phd student neuroscience

Welcome to Stanford Neurosciences

The Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program (IDP) offers interdisciplinary training leading to a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. The primary goal of the program is to train students to become leaders in neuroscience research, education and outreach. Graduates of the program will be innovators, investigators, and teachers whose programs and pursuits are founded on research. The signature feature of the Stanford Neurosciences IDP is the combination of outstanding faculty researchers and exceedingly bright, energetic students in a community that shares a firm and longstanding commitment to understanding the nervous system at all its levels of function.

Program News

Admissions Information Session

Join us virtually to learn more about the Stanford Neurosciences PhD program and the admissions process.

Monday, October 2, 2023

11:00 am - 12:00 pm PST

Registration:  https://stanford.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pD6dbNZZTpyFF8mlFAxNYQ

Thank You, 2022-23 Student Reps and Committee Members!

2022-23 was a busy and engaging year in the program. Thank you to the Student Reps and Committee Members who led the way in bringing the community together!

Krishna Shenoy, engineer who reimagined how the brain makes the body move, dies at 54

Shenoy was a pioneer of neuroprosthetics, a field that paired chips implanted in the brain with algorithms able to decipher the chatter between neurons, allowing people with paralysis to control computers and mechanical limbs with their thoughts. Read more

Virtual Information Session - Monday, October 3, 2022

Virtual Information Session - Monday, October 4, 2021

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Tirin Moore wins 2021 Pradel Research Award

Dr. Shah elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg elected to National Academy of Medicine

Incorporating Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Training for our incoming class

Thomas R. Clandinin elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Kevin Guttenplan recognized by Biosciences Excellence in Teaching Award

Karl Deisseroth wins 2020 Heineken Prize for Medicine 

Daniel Cardozo Pinto wins Gilliam Prize 

President Marc Tessier-Lavigne donates Gruber Neuroscience Prize money to support Neuro grads who are under-represented 

Neuroscience, PhD

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The Department of Neuroscience offers an interdisciplinary program designed to train doctoral students for independent research and teaching in neuroscience. It is the goal of the program to ensure that candidates for the Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. degrees obtain a background covering molecular, cellular, systems, and cognitive approaches to neuroscience, as well as receive training that brings them to the forefront of research in their particular area of interest. A series of core courses in neuroscience, along with advanced electives, seminar series, laboratory rotations, and original independent dissertation research, form the Neuroscience Graduate Training Program.

Students enter the program from different backgrounds and the laboratories in which they elect to work cover different disciplines; therefore, the program is tailored to fit the needs of individual students. The academic year at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is divided into four quarters plus a summer semester. Courses are designed so that students have ample time to become involved in laboratory rotations. These laboratory rotations expose the student to a variety of current research techniques in neuroscience and provide an opportunity for the student to select a laboratory in which to conduct dissertation research. Scheduling of the three rotations is adjusted to make the most convenient schedule for each student. The rotations are usually completed by the end of the first full year in the program. Most students begin their thesis research at the beginning of their second year.

For more information, please visit The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience webpage: http://neuroscience.jhu.edu.

Financial Aid

The program provides tuition remission plus a stipend at or above the National Institutes of Health Predoctoral level for all students. All entering and first-year students are encouraged to apply for individual fellowships such as those sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Vivien Thomas PhD Scholars at JHU The  Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI)  is a new endowed fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for PhD students in STEM fields. It provides full tuition, stipend, and benefits while also providing targeted mentoring, networking, community, and professional development opportunities. Students who have attended a historically black college and university ( HBCU ) or other minority serving institution (MSI) for undergraduate study are eligible to apply. More information about the VTSI program is available at this link:  https://provost.jhu.edu/about/vivien-thomas-scholars-initiative/ . To be considered for the VTSI, all application and supplementary materials must be received by  December 1st .

Admission Requirements

We use a holistic approach to evaluating applicants and look forward to reading your application. We are most enthusiastic about applicants who have taken full advantage of the opportunities available at their undergraduate institution and through other summer or postbac experiences. Our class size is typically ~18 students per year.

Applicants are expected to have received a B.S. or B.A. prior to enrolling in the graduate program. Laboratory research experience prior to enrollment is also desirable. If you have research experience, please describe your research in your Statement of Interest and Career Objectives and indicate the number of months engaged in full-time and part-time research on your CV. Students who do well in our program typically have a strong academic foundation in areas of biological or physical sciences. Some of the courses that prepare students well include general biology, neuroscience, mathematics through calculus, general physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, statistics, engineering, or computer science.

