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:
Neuroscience majors must complete the following requirements:
(1) General science requirements:
Chemistry: All of the following:
Biology:
Statistics: One of the following:
Physics/Mathematics: At least two of the following courses:
(2) Introduction to Neuroscience course:
Neuroscience Majors must take the following two courses:
(3) Upper-level Behavioral Neuroscience:
One of the following seminar courses:
(4) Upper-level Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience:
One of the following lab courses:
(5) Upper-level Human Neuroscience:
Neuroscience Majors must take one of the following courses:
(6) Upper-level Elective:
One additional upper-level elective from the following courses:
* On leave 2021-22.† On leave fall semester 2021-22.‡ On leave spring semester 2021-22.
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 offeredAlthough the ingestive act per se is clear and simple, understanding the multifarious influences that are distilled into the decision at any given moment to eat, or not to eat, remains a ponderous challenge for scientists. The obesity epidemic of the last several decades continues to spread across the globe, leading to a rise in metabolic diseases and more pressing need than ever to understand the neurobiological controls of eating and body weight. Through a broad survey of neurobiological research literature, we will explore how various neurobiological systems and behavioral processes influence eating and body weight, including metabolism, neural mechanisms of hunger and satiety, metabolic disorders, dieting, pica, failure to thrive, starvation, taste preference and aversion, obesity, anxiety and depression, food taboos, and all eating disorders. Strong emphasis will be placed on biological mechanisms and controlled laboratory research with both human and animal subjects.
Limited to 20 students. Open to juniors and seniors. Class meets once a week for 165 minutes. Spring semester. Prof. Baird.
Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2025Research 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 2024Research 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 2025Research 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