Major Requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience requires 13 basic courses, plus four advanced courses that the students can choose from an assemblage of courses.

The following 13 courses are required for Neuroscience majors:

Five Neuroscience Core Courses:

  • NEUR 100 Introduction to Neuroscience
  • BIOL 205 Introduction to Molecules and Cells
  • BIOL 207 Genetics
  • PSYC 250 Physiological Psychology
  • NEUR 251 The Neuron (This course will be offered for the first time in the spring of 2012. It is required of students beginning with the class of 2015 and recommended but not required for students in other classes.)


One Psychology Elective (Choose one, or more with an eye to advanced courses)

  • PSYC 203 Learning
  • PSYC 204 Human Cognition
  • PSYC 252 Sensation & Perception
  • NEUR 248 Developmental Psychobiology

Four Chemistry Courses (see note)

  • CHEM 211 Organic Chemistry I and CHEM 212 Organic Chemistry II
  • CHEM 201 General Chemistry I and CHEM 202 General Chemistry II
  • CHEM 221 Inorganic Chemistry I and CHEM 231 Analytical Chemistry I

(If you take 201 and 202, then you cannot take 221 and 231. So, plan either 201/202 and 211/212 or 211/212 and 221/231. Note that 201/202 are not prerequisites of 211/212)

Two Math Courses

  • MATH 201 Calculus or MATH 205 Accelerated Calculus
  • MATH 216 Statistics I or PSYC 215 Psychological Statistics

One Advanced Neuroscience Elective must be chosen from these courses

  • BIOL/PSYC 343 Neural Plasticity
  • BIOL 303 Behavioral Neuroendocrinology*
  • BIOL 342 Neuroethology*
  • BIOL 324 Neurophysiology
  • PSYC 349 Human Neuropsychology

*(Note that for BIOL majors, BIOL 208 is a prerequisite, but this is waved for NEUR majors)


Now choose FOUR electives from this list. Please note that students do not need to limit themselves in any way to these "Groups" or "Tracks," they are merely guidelines in case students want to identify with a particular area within Neuroscience. Students are free to choose across these groups in any combination that they would like. Keep in mind that some of these courses may have prerequisites that are not formally within the required curriculum)

Group 1: General Neuroscience:

  • ANBE 391 Behavioral Research
  • BIOL 318 Principles of Physiology (formerly named Comparative Phys)
  • NEUR 320 Topics Seminar: Biology of Addiction
  • BIOL 322 Physiological Mechanisms
  • BIOL 348 Immunology
  • BIOL 328 Endocrinology
  • PSYC 329 Undergraduate Research in Psychology
  • BIOL 399 Independent Research in Biology
  • NEUR 399 Independent Research in Neuroscience
  • BMEG 300 Biotransport
  • BMEG 409 or 410 Fabrication and Experimental Design
  • CHEM 375 or 376 Undergraduate Research
  • PSYC 324 Analysis of Psychological Data
  • BIOL 377: Biology of Aging
  • ...Or any courses from groups 2 or 3.

Group 2: Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience

  • BIOL 303 Behavior Neuroendocrinology
  • BIOL 342 Neuroethology
  • PSYC 305 Developmental Psychopathology
  • PSYC 318 Cognitive Aging
  • NEUR 348 Behavioral Pharmacology
  • PSYC 349 Human Neuropsychology
  • PSYC 352 Advanced Perception
  • NEUR 399 Independent Research in NEUR/BIOL

Group 3: Cell and Molecular Neuroscience

  • BIOL 324 Neurophysiology
  • BIOL 331 Functional Genomics
  • BIOL 339 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 340 Biochemical Methods
  • BIOL 352 Cell Biology
  • BMEG 441 Neural Signals and Systems
  • CHEM 351 Biochemistry
  • NEUR 320 Topics Seminar: Developmental Neurobiology
  • NEUR 399 Independent Research in NEUR/BIOL

Only 1 credit of independent research in any discipline may be counted toward the NEUR electives.


NOTES: Physics 211/212 are not required for the Neuroscience major, but students thinking about medical school or graduate school for Neuroscience may plan to take these courses. In the original curriculum PSYC 290 Applied Research Methods in Physiological Psychology was required, but this course is no longer required, instead it is suggested for Neuroscience majors.

For additional information, see the Course Catalog.