NOTE: The Neuroscience Program DOES NOT require GRE scores. 

Program Requirements

A year-long core course provides an integrated overview of molecular and cellular neuroscience, neuroanatomy and systems, and cognitive neuroscience. This course is aimed at providing Neuroscience graduate students with a foundation for posing meaningful questions in their area of interest.  During the first two years, students are required to take 6 graduate level core courses that provide rigorous training in principles of neuroscience research. In addition, students in the first year attend research symposia and complete lab rotations to introduce them to research. Students in the program are also required to participate in core program activities such as seminars, journal clubs, a quantitative analysis boot camp, career development courses and various program events. In addition, each student selects advanced electives offered by members of the Neuroscience Training Program or other departments at the Medical School.

Seminar Program

The Neuroscience Training Program conducts several seminar series to ensure that students are exposed to recent work by researchers from across the country and the world as well as by Hopkins faculty and fellows. Graduate trainees participate actively in these series throughout their training, including inviting and hosting three speakers each year. A weekly lecture is given by an outstanding researcher in some field of neuroscience. Seminars are selected so that an overall balance of subject matter is covered yearly. Students are given an opportunity to meet with each speaker for questions and discussion. Weekly lunchtime talks are presented on current literature by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Since an ability to communicate scientific work clearly is essential, graduate students receive close guidance in preparing and evaluating their journal club presentations. Once a month, the faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students from one laboratory present and discuss the ongoing research in that laboratory. This provides an informal setting to discuss research being conducted in the laboratories of the Neuroscience Training Program and gives advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows a forum for presenting their work.

Requirements for the PhD Degree

A minimum residency of two academic years is required. During the course of graduate study, the student must successfully complete the required course requirements. An oral examination, conducted as prescribed by the Doctor of Philosophy Board, must be completed by the end of the second year. The student must then conduct original research and describe this research in a written thesis dissertation, which must be approved by the students Thesis Committee and the Doctor of Philosophy Board.

Training Facilities

The Training Program is centered in the Department of Neuroscience. The Training Program utilizes laboratory facilities located in the Department of Neuroscience plus several other basic and clinical departments closely associated with the Neuroscience Department. All of these laboratories are within a short distance of each other. Modern state of the art facilities for research in molecular biology, neurophysiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology, and morphology are available. The Mind/Brain Institute, located on the Homewood Campus of the University, is a group of laboratories devoted to the investigation of the neural mechanisms of higher mental function and particularly to the mechanisms of perception. All of the disciplines required to address these questions are represented in the Institute. These include neurophysiology, psychology, theoretical neurobiology, neuroanatomy, and cognitive science. All of the faculty in the Mind/Brain Institute are members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program.

Combined M.D./Ph.D. Program

A subset of the current predoctoral trainees in the Neuroscience Program are candidates for both Ph.D. and M.D. degrees. Applications for admission to the combined program are considered by the M.D./Ph.D. Committee of the School of Medicine. Application forms for the School of Medicine contain a section requesting information relevant to graduate study. Applicants interested in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program should complete this section also, and indicate specifically their interest in the “Neuroscience Training Program”. If application to the combined M.D./Ph.D. program proves unsuccessful and the applicant wishes to be considered for graduate studies, they must notify the Admissions Office of the Neuroscience Training Program by separate letter.

Brain and Cognitive Sciences PhD Program

Graduate students in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences are among the sharpest, most innovative brain scientists to be found anywhere. In a given year the department admits 5 to 10 percent of applicants, and our PhD program is consistently ranked among the best in the world. Students work hard to get here, and they are highly valued in the BCS community.

Innovative:  Our students often take on riskier projects and pilot studies that probe the edges of our technical and scientific knowledge. They can move among projects more easily, and their successes lay the foundation for not only their careers but the future directions of their mentors’ labs.

Collaborative:  Our students bring bold, fresh thinking to the department, and exploring these potentially transformative ideas often means reaching across boundaries of lab, center, and department to build new collaborations. Graduate students help BCS mesh with the rest of MIT.

Supportive: Graduate students are the most frequent mentors of undergraduate students in UROPs , actively guiding and developing those who will become the next generation of top-tier graduate students. BCS graduate students also are helping make sure the department is a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable community.

Overview of the Program

Graduate students in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences work with an advisor and advisory committee to pursue an innovative and rigorous program of original research. Students should aim to complete their PhD in five to six years.  

