Neuroscience Major
The interdisciplinary nature of the neuroscience major requires familiarity with multiple disciplines. The curriculum begins with foundational science and mathematics courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus and an orientation course in neuroscience that serves as a common starting point.
In the second and third year, students begin to complete a series of core neuroscience courses that provide majors with a deep understanding of how the components of the nervous system work together to coordinate physiological and cognitive functions and how changes in regulation can impact thought and action. Neuroscience students add breadth to their major by exploring electives within multiple fields of study (e.g., biology, computer science, data science, pharmacology, physics, psychology), that extend disciplinary boundaries and provide opportunities to explore areas of interest. A series of introductory and advanced research core courses, labs, and elective experiences “cap” the program, enabling students to demonstrate expertise with techniques and topics.
Goal 1: Knowledge Base: Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in neuroscience from an integrated, interdisciplinary perspective.
Outcome 1.1: Students will identify, define, and/or explain the foundational content and core concepts in neuroscience, drawing from multiple and integrated disciplines.
Goal 2: Scientific Reasoning: Students will demonstrate the ability to use scientific reasoning to systematically explore ideas, issues, objects or works.
Outcome 2.1: Students will analyze and/or interpret data and scientific literature, form testable hypotheses, and/or design scientific experiments.
Outcome 2.2: Students will be able to apply their knowledge and skills to problems in neuroscience.
Goal 3: Communication: Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate scientific information in a variety of formats.
Outcome 3.1: Students will be able to articulate concepts related to the discipline visually, orally, and/or through written formats.
Cornerstone Core Curriculum Requirements
Consist of 14 core and 2 overlay requirements. See below for additional detailed information on each of these requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Course Requirements | ||
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| World History Course Area | 3 | |
| Philosophy Requirements | ||
Either Level One or Level Two (but not both) -- must be Ethics designated. If approved, philosophy courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as Philosophy Level Two and as a Mission Overlay course. | ||
| Philosophy Level One | 3 | |
| Philosophy Level Two | 3 | |
| Theology & Religious Studies Requirements | ||
If approved, Theology & Religious Studies courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as CCC Theology and as a Mission Overlay course. | ||
| Theology | 3 | |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Diversity & INT 151 Requirements | ||
A student's Diversity course may not count for any other CCC course area requirement or as their Mission Overlay course. If approved, Diversity courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive Overlay requirement. INT 151 may not count for any other CCC requirements. This course must be taken in the first two years | ||
| Diversity | 3 | |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| Math & Natural Science Requirements | ||
If approved, Math & Natural Science Requirements may count toward overlay requirements. | ||
| Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| Natural Science | 4 | |
| Social Science Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, such Social Science Requirement may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Non-Native Language Requirement | 3-4 | |
A single Non-Native Language course may not count as an overlay course but a second language course fulfills a student's Mission Overlay requirement. | ||
| Literature Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Literature courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Overlay Requirements | ||
| Writing-Intensive | 3 | |
If approved, Writing-Intensive courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, electives, or as any CCC course area requirement except for the first-year courses (World History and Rhetoric and Composition). | ||
| Mission-Overlay | 3 | |
Mission Overlay courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, elective courses, or any of the following CCC course areas: Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, or Social Science. | ||
| Total Hours | 47-49 | |
Recommended CCC Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Social Science | ||
| Introductory Psychology | ||
| Intro Psychology Seminar | ||
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 101 | Bio I: Cells (will count for CCC: Natural Science) | 4 |
| BIO 101L | Bio I: Cells Lab (will count for CCC: Natural Science) | 0 |
| Mathematics (will count as CCC: Mathematics) | 3-4 | |
| Fundamentals of Calculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Fundamental Requirements | 23 | |
| Neuroscience Orientation | ||
| General Chemistry II | ||
| General Chemistry Lab II | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| General Physics Laboratory II | ||
| Bio III: Organismic Biology | ||
| Bio III: Organismic Biol Lab | ||
| Introduction to Neuroscience | ||
or BIO 412 | Neurobiology | |
| Intro. to Neuroscience II | ||
| Neuroscience Capstone | ||
Statistics Course (choose one): | ||
| Applied Statistics | ||
| Applied Statistics Plus | ||
| Mathematical Statistics | ||
| Stats for the Social Sciences | ||
| 12 Credits of Core Courses Required | 12 | |
Research/Experiential Requirement: Select 2 courses from Group A or 3 credits from Group B | ||
