Dartmouth offers a major and minor in neuroscience.
Read FAQs on studying neuroscience at Dartmouth.
Contact Neuroscience majors at PAL.
Neuroscience is a broad interdisciplinary field requiring a rigorous preparation in basic science. Students in this discipline are expected to understand introductory neuroscience, cell biology and statistics. They are also expected to gain competency in calculus, chemistry, physics or computer science. These prerequisites are fundamental to understanding contemporary experimental methods in neuroscience.
Required courses are also intended to provide a strong background in the measurement of behavior. Then, students are expected to choose a set of electives that will lead them towards a broad understanding of the neuroscience field, as well as techniques used by neuroscientists to study the brain. With this background, students are then encouraged to engage in a research project with a specific emphasis in neuroscience. For example electives in Computer Science and Mathematics could be selected that emphasize computational methods, leading towards a senior research project in computational neuroscience. Alternatively, a student might choose electives emphasizing cell or molecular biology, leading towards a research project in cellular neurobiology. The list of electives is adaptive. Students develop an elective list with an advisor that is subject to approval by the Neuroscience Steering Committee.
A central mission of the new major is to encourage students to work closely with sponsoring faculty to learn experimental methods in neuroscience. Students fulfill their culminating experience by either conducting research in neuroscience under the direction of a faculty advisor or taking an upper level seminar with an emphasis in neuroscience. Faculty in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences provide a core resource for research opportunities for students, however neuroscience research opportunities for undergraduate majors also involve faculty in the School of Medicine, the Thayer Engineering School, and other departments within the College of Arts and Sciences subject to approval by the Neuroscience Steering Committee.
Potential majors are encouraged to begin planning their course of study by the end of their first year.
For 2009-2010 the Neuroscience Steering Committee includes: Profs. Jeffrey Taube (PBS), Chair; Paul Whalen (PBS), Elise Temple (Education).
Approved Neuroscience Elective courses for 2009-2010
Approved Neuroscience Elective courses for 2008-2009.
Approved Neuroscience Elective courses for 2007-2008.
Approved Neuroscience Elective coures for 2006-2007.
The requirements below apply to the Classes of 2010 and forward. A Checklist for designing a major in Neuroscience is available to help plan your coursework.
PSYC 6 Introduction to Neuroscience OR BIOL 34 Introduction to Neurobiology
Note: Students cannot get major credit for taking both PSYC 6 and BIOL 34
AND
PSYC 10 OR BIOL 29 Statistics
AND
Any 4 of the following 10 courses:
MATH 3, 4 Introduction to Calculus, Calculus with Applications
CHEM 5, 6 General Chemistry
PHYS 3, 4 General Physics
COSC 5, 8, 25 Introduction to Computer Science, Problem Solving with Computer Science, Algorithms
ENGS 20 Introduction to Computer Science with applications in Engineering
PSYC 21 Perception OR Psyc 28 Cognition
PSYC 45 Behavioral Neuroscience OR PSYC 26 Physiological Psychology for Classes 2010-2011
PSYC 46 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
OR the series BIOL 12 Cell Structure and Function AND BIOL 13 Gene Expression and Inheritance
PSYC 65 Systems Neuroscience (formerly Physiology of Behavior)
Electives: Four electives from the list below or other courses as approved on an annual basis by The Neuroscience Steering Committee. Of the four electives taken for neuroscience major credit, two of them must be the 50's level or higher.
Biology 27 Animal Behavior
Biology 37 Endrocrinology
Biology 69 Cell Signaling
Biology 74 Advanced Neurobiology
Biology 79 Genetics and Physiology of Behavior
Education 50 The Reading Brain (See 2009-2010 Approved Elective Courses)
Psychology 21 Perception
Psychology 28 Cognitiion
Psychology 40 Introduction to Computational Neuroscience
Psychology 43 Emotion
Psychology 46 Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience
Psychology 50 Issues in Neuroscience (See 2009-2010 Approved Elective Courses)
Psychology 51 Issues in Information Processing (See 2009-2010 Approved Elective Courses)
Psychology 52 Issues in Learning and Development (See 2009-2010 Approved Elective Courses)
Psychology 53 Issues in Social Psychology (See 2009-2010 Approved Elective Courses)
Psychology 60 Principles of Brain Mapping with fMRI
Psychology 64 Laboratory in Sensory Psychology
Psychology 80s Seminar courses with a neuroscience emphasis (See 2009-2010 Approved Elective Courses)
Physiology 150 (Seminar in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience)
PEMM 211 (Seminar in Neurobiology of Disease)
With permission of the Neuroscience Steering Committee, other courses that are appropriate given the student's area of specialization may be taken for credit.
Notes:
1) Students who elect to take the Biology 12/13 sequence to satisfy their cellular/molecular neuroscience requirement can take Psychology 46 as one of the four elective credits.
2) Whichever course is taken to satisfy the Psychology 21/28 requirements the other course may be taken for elective credit.
3) Multiple offerings of Psychology 50, 51, 52, and 80 courses of the same number may be taken as long as they cover different topics.
4) You can only get major credit for taking Psychology 6 or Biology 34, but not both.
5) Students who take Physiology 150 or PEMM 211 should register for Psyhology 90 and have permission of the instructor.
6) Psychology 6 and 10 and Biology 34 cannot be taken as an NRO.
7) Courses that are taken as part of another major cannot be used as elective courses for Neuroscience.
8) At the beginning of each academic year, the Neuroscience Steering Committee will announce which courses qualify for elective and culminating experience credit.
9) For permission courses at 60's and 80's level students should fill out an online permission form l(ink to permission/checklist form).
Culminating experience (1 course) (Cannot be used to satisfy the electives requirement):
BIOL 74 - Advanced Neurobiology Seminar
PSYC 80s level seminar - Seminar with neuroscience emphasis
PSYC 90 - Independent Neuroscience Research (link to permission checklist)
PSYC 91 - Honor’s Neuroscience Research (link to permission checklist)