• Students take three to four of their required six courses
• Students complete required Responsible Conduct in Science training.
• Students complete a minimum of three lab rotations by March 31.
• Students select a thesis advisor by April 30.    
• Students complete the remaining two to three of their academic course requirements by the end of the Spring Term.
• Students complete teaching assistant training and their first teaching (TA) requirement.
• Students form their qualifying exam advisory committee, have their first committee meeting, and turn in the completed committee meeting form to BCS HQ by the end of the Spring Term.   
• Students complete the second teaching (TA) requirement.
• Students complete the written and oral qualifying exam in October or November.  
• Students form a thesis committee, submit a written thesis proposal to their committee, orally present their proposal to the thesis committee, and receive committee approval, before the end of the Spring Term.
• Students must meet with their thesis committee once per year.
• Students take the final steps to completing the PhD oral examination (also known as the thesis defense) and submission of the approved written dissertation.

For detailed information on courses, rotations, and other program requirements, see Program Details .

Neuroscience

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Neuroscience is an area of study within the Division of Medical Sciences, an administrative unit based at Harvard Medical School that coordinates biomedical PhD activities at the Longwood Medical Area. Students who study in neuroscience receive a PhD in neurobiology. Prospective students apply through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). In the online application, select  “Division of Medical Sciences” as your program choice and select "Neuroscience" in the area of study menu.

Neuroscience is one of the programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences, which facilitates collaboration and cross-disciplinary research. Visit HILS for additional  application instructions .

This interdisciplinary program includes over 150 faculty members from several hospitals and campuses in the Boston area with a variety of backgrounds in all areas of neuroscience. You will receive a solid core foundation and will then be able to focus on the area that interests you most with specialized training.

You will have access to an impressive array of resources, including state-of-the-art labs, high-resolution microscopy facilities, animal cores, and an instrumentation core that can design custom behavioral chambers and other experimental apparatuses. You will have the opportunity to engage with the broader neuroscience community in several ways, including through the Harvard Brain Science Initiative (HBI), a cross-schools initiative among neuroscientists in the University and its affiliated hospitals.

Students are working on various projects such as studying how neural circuits generate behavior through the use of in vivo imaging to study neurons in awake, behaving animals; the development of the nervous system; the ways in which genes and molecules regulate neural function; and the electrical properties of neurons.

Graduates of the program have secured faculty positions at institutions such as Stanford University, Holy Cross University, Rutgers University, and Harvard University. Others have established careers with leading organizations such as Biogen, Google, and McKinsey & Company. 

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GRE General: Not Accepted GRE Subject: Not Accepted iBT TOEFL minimum score: 100 IELTS minimum score: 7

See list of Neuroscience faculty

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Understanding the brain-body connection.

The Neuroscience PhD Program at Penn State College of Medicine brings together scientists from different basic and clinical disciplines to focus on the nervous system. We do so with a strong emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion. To increase access to our program for all students, especially from underserved communities, we removed GRE requirements for application to our program in 2019.

Some researchers seek to clarify the development or function of the brain at the cellular, molecular, or genetic levels. Others seek to understand how the nervous system processes information, controls autonomic functions, regulates states of consciousness, or determines behavior. Still others search for the means to diagnose, prevent, and successfully treat malignant brain tumors, congenital and acquired brain diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, or dysfunctions caused by pathologic states in brain structure. All are committed to educate graduate students in the neurosciences in a supportive and inclusive environment.

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About the Program

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Students in the Neuroscience Graduate Program begin by taking core courses in biomedical sciences and fundamental neuroscience, and completing three laboratory rotations to develop technical skills and identify potential laboratories for thesis research before taking their Qualifying Exams.

Penn State College of Medicine provides an inclusive and supportive environment that promotes not only research and learning, but to also enhance social justice in our communities.

All accepted doctoral students receive a stipend and paid tuition costs, allowing for full-time graduate studies.

Learn more about the Neuroscience PhD curriculum.

Program Goals

The interdepartmental structure of the Neuroscience PhD program provides students with the flexibility to take multidisciplinary approaches to research problems in neuroscience, and collaborations among laboratories are strongly encouraged. Research programs are well-supported by grants from private and public funds, particularly from the National Institutes of Health.

Penn State College of Medicine provides a collegial environment that promotes research and learning.

Our immediate goal is to prepare students to assume responsible positions as researchers or teachers in the neurosciences. Our ultimate goal is to provide a foundation that will prepare them for leadership positions in academia, industry or a wide range of related disciplines. Graduates of the program have transitioned to careers in academic science, industry, healthcare and administration.

