Neuroscience

Contact

Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour, Ph.D.
Assistant Academic Director, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
jstiegler@une.edu

Degree name
Bachelor of Science with a major in Neuroscience
Sections

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 (1) aspect of neuroscience. The major allows considerable flexibility for students to develop the last two (2) 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.

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core RequirementsCredits
Total Credits43
Program Required CoursesCredits
BIO 105/105L – Bio I: Ecology/Evolution w/LabCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
BIO 106/106L – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular w/Lab4
CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I w/Lab or CHE 150/150L – University General Chem I w/Lab4
CHE 111/111L - General Chemistry II w/Lab or CHE 151/151L – University General Chem II w/Lab4
CHE 210/210L/210S – Organic Chemistry I w/Lab and LabLecture5
CHE 211/211L/211S – Organic Chemistry II w/Lab and LabLecture or CHE 310/310L – Fundamentals of Biochemistry w/Lab4–5
MAT 190 – Calculus ICredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
NEU 205/205L – Intro to Neurobiology w/Lab4
NEU 300 – Neuroscience Internship or NEU 495 – Neuroscience Lab Research3–12
NEU 306/306L – Behavioral/Cognitive Neuro w/Lab4
NEU 410 – Neurobiology of Mental Illness3
PHY 110 – General Physics I4
PHY 111 – General Physics II4
PSY 105 – Introduction to Psychology3
PSY 225 – Psychology Statistics or MAT 150 – Statistics for Life Sciences3
PSY 250 – Lifespan Development in ContextCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
Three (3) required electives taken from List A and B. No more than two (2) may be chosen from either list A or B.9–13
Total credits58–72
Open elective courses (as needed to reach 120 credits)Variable
Minimum Total Required Credits120
List ACredits
BIO 214 /214L – Genetics w/Lab4
BIO 245/245L – General Principles of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology I w/Lab4
BIO 322 – Comparative Animal Physiology3
BIO 330/330L – Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy w/Lab4
BIO 340 – Biology of Sex & Gender3
BIO 345/345L – General Principles of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology II w/Lab5
BIO 365 – Immunology3
BIO 370 – Cell and Molecular Biology3
BIO 407 – Developmental Biology3
BIO 450 – Biology Topics (with program approval)3
CHE 405 – Medicinal Chemistry3
List BCredits
PHI 370 – Philosophy of Psychology3
PHI 380 – Philosophy of Mind3
PSY 205 – Abnormal Psychology3
PSY 226 – Motivation and Emotion3
PSY 245 – Evolutionary Psychology3
PSY 275 – Introduction to Techniques in Animal Behavior3
PSY 285 – Research Methods3
PSY 290 – Developmental Psychopathology3
PSY 316 – Psychology of Consciousness3
PSY 325 – Psychology of Aging3
PSY 335 – Comparative Animal Behavior or BIO 335 – Animal Behavior/Behavioral Ecology3
PSY 362 – Animal Cognition3
PSY 364 – Social and Emotional Development in Childhood3
PSY 370 – Drugs, Society, and Behavior3
PSY 380 – Learning/Conditioning and Behavior Modification or PSY 384/ 384L – Animal Learning and Behavior w/Lab3–4
PSY 383 – Memory and Cognition3
PSY 425 – Advanced Methods in Animal Behavior3

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 majoring and minoring within the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences may be possible for students. Students interested in this option should do so with close consultation of their Academic Advisor to ensure that a substantial degree of overlap between the two (2) areas does not occur. 

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 University Core mathematics requirement by the end of the first year. The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences strongly recommends that students take PSY 225 or MAT 150 in their sophomore year. The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences requires that PSY 225 or MAT 150 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

  1. Demonstrate a broad foundation in the concepts and methodologies of the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience at the cellular, molecular, cognitive, systems, and behavioral levels.
  2. Demonstrate research skills including the ability to design experiments, and collect, analyze, and interpret data through research projects, lab work, internships, and coursework.
  3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills by analyzing and evaluating neuroscience primary literature.
  4. Communicate in written and oral format scientific information in an organized and clear manner.

Minor

A student with a GPA of at least 2.25 and a major at UNE may minor in Neuroscience with the approval of the Assistant Academic Director. Declarations must occur before the completion of the first semester of the junior year. Students declaring a minor in Neuroscience will be discouraged from double-dipping credits across the minor and either major or core requirements (unless no other options are provided by the major, minor, or core requirements).

A minimum of twenty-six (26) hours of approved course credit with a minimum grade of C- in each course is required for the minor in Neuroscience as follows:

Program Required CoursesCredits
BIO 106/106L – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular w/Lab4
CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I w/Lab or CHE 150/150L – University General Chem I w/Lab4
CHE 111/111L – General Chemistry II w/Lab or CHE 151/151L – University General Chem II w/Lab4
NEU 205/205L – Introduction to Neurobiology w/Lab4
NEU 306/306L – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience w/Lab4
NEU 410 – Neurobiology of Mental Illness3
PSY 105 – Introduction to Psychology3
Minimum Total Required Credits26

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor.

Transfer Credit

Courses completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program. Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the required courses offered at UNE in order to count as exact equivalents. Otherwise, they may transfer as general electives. All courses completed must be no older than five (5) years.

Other restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Admissions

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.