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Neuroscience

Neuroscience Advisory Committee: Professors Baird†, Cohen, Kim, Raskin*, Trapani; Turgeon‡ (Chair), Visiting Assistant Professor Roche.

Affiliated Faculty: Professors Clotfelter and Goutte.

The Neuroscience major consists of science courses in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology, plus senior comprehensives, which includes attending neuroscience seminars and a comprehensive examination. Neuroscience majors may also choose to do a senior honors research project in the laboratory of a Neuroscience faculty member or affiliated Biology faculty member (and in some cases a faculty member from UMass-Amherst). Neuroscience majors must preregister for all courses that they will use to satisfy requirements for the major, rather than assume they will be guaranteed entry into a course during the add/drop period (e.g., you must preregister for NEUR 301 and/or NEUR 351). Courses in which a student has not received a letter grade better than "D" are not counted towards the Neuroscience major.

To receive Advanced Placement (AP) in a neuroscience course, you must have fulfilled the following requirements:

  • Chemistry: with a Chemistry AP score of 4 or 5, follow the recommendation made during orientation (many students with AP credit still take CHEM 151).
  • Math: you may place out MATH 111 with a score of 4 or 5 on the AB exam or a 3 on the BC exam. In this case, you still need to satisfy the Physics/Mathematics requirement with a higher-level.
  • Biology: you may place out of BIOL 191 with a score of 5 on the Biology AP exam. In this case you must substitute BIOL 251 or BIOL 291 for BIOL 191.

Neuroscience majors must complete the following requirements:

(1) General science requirements:

Chemistry: All of the following:

  • CHEM 151 (or 155)
  • CHEM 161
  • CHEM 221 (most majors also take CHEM 231)

Biology:

  • BIOL 191
  • Note: BIOL 181 is optional for Neuroscience, but should be considered by students in their first year that are considering majoring in Biology or Neuroscience but haven't decided between them yet.

Statistics: One of the following:

  • STAT 111 (formerly MATH 130) or
  • MATH/STAT 135 or
  • STAT 230 (formerly MATH 230) or
  • BIOL 210 or
  • PSYC 122

Physics/Mathematics: At least two of the following courses:

  • PHYS 116, 117, 123, 124
  • MATH 111, 121, 211
  • If you have Advanced Placement in any of these subjects, take more advanced courses.
  • MATH 111 or Advanced Placement (at least 4 on AB or 3 on BC) is a prerequisite for CHEM 161 and PHYS 117.
  • The Statistics requirement above is a separate requirement and does not count towards this Physics/Math requirement.

(2) Introduction to Neuroscience course:

Neuroscience Majors must take the following two courses instead of NEUR 226.

  • NEUR 213: Neuroscience: Systems and Behavior (with lab)
  • NEUR 214: Neurobiology (non lab)
  • Note: The NEUR 213 course must be taken in the spring semester of your sophomore year. The NEUR 214 course may be taken in the fall of either sophomore or junior year but must be completed prior to the end of junior year.

(3) Upper-level Behavioral Neuroscience:

One of the following seminar courses:

  • NEUR 325 Psychopharmacology
  • NEUR 356 Neurophysiology of Motivation

(4) Upper-level Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience:

One of the following lab courses:

  • NEUR 301 Molecular Neurobiology with laboratory
  • NEUR 351 Neurophysiology with laboratory

(5) Upper-level Human Neuroscience:

Neuroscience Majors must take one of the following courses:

  • NEUR 361 Consciousness and the Brain
  • NEUR 367 Human Neuroscience

(6) Upper-level Elective:

One additional upper-level elective from the following courses:

  • An additional behavioral neuroscience course from item (3) above
  • An additional molecular/cellular neuroscience course from item (4) above
  • An additional human neuroscience course from item (5) above
  • NEUR 350 Neurophysiology (non-lab section of NEUR 351)
  • NEUR 425 Systems Neuroscience
  • NEUR 450 Seminar in Physiology
  • BIOL 221 Developmental Biology (w/ lab)
  • BIOL 241 Genetic Analysis (w/ lab)
  • BIOL 251 Molecular Genetics (w/ lab)
  • BIOL 260 Animal Physiology
  • BIOL 271 Microbiology (w/ lab)
  • BIOL 281 Animal Behavior (w/ lab)
  • BIOL 291 Cell Structure and Function (w/ lab)
  • BIOL 331 Biochemistry (w/ lab)
  • BIOL 381 Genome Biology (w/ lab)
  • PSYC 233 Cognitive Psychology
  • PSYC 234 Memory
  • PSYC 236 Psychology of Aging
  • PSYC 357 History of Psychiatry

* On leave 2020-21.
† On leave fall semester 2020-21.
‡ On leave spring semester 2020-21.

211 Cognitive Neuroscience

(See PSYC 211)

213 Neuroscience: Systems and Behavior

(See PSYC 213)

214 Neurobiology

(See BIOL 214)

245 Systems Neuroscience

The course will survey behavioral neurobiological systems. Students will explore recent research findings in areas pertaining to the role of neural circuits in several behavioral processes including but not limited to echolocation, mating, prey location, flight control, spatial navigation, song development in birds, mineral appetites, social functions, aggression, and learning and memory mechanisms in several species. Through instructor supervision, discussion, group presentations, and peer review, each student develops a specific research project that results in a research proposal. The course will place significant emphasis on the development of writing skills. Key goals of the course are to prepare juniors for upper-level seminars and to provide an intensive literature-research and writing experience. This course will count as a Group A/List A elective course for the neuroscience major.

Limited to juniors and seniors who have taken NEUR 226 or NEUR 213/214 or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Baird.

2023-24: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2022

325 Psychopharmacology

(See PSYC 325)

350 Neurophysiology

(See BIOL 350)

356 Neurophysiology of Motivation

(See PSYC 356)

361 Consciousness and the Brain

(See PSYC 361)

367 Human Neuroscience

(See PSYC 367)

390, 490 Special Topics

Research in an area relevant to neuroscience, under the direction of a faculty member, and preparation of a thesis based upon the research. Full course.

Fall and spring semesters. The Committee.

Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2024

411 Seminar in Synapses: Synaptic Development and Plasticity

(See BIOL 411)

498, 499D Senior Departmental Honors

Research in an area relevant to neuroscience, under the direction of a faculty member, and preparation of a thesis based upon the research.

Spring semester. The Committee.

Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025

Departmental Courses

301 Molecular Neurobiology

(See BIOL 301)

351 Neurophysiology with Lab

(See BIOL 351)

450 Seminar in Physiology: Classic Papers in Neurophysiology

(See BIOL 450)

Senior Departmental Honors Courses

498D, 499 Senior Departmental Honors

Research in an area relevant to neuroscience, under the direction of a faculty member, and preparation of a thesis based upon the research.

Spring semester. The Committee.

Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025
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