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Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience

Welcome to the Graduate Program

Think of the Neuroscience Training Program at Johns Hopkins as an expedition, where you will search the frontiers of science for discoveries that explain the inner workings of the nervous system.

  2023 Hopkins Neuroscience Graduate Program Virtual Open House Registration

November 2nd, 2023, 4-6 PM Please register below to receive the zoom link: https://forms.office.com/r/UdvVL6YtKq

Application Portal (JHU 2023-2024)

How to Apply  (Neuroscience Training Program page)

Neuroscience Graduate Training Program Co-Directors: Chris Potter , Dan O'Connor Deputy Director: Hita Adwanikar Senior Academic Program Coordinator: Audrey Scriven Admissions Director: Hyungbae Kwon

Participation in extensive collaborations, access to cutting-edge resources, and exposure to world-class research, await students in our program. 

The Neuroscience Training Program and the Neuroscience Department were among the first neuroscience-focused academic centers established in the United States, dating back to 1980. Our faculty have trained over 250 PhD and MD/PhD students and 500 postdoctoral fellows in just the past ten years, partnerships that have led to fundamental discoveries in the organization of the cerebral cortex, neurotransmitter signaling, neuronal and glial cell development, and circuit function. 

Our students represent the brightest young scientific minds, and many have shown an early commitment to research. Because they enter our Program with different backgrounds, and the laboratories in which they choose to work are so diverse, our program is designed to be flexible. All doctoral candidates receive full tuition remission and a stipend for the duration of their studies. Currently, 177 doctoral candidates and 200 postdoctoral fellows work in the faculty laboratories, creating a diverse community that fosters development of novel approaches to answer complex questions. 

The goal of the Program to ensure that our students obtain broad training in the neurosciences. Our curriculum spans the breadth of modern neuroscience, from molecular/cellular underpinnings to systems/cognitive integration, and offers a rich training experience that brings students to the forefront of research in their particular area of interest, in preparation for a rewarding, independent career in the sciences.

Core courses cover the basics of molecular and cellular neuroscience, neuroanatomy, and systems neuroscience. Electives and laboratory rotations provide students with specialized training, and the Department’s long-standing seminar series brings in weekly national and international luminaries, exposing students and fellows to the full spectrum of the world’s most exciting new discoveries in neuroscience.

Our 34 primary faculty , together with over  70 other faculty  who have secondary appointments in the Department, offer graduate students and postdoctoral fellows an incomparable neuroscience training experience.  Our students also have the opportunity perform laboratory rotations and conduct thesis research in the laboratory of scientists at Janelia Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, located near Leesburg Virginia. Faculty in the many departments associated with the Program share a commitment to training the next generation of scientists.

In recognition of this outstanding environment, our graduate program is consistently ranked among the best in the country, and our graduates have gone on to faculty positions at other leading institutions and senior research positions in pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

There has never been a more exciting time in the field of neuroscience. We hope you will join us in this journey of discovery.

Berkeley Neuroscience

Images left to right:  Christine Liu (PhD 2021) in the lab,   Christiane Voufo (PhD 2022) as the graduate student speaker at the Spring 2023 commencement ceremony, current Neuroscience PhD students in Tahoe during the 2023 UC Berkeley Neuroscience Research Conference, and Karina Bistrong (current Neuroscience PhD student) with poster presentation. Images provided by Christine Liu, GradImages, Frédéric Theunissen, and the Feller lab, respectively.

Prospective Students

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The Neuroscience Department will offer PhD training through the Neuroscience PhD Program , which will be run jointly by the department and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute (HWNI) .  This program has existed since 2000, run by HWNI, and has graduated > 150 students with a PhD in Neuroscience.  When the department launches, the existing HWNI Neuroscience PhD Program will be adopted and jointly administered by the department and HWNI. This will be a seamless transition for current students, who will not experience any changes to program curriculum or requirements. Over the next few years, we plan to make updates to the course of study, so that the program provides the best possible training, and matches the scope of both the Neuroscience Department and HWNI.  Students who enter the program will be able to choose thesis study with Neuroscience Department faculty members or with training faculty within the broader set of HWNI faculty.  Please see the full list of eligible faculty here .

PhD Program

The Neuroscience PhD Program at UC Berkeley offers intensive training in neuroscience research through a combination of coursework, research training, mentoring, and professional development. More than 60  program faculty (link is external)  from the Neuroscience Department and other allied departments provide broad expertise from molecular and cellular neuroscience to systems and computational neuroscience, to human cognitive neuroscience.