Group A: Research-Intensive Core Courses | ||
| Animal Behavior and Animal Behavior Lab | ||
| Neurological Disorders and Neurological Disorders Lab | ||
| Biophysics of the Brain | ||
| Neuropsychology | ||
Group B: Internship, Independent Research, or Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study I | ||
| Independent Study II | ||
| Neuroscience Internship | ||
| Neuroscience Internship II | ||
| Undergraduate Research | ||
| Undergraduate Research II | ||
Core Electives (variable depending on number of Research Intensive courses completed) | ||
| Special Topics in Neuroscience | ||
| Special Topics in Neuroscience | ||
| Special Topics in Neuroscience | ||
| Animal Behavior and Animal Behavior Lab | ||
| Neurological Disorders and Neurological Disorders Lab | ||
| Tour of the Brain | ||
| Intro Neuropsychopharmacology | ||
| Tox Subst Use Disorder (Appld) | ||
| Drug Disc Neurodegenerative | ||
| Biophysics of the Brain | ||
| Autism:Co-Occurring Conditions | ||
| Neuropsychology | ||
| Brain Injury and Concussion | ||
| Track Electives (select five courses, at least one from each area) | 15 | |
Clinical Health (select at least one) | ||
| Mind & Muscle:Science of Succe | ||
| Motor Learning | ||
| Exercise Physiology | ||
| Exercise Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Kinesiology | ||
or HSC 348 | Foundations of Kinesiology | |
| Biomechanics | ||
| Tour of the Brain | ||
| Sensation and Perception | ||
| Autism:Co-Occurring Conditions | ||
| Sensation and Perception | ||
| Animal Learning and Memory | ||
| Neuropsychology | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Drugs, the Brain, & Behavior | ||
| Comparative Animal Behavior | ||
| Psychology of Emotion | ||
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Science of Creativity | ||
| Adv. Psychological Disorders | ||
| Primate Psychology | ||
Molecular & Medicinal (select at least one) | ||
| Animal Behavior and Animal Behavior Lab | ||
| Advanced Cell Biology and Advanced Cell Biology Lab | ||
| Systemic Physiology and Systemic Physiology Lab | ||
or BIO 260 | Anat&Physiol for Al Hlth I | |
| Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Lab | ||
| Biotechnology and Biotechnology Lab | ||
| Human Genetics and Human Genetics Lab | ||
or BIO 411 | Molecular Genetics | |
| Histopathology and Histopathology Lab | ||
| Neurological Disorders and Neurological Disorders Lab | ||
| Biochemistry and Biochemistry Lab | ||
or BIO 404 | Biochemistry | |
| Intro Lab Tech in Biomedicine and Intro Lab Tech in Biomed Lab | ||
| Intro Neuropsychopharmacology | ||
| Tox Subst Use Disorder (Appld) | ||
| Drug Disc Neurodegenerative | ||
Computational & Theoretical (select at least one) | ||
| Intro to Computer Science | ||
or CSC 120 | Computer Science I | |
or CSC 133 | Python Programming for All | |
| Comp’l Thinking & Data Sci | ||
| Computer Science II | ||
| Artificial Intellig for All | ||
or CSC 362 | Artificial Intelligence | |
| Data Structures | ||
| Intro Math of Data Science | ||
| Essentials of Data Science | ||
| Advanced Data Science | ||
| Regression and Time Series | ||
| Machine Learning/Data Science | ||
| Intro. to Network Science | ||
| Probability | ||
| Human Intelligence | ||
| Minds & Souls | ||
| Philosophy of Mental Illness | ||
| Philo Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Vision, Experience Faith | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos | ||
| Intro. to Network Science | ||
| Biophysics | ||
| Biophysics of the Brain | ||
| Total Hours | 57-58 | |
Free Electives
Graduation requires 120 credits. Any credits necessary to reach that number outside of the CCC and major requirements are considered free electives.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| BIO 101 | Bio I: Cells | 4 |
| BIO 101L or BIO 150L |
Bio I: Cells Lab or Bio I: Cells Lab Phage |
0 |
| CHM 120 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 120L | General Chemistry Lab I | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| MAT 120 |
Precalculus or Fundamentals of Calculus or Calculus I |
3 |
| NSC 190 | Neuroscience Orientation | 1 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIO 102 | Bio II: Genetics | 4 |
| BIO 102L or BIO 151L |
Bio II: Genetics Lab or Phage Lab |
0 |
| CHM 125 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHM 125L | General Chemistry Lab II | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language (or World History) | 3 |
| MAT 155 or MAT 161 |
Fundamentals of Calculus or Calculus I |
3 |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHY 101 | General Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 101L | General Physics Laboratory I | 1 |
| NSC 205 | Introduction to Neuroscience | 3 |
| BIO 201 | Bio III: Organismic Biology | 4 |
| BIO 201L | Bio III: Organismic Biol Lab | 0 |
| PSY 100 or PSY 101 |
Introductory Psychology or Intro Psychology Seminar |
3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHY 102 | General Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 102L | General Physics Laboratory II | 1 |
| NSC 206 | Intro. to Neuroscience II | 3 |
| Statistics Course | 3 | |
| Major Elective | 3-4 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16-17 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Research/Experiential Requirement | 3-4 | |
| Major Electives | 6-8 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15-18 | |
| Spring | ||
| Research/Experiential Requirement | 3-4 | |
| Major Electives | 6-8 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15-18 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Major Electives | 6-8 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 12-14 | |
| Spring | ||
| NSC 491 | Neuroscience Capstone | 1 |
| Major Electives | 3-4 | |
| Free Electives | 9 | |
| Hours | 13-14 | |
| Total Hours | 118-128 | |