Neuroscience

Recommended Plans of Study for Option A in Neuroscience

Our faculty representative for Neuroscience is Dr. Elaine Day

Neuroscience is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary science drawing on the fields of biology, chemistry, philosophy, psychology, medicine, linguistics, computer science, and engineering, among others.

Dr. Day has prepared two recommended plans of study for Neuroscience students interested in Interdisciplinary Studies Option A: Behavioral Neuroscience and Neurobiology.

Students considering Option B (2 minors) for their Interdisciplinary Plan of Study should pair Neuroscience with one of the minors listed above or consult with Drs. Pfrenger and Day to find a pairing that best suits their interests.

We recommend you start by reviewing the Neuroscience minor webpage to learn more about the resources, courses, and opportunities available.

General Education Requirements and Neuroscience

While students are free to choose courses for the General Education requirements that best fit their interests, Dr. Day has compiled the following list of recommendations that might speak to students looking to pursue a Neuroscience plan of study through the Interdisciplinary Studies major. The list of recommended General Education courses is also designed to help Neuroscience students get a head start on some of the prerequisites for upper-level coursework in the field. Specific recommendations for Neuroscience students are italicized.

General Education Requirements (48-50 hours)
First Year Writing I (3 hrs)	Hon 101, Writ 100 or 101
First Year Writing II (3 hrs)	Hon 102, Liba 102, or Writ 102
English Literature Surveys (6 hrs)	ENG 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, or 22X
Modern or Ancient Language (6-12 hrs)	6 hours at the 200-level or higher in a single language Latin, Chinese, Spanish, or Sign Language
History (6 hrs)	Any history courses At least one 300-level history relevant to your field
Additional Humanities (3 hrs)	Any African American Studies; Classics; Philosophy; Religion; Envs 101; G St 201, 202, 301, 304, 333, 350, 353, 391, 402; Liba 202, 305, 312; Southern Studies (100-level only) A relevant philosophy or gender studies course (e.g. Phil 332 – Personal Identity and the Self, Phil 342 – Philosophy of the Mind, GS 201 – Introduction to Gender Studies, GS 333 – Theories in Gender)
Fine or Performing Arts (3 hrs)	Any Art History; Mus 101, 102, 103, 104, 105; Thea 201, 202; Danc 200; Liba 130, 204, 314
Mathematics (3 hrs)	Any math course except for Math 245 and 246 Math 125 or 261; Math 115 is not recommended as a major statistical course will serve this content area better for Neuroscience students
Social Science (6 hrs)	Any Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology, Liba 203, 313 Psy 201 and any other psychology, anthropology, or sociology relevant to student interest
Natural Science (9-11 hours)	Any Biology; Chemistry (not Chem 101); Geology; Liba 150, 151, 205, 205L, 315, 315L; Astronomy or Physics; at least two courses must include a lab; two courses must be from the same subject of science with the third from a different department; each course must be a minimum of three credit hours Any student that needs upper division Bisc or Chem courses to take other courses in their career path should take: Bisc 160, 161,162, and 163 and Chem 105. Alternative suggested courses are: Bisc 102, 103, 104, and 105 and/or Bisc 206, 207, Chem 103, 201, or Phys 107, 108 depending on career goals.

 

Recommended Plan of Study Concentrations for Option A: Behavioral Neuroscience or Neurobiology

All Courses are suggestions. As you build your individualized plan of study for Option A, select courses appropriate for your career path in conversation with your academic advisors.

All Neuroscience Plan of Study Concentrations require the following core courses:

Psy 319: Brain and Behavior (3 hrs)

Bisc 327: Introductory Neuroscience (3 hrs)

Behavioral Neuroscience

This plan of study requires two core courses, one research methods course or one statistical methods course, a minimum of six hours of formal lab or directed research practice, and one 400 or 500 level course. Students should choose elective courses from the recommended list that align with the theme of their plan of study. No more than 21 hours from one department can apply to the Behavioral Neuroscience concentration without director approval. To be better prepared for graduate or medical school, it is recommended that at least 36 hours must be at 300 level or above for students pursuing the Behavioral Neuroscience plan of study.

Required Core Courses (6 hrs):

Psy 319: Brain and Behavior

Bisc 327: Introductory Neuroscience (If you do not have Bisc 160 series, you must have a B or above in Psy 319 to take Bisc 327)

Research Methods (3-4 hrs) – One statistics course or one research methods course

Statistics courses:

Psy 202: Statistics for Behavioral Sciences, CSD 202: Statistics for CSD, BME 370: Intro to Bioinformatics & Biostatistics, or ES 351: Measurement & Statistics in Exercise Sci. Any higher-level methods or statistics course could also be applied (e.g. Psy 303: Intermed. Stat. Methods for Psy).

Research Methods courses:

CSD 302:  Research Methods, Bisc 300: Research Methods in Biology, Bisc 427: Methods in Comparative Neuroscience, ES 350: Research Methods in HESRM, Psy 205: Research Methods in Psychology.

Laboratory Course (6-8 hrs) – Directed Research or Formal Laboratory Courses

Directed Research (6 hrs)

Neu 491, 492, and 493. The Neu 491-493 courses must be in the same lab (Neu 492 is a pre-requisite for Neu 493, but is a general education elective).

Neu 493 replaces IDS 499 capstone course with IDS director approval.

