Neuroscience, B.S.
Contact
Christina Leclerc, Ph.D.
Assistant Academic Director, School of Psychology and Brain Sciences
cleclerc1@une.edu
Mission
The mission of UNE's Neuroscience program is to produce independent, self-motivated learners who have acquired the analytical and research skills that will help them to think creatively while integrating complex ideas. This training prepares them to help solve the critical challenges facing our society and to contribute to the furthering of human knowledge. We accomplish this using a variety of experiential and engaged learning techniques to provide a foundation in the concepts and methodologies of the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience at the cellular, molecular, cognitive systems, and behavioral levels.
Major Description
A Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary major offered by faculty from various schools and colleges with expertise in neuroscience. The neuroscience curriculum offers students an opportunity to explore the structure and function of the nervous system. The major requires a general science background, a number of courses specifically devoted to the brain and nervous system, and an in-depth experience that explores the limits of knowledge in at least one aspect of neuroscience. The major allows considerable flexibility for students to develop the last two years along the lines of individual preferences and interests, with potential foci in areas of cellular/molecular neurobiology, behavioral neuroscience, or cognitive science. The majority of students who graduate with a major in Neuroscience enter graduate or professional programs culminating with careers in medicine/health care, research, and/or education.
Transfer Credit
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Admissions
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Financial Information
Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more tuition and fee information, please consult this catalog’s Financial Information section.
Curricular Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | ||
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | 40 | |
| Program Required Courses | ||
| BIO 105 & 105L | Biology I: Ecology/Evolution and Bio I: Ecology/Evolution Lab | 4 |
| BIO 106 & 106L | Biology II: Cellular/Molecular and Bio II:Cellular/Molecular Lab | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | ||
| University General Chemistry I and University General Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | ||
| University General Chemistry II and University General Chemistry II Lab | ||
| CHE 201 & 201L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | ||
| Fundamentals of Biochemistry and Biochemistry Lab | ||
| MAT 190 | Calculus I | 4 |
| NEU 205 & 205L | Introduction to Neurobiology and Intro to Neurobiology Lab | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Neuroscience Internship | ||
| Neuroscience Lab Research | ||
| Psychology Internship I | ||
| NEU 306 & 306L | Behavioral/Cognitive Neuro and Behavioral/Cognitive Neuro Lab | 4 |
| NEU 374 | Medical Neuroanatomy | 4 |
| NEU 410 | Neurobiology of Mental Illness | 3 |
| PHY 110 | General Physics I w/Lab | 4 |
| PHY 111 | General Physics II w/Lab | 4 |
| PSY 105 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 225 | Psychology Statistics | 3 |
| or MAT 150 | Statistics for Life Sciences | |
| PSY 250 | Lifespan Dev in Context | 3 |
| One Program Specific Electives from List A | 3-5 | |
| One Program Specific Electives from List B | 3-4 | |
| Open Elective Courses (Students complete open elective credits as necessary to meet the University’s 120-credit minimum for graduation. The total number of elective credits required will depend on the student’s completed program, core, and other degree requirements.) | 11 | |
| Total Hours | 120-123 | |
Program-Specific Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| List A | ||
| BIO 214 & 214L | Genetics and Genetics Lab | 4 |
| BIO 245 & 245L | Gen Prin Anat/Phys/Pathophys I and Gen Prin Anat/Phys/Path I Lab | 4 |
| BIO 322 | Comparative Animal Physiology | 3 |
| BIO 330 & BIO 330L | and (Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy w/Lab) | 4 |
| BIO 340 | Biology of Sex & Gender | 3 |
| BIO 345 & 345L | Gen Prin Anat/Phys/PathophysII and Gen Prin Anat/Phys/Path II Lab | 5 |
| BIO 365 | Immunology | 3 |
| BIO 370 | Cell & Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIO 407 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIO 450 | Biology Topics (with program approval) | 3 |
| CHE 405 | Medicinal Chemistry | 3 |
| List B | ||
| ANB 275 | Intro Tech in Animal Behavior | 3 |
| ANB 335 | Comparative Animal Behavior | 3 |
| or BIO 335 | ||
| ANB 362 | Animal Cognition | 3 |
| ANB 425 | Capstone in Animal Behavior | 3 |
| PHI 370 | Philosophy of Psychology | 3 |
| PHI 380 | (Philosophy of Mind) | 3 |
| PSY 205 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 226 | Motivation & Emotion | 3 |
| PSY 245 | (Evolutionary Psychology) | 3 |
| PSY 285 | Research Methods | 3 |
| PSY 290 | Developmental Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSY 316 | (Psychology of Consciousness) | 3 |
| PSY 325 | Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PSY 364 | Soc & Emotion Dev in Childhood | 3 |
| PSY 370 | Drugs, Society, and Behavior | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Animal Learning and Behavior and Animal Learning and Behav Lab | ||
| Human Learning and Behavior | ||
| PSY 383 | Memory & Cognition | 3 |
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.
Academic and Technical Standards
A grade point average of 2.25 is necessary to be approved to add a major Neuroscience. Double majoring or completing a major and a minor is possible with careful planning and close consultation with the Assistant Academic Director and/or Academic Advisor. To ensure that each credential represents a substantive and independent program of study, overlap between majors and minors, including core requirements, should be kept to a minimum.
A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all courses used to fulfill the requirements for the Neuroscience major. Students must also complete the Nor’easter Core quantitative reasoning requirement by the end of the first year. The School of Psychology and Brain Sciences strongly recommends that students take PSY 225 Psychology Statistics or MAT 150 Statistics for Life Sciences in their sophomore year. The School of Psychology and Brain Sciences requires that PSY 225 Psychology Statistics or MAT 150 Statistics for Life Sciences be completed by the end of the junior year. See Undergraduate Academic Policy also.
Learning Outcomes
Students who graduate with a B.S. with a major in Neuroscience from UNE will be able to:
- Demonstrate a broad foundation in the concepts and methodologies of the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience at the cellular, molecular, cognitive, systems, and behavioral levels.
- Demonstrate research skills including the ability to design experiments, and collect, analyze, and interpret data through research projects, lab work, internships, and coursework.
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills by analyzing and evaluating Neuroscience Minor neuroscience primary literature.
- Communicate in written and oral format scientific information in an organized and clear manner.