease prepares them for managing the public health challenges of our global population, while exposing them to interdisciplinary learning at the earliest stages of their undergraduate careers. Neuroscience graduates draw knowledge from a variety of specialties, effectively mastering the human nervous system from cellular, molecular, biochemical, cognitive, and behavioral perspectives.
Through the inherently diverse nature of the neuroscience field, students engage in a broad-based curriculum spanning multiple disciplines. During the first year of study, the neuroscience curriculum introduces students to fundamental concepts in biology, psychology, chemistry, and mathematics, while developing communication skills through concurrent introductory English courses. Successful students will progress to intermediate level courses designed to provide a thorough background in the anatomy and physiology of the human nervous system, with an emphasis on cellular and molecular biology, and carbon compounds. The third year of the neuroscience major builds upon the knowledge gained in previous years by engaging students in applied research methods courses, coupled with an analytical reasoning of the natural properties of the physical world. The third and fourth year curricula seek to refine the students’ understanding through specialized courses detailing the human nervous system through health and disease. With five free electives, the third and fourth years of study also offer the flexibility for students to pursue a minor in a discipline of their choice.