Formal Lab Options (6-8 hrs)

ES 347 and ES 348: Kinesiology

ES 348 and ES 349: Physiology of Exercise

ES 446 and ES 447: Biomechanics of Human Movement

ES 514: Applied Electromyography

Bisc 206: Human Anatomy and Physiology I

Bisc 207: Human Anatomy and Physiology II

Bisc 330: Introductory Physiology

Bisc 427: Methods in Comparative Neuroscience

Bisc 512: Animal Behavior

Psy 390 Lab in Psy: Behavioral Neuroscience

Psy 394: Lab in Psy: Cognition and Perception

Psy 396: Laboratory in Psychology

Elective Options (24-27 hours to total 42 hrs in plan of study)  

Suggested Neuroscience Elective Courses

Bisc 533. Advanced Neuroscience

Bisc 543 Functional Neuroanatomy

ES 344: Aging in the 21st Century

ES 515: Stress and the Brain

Phil 332. Personal Identity and the Self

Phil 342. Philosophy of the Mind

Psy 309 Learning

Psy 320: Cognitive Psychology

Psy 311: Psychopathology: Integrative Approaches

Psy 326: Sensation and Perception

Psy 511: Neural Basis of Learning and memory

CSD 205: Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms

CSD 455: Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology of Speech and Hearing

CSD 505: Neurophysiology of Communication

CSD 526: Neurogenic Disorders of Language

Other Suggested General Electives

CSD 625: Autism and Developmental Disabilities

CSD 626: Aphasia

CSD 627: Neurogenic Disorders of Speech & AAC

Psy 425: Advanced Abnormal Behavioral Psych & Lit

Psy 553: Theories of Learning

Psy 531: Sensation and Perception

Psy 532: Attention and Consciousness

 

Neurobiology

The Neurobiology plan of study requires two core courses, one research and one statistical methods course, six hours of formal lab or directed research practice, and one 400 or 500 level course. Students should choose elective courses from the recommended list that align with the theme of their plan of study. No more than 21 hours from one department can apply to the Behavioral Neuroscience concentration without director approval. To be better prepared for graduate or medical school, it is recommended that at least 36 hours must be at 300 level or above for students pursuing the Neurobiology plan of study.

Required Core Courses (6 hrs):

Psy 319: Brain and Behavior

Bisc 327: Introductory Neuroscience (If you do not have Bisc 160 series, you must have a B or above in Psy 319 to take Bisc 327)

Statistics and Research Methods (6-8 hrs) – One statistics course and one research methods course.

Statistics courses:

Psy 202: Statistics for Behavioral Sciences, CSD 202: Statistics for CSD, BME 370: Intro to Bioinformatics & Biostatistics, or ES 351: Measurement & Statistics in Exercise Sci. Any higher-level methods or statistics course could also be applied (e.g. Psy 303: Intermed. Stat. Methods for Psy).

Research Methods:

Bisc 300: Research Methods in Biology, Bisc 427: Methods in Comparative Neuroscience, CSD 302 Research Methods, ES 350: Research Methods in HESRM, Psy 205: Research Methods in Psychology.

Laboratory Course (6-8 hrs) – Directed Research or Formal Laboratory Courses

Directed Research (6 hrs)

Neu 491, 492, and 493. The Neu 491-493 courses must be in the same lab (Neu 492 is a pre-requisite for Neu 493, but is a general education elective).

Neu 493 replaces IDS 499 capstone course with IDS director approval.

Formal Labs (6-8 hrs)

Bisc 330: Introductory Physiology

Bisc 427: Methods in Comparative Neuroscience

Bisc 512: Animal Behavior

Bisc 518: Microtechniques

BME 314: Biomedical Measurement

ES 348 and ES 349: Physiology of Exercise

ES 347 and ES 348: Kinesiology

ES 348 and ES 349: Physiology of Exercise

ES 446 and ES 447: Biomechanics of Human Movement

ES 514: Applied Electromyography

Psy 390: Lab in Psy: Behavioral Neuroscience

Psy 394: Lab in Psy: Cognition and Perception

Elective Options (17-21 hours to total 42 hrs plan of study)

Suggested Neuroscience Elective Courses

Bisc 310: Human Anatomy

Bisc 529: Endocrinology

Bisc 533: Advanced Neuroscience

Bisc 538: Hormones and Behavior

Bisc 541: Cell Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders

Bisc 543: Functional Neuroanatomy

BME 313: Physiology for Biomedical Engineering

BME 413: Biomedical Signal Processing

BMS 471: Targeting Neurodegenerative Diseases

CSD 505: Neurophysiology of Communication

CSD 526: Neurogenic Disorders of Language

ES 344: Aging in the 21st Century

ES 338: Motor Control and Learning

ES 512: Foundations of Biomechanics

ES 515: Stress and the Brain

Medc 416: Intro to the Principles of Med Chem I

Medc 417: Intro to the Principles of Med Chem II

Medc 418: Neuroscience Principles of Drug Abuse

Phcl 586: Receptors and Channels

Psy 309: Learning and Behavior

Psy 322: Drugs and Behavior

Psy 326: Sensation and Perception

Psy 511: Neural Basis of Learning and Memory

Suggested General Elective Courses

Phys 213/223 & 214/224 (General Physics I & II Trig-based) OR Phys211/221 & 212/222 (Generaly Physics I&II Cal-based)

Bisc 301: Evolution

Bisc 306: Virology

Bisc 331: Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates

Bisc 336: Genetics

Bisc 370: Introductory Molecular Genetics

Bisc 414: Immunology and Serology

Bisc 415: Vertebrate Histology

Bisc 553: Comparative Animal Physiology

BME 510: Drug and Gene Delivery

BMS 344: Physiological Foundation of Therapeutics

BMS 345: Anatomical Foundations in Human Health

Phil 328: Biomedical Ethics