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B.S. Major Requirements

10 courses in major (9 courses at 100 level or above)

7 Pre-/Co-requisites



The undergraduate curriculum for a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary experience that challenges students to explore knowledge derived from three levels of analysis: (1) the molecular and cellular level; (2) the level of neural circuits within which cells are organized and interconnected; and (3) the level of behavior where the functions of neural circuits and systems, including human cognition, are manifest. A comprehensive understanding of Neuroscience requires knowledge of each level, as well as integration across levels.

The undergraduate curriculum for a B.S. Major in Neuroscience comprises 5 foundational classes (1 gateway course, 3 core courses and a course in statistics) and 5 elective courses (within which the capstone requirement must be fulfilled). The graphic below provides an overview of this curriculum, followed by brief descriptions of each requirement.



BS_Curriculum

Five Foundation Courses



Gateway

One of the following three ‘gateway’ courses should be the first of the 10 courses that a student would complete in fulfillment of a Major in Neuroscience:

Core Courses

There are three core courses that reflect three levels of inquiry that should be experienced by all Majors in Neuroscience: (1) the molecular and cellular level; (2) the level of neural circuits within which cells are organized and interconnected; and (3) the level of behavior. The courses listed below may be taken in any sequence.

one of the following (substitutions possible with permission of the DUS):

Statistics

100’s level Statistics course (e.g., STA 101, 102, 103, or 113; or PSY 117)



Five Elective Courses

(including fulfillment of capstone requirement)



Electives

Neuroscience Majors are required to explore the breadth and depth of the field by fulfilling five elective requirements in Neuroscience (including fulfillment of capstone requirement—see description below), with at least one elective being a seminar course or a term of independent study. Seminar, small-lecture, and laboratory elective offerings are drawn from a dynamic list of approximately 50 courses that are offered by five Departments in Trinity College, as well as Departments in the School of Medicine and the Pratt School of Engineering (see detailed list of courses).

Notes:

Capstone Experience

Neuroscience majors are required to complete a capstone experience that facilitates integration of knowledge and understanding across levels of analysis. There are three means by which this capstone requirement may be satisfied. A student may complete two terms of Independent Study (NEUROSCI 191/192) working under the mentorship of a faculty-investigator on a single project that would carry-over across these two terms. The second means is completion of one of the laboratory courses (carrying the L designation) or one of the methods courses in Neuroscience. The third means for fulfilling the capstone requirement is completing NEUROSCI 195S Current Research in Neuroscience. This seminar course is also a requirement for Graduation with Distinction in Neuroscience.



Note: no more than two of the ten courses required for the Major in Neuroscience (not including pre-/co-requisites) may be used to satisfy the requirements of another major or other academic program.



Second Major (BS2) in Neuroscience for BME Majors in the Pratt School of Engineering

10 courses in major (9 courses at 100 level or above)

[6 foundation courses + 4 electives]

7 Pre-/Co-requisites



(allied courses do not count, except by permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience)



Pre-/Co-requisites:

(total of 7 courses required)



Foundational coursework is required in the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics that may be completed concurrently with courses in the major.



The pre-/co-requisite in Biology for the Neuroscience major may be satisfied in one of two ways:

Note: BIOLOGY 25L is no longer being offered; if you have not yet taken BIOLOGY 25L and have not already been granted advanced placement (AP) credit for Biology by the Biology Department, then you must satisfy this pre-/corequisite by taking one of the two new ‘gateway’ courses from the Department of Biology:

Note: AP credit will not be granted for BIOLOGY 101L or 102L.



For Chemistry, students have two options that reflect the diverse interests of neuroscience majors:

Note: for students who are especially interested in molecular/cellular neuroscience, the first option is preferred; the second option should appeal to students who are interested in computational, cognitive or theoretical neuroscience.



For Mathematics, two terms of calculus are required:



For Physics, two terms of calculus-based physics are required, which may be satisfied by one of the following three options listed below (or their equivalent). However, the preferred sequence for most Neuroscience majors, especially those planning to enter the health professions, is PHYSICS 53L/54L.