Lab Rotations

First year students participate in two laboratory rotations, each one semester in duration. Students normally choose a Ph.D. mentor after the 2nd rotation.

Curriculum

• Required core courses
  • Physiology and Pharmacology of Excitable Cells (NEU 827)
  • Systems Neuroscience (NEU 839)
  • Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience (NEU 811)
  • Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology (NEU 804)
  • Statistics for the Biological Sciences (PHM 980 or PSY 815)
  • Methods in Neuroscience Laboratory (NEU 806)

• Electives

Students are encouraged to take electives in advanced areas of neuroscience or in other disciplines that complement their research interests. Students will choose elective courses in consultation with their faculty advisor and guidance committee. Electives will normally be taken in years two or three of study. Examples of currently offered electives in advanced neuroscience are:

• Vertebrate Neural Systems (ANT 885)
• Synaptic Transmission (PHM 810)
• Developmental Psychobiology (PSY 809)
• Neuropsychology (PSY 851)
• Principles of Drug-Tissue Interaction (PHM 819)

• Research Forum (NEU 800)

Students complete four semesters of a one credit course entitled "Research Forum", which involves presentation of current research by Neuroscience students and a curriculum of presentations on various topics important for career development. First year students attend and participate in discussions, but do not take the course for credit. Second, third and fourth year students enroll in the course and are required to present their research.

• Graduate School Workshops in Responsible Conduct of Science

  Predoctoral students are required to attend 7 workshops offered by the Graduate School. 6 workshops from the "Responsible Conduct of Research" series and one from the "Conflict Resolution."

• Obtain a certificate of attendance for the Responsible Conduct of Research series from the Graduate School
• Have speaker for Conflict Resolution workshop complete and sign the NSP form (obtain this form from the NSP Graduate Office prior to the workshop) stating the graduate student's attendance.

Comprehensive exams and thesis defense

• Comprehensive exam and dissertation guidance committee

At the end of Spring semester in Year 2, students take a common written comprehensive exam that covers the broad area of neuroscience. The written exam is designed to assess the student's ability to integrate knowledge and concepts from the core courses, elective courses and from other sources such as the weekly seminars. By December 10 of the calendar year which the written component had been taken, the student will complete the oral component of the comprehensive exam. The oral exam consists of a defense of a thesis proposal that is presented to the student's dissertation guidance committee. Students are required to give a formal public seminar based on their thesis proposal at some time during Year 3.

• Dissertation

Students conduct an original dissertation project based on the approved thesis proposal. Students present a public seminar based on their Ph.D. dissertation, which precedes the thesis defense with the student's dissertation guidance committee.

Neuroscience Program Retreat

Each year, the Neuroscience Program holds a retreat for all faculty, students and postdocs to welcome incoming students and to share data and ideas generated over the course of the summer. Student attendance is a requirement, and all returing students must present a poster. For more information and pictures from the most recent retreat, please see the Annual Retreat Page.

Teaching

All students in the Program are expected to work as a teaching assistant for one semester during their second year of study. The teaching assignments are in undergraduate courses in neuroscience or another biological science.

Graduate Student Handbook

The Graduate Student Handbook can be viewed here and contains valuable information for new students entering the Neuroscience Program.