A unique feature of the neuroscience training at Berkeley is the highly multidisciplinary research environment. For instance, neuroscientists work side-by-side in the lab with engineers and roboticists to study motor control, with bioengineers to grow stem cells for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, and with chemists to develop new reagents for optical monitoring and control of neural activity. Neuroscience PhD Program students are trained at these intersections between fields and help drive scientific and technological advances.

The Neuroscience PhD Program trains a select group of students (about 10-12 entering students per year) in an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment. Since its official launch in 2000, the program has trained more than 150 students. Our applicants have outstanding undergraduate records in both research and scholarship from diverse academic disciplines, including biology, chemistry, psychology, physics, engineering, and computer science. We carefully select students with the expectation that, given strong graduate training, they will develop into tomorrow’s leaders in the field of neuroscience. We welcome you to apply to our program.

Please see the Neuroscience Department page:  Diversity, Equity & Inclusion .

Annual Message from Our PhD Program Director

"I am delighted to be the new director of our graduate program. I have inherited a program that I am proud to tell everyone is the best run graduate program on campus..."  Read More

Neuroscience PhD Program

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Neuroscience, PhD

Neuroscience is a collaborative and interdisciplinary PhD program that provides training for careers in neuroscience research, teaching and more. Our training program is designed to provide a strong foundation of neuroscience knowledge while at the same time taking into account each student's strengths, needs, and career goals.

Virtually all aspects of traditional neuroscience are reflected in the research programs of the  186 faculty members who participate in NGG training, including computational, systems, cellular and molecular, developmental, behavioral, and cognitive neuroscience, along with the neurobiology of disease.  NGG faculty members represent 30 academic departments in the schools of Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, Wharton Business, Veterinary Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Nursing, as well as the Perelman School of Medicine.  

For more information: https://www.med.upenn.edu/ngg/ngg-courses.html

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The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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Demystifying Graduate School: Navigating a PhD in Neuroscience and Beyond

Linda k. mcloon.

1 Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

2 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

A. David Redish

3 Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

The decision to apply to a PhD-granting graduate program is both exciting and daunting. Understanding what graduate programs look for in an applicant will increase the chance of successful admission into a PhD program. It is also helpful for an applicant to understand what graduate training will look like once they matriculate into a PhD program to ensure they select programs that will help them reach their career objectives. This article focuses specifically on PhD programs in neuroscience, and while we use our program, the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, as an example, most of what we describe is applicable to biomedical graduate programs generally. In order to ensure that our description of graduate programs is typical of neuroscience graduate programs generally, we surveyed the online websites of 52 neuroscience graduate programs around the U. S. and include our observations here. We will examine what graduate schools look for in an applicant, what to expect once admitted into a PhD graduate program, and the potential outcomes for those who successfully complete their PhD in neuroscience.

What Makes a Strong Application to a PhD Program in Neuroscience

A number of years ago, our Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota performed a statistical analysis of what correlated with successful completion of our PhD program. Consistent with more recent analyses ( Weiner, 2014 ), we found that the strongest correlation was if the applicant had done research outside of the classroom setting. Given those results, at this point, our admissions committee will only consider applicants if they have some research experience. However, in our experience speaking to undergraduates, we find that undergraduates tend to underestimate how much research they’ve done. This issue of what counts as “research” appears to worry many applicants, who often feel that they have not done sufficient research to meet this requirement.

The most useful research experiences are not necessarily those which result in publications, or even those which find statistically significant answers. Rather, the most useful research experiences are those in which an applicant contributes to the research being performed, which involve grappling with questions which do not have known answers in the back of the book. These experiences are generally performed outside of a regular classroom setting, but a wide array of experiences can fulfill this research prerequisite. For example, an applicant might have done one or more summer internships in a laboratory. Others may have done a directed research project that was taken for academic credit but whose sole purpose was to perform independent research. Others may have done internships at companies. We often see applicants who have worked in laboratories or done independent original research projects in the context of their specific coursework during the school year. These courses are becoming more common, and these independent research-focused undergraduate classes can be great examples of independent research if the work provided the applicant with experience in doing research directly.

Some colleges do not have strong research opportunities available. Students in those situations should reach out to summer or other internship programs at other universities to gain that research experience. There are many such research programs. For example, the University of Minnesota runs a Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP) that provides such opportunities across many fields in the life sciences (including neuroscience). Many universities have Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs available that are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). These programs usually pay a summer stipend and living costs as well as providing research experiences.

However, it is not necessary for the research to be done in a formal setting. What matters is that the applicant has some experience with direct research. Similarly, the duration of the research done is not as critical a concern as having had the experience of performing research at all. The key question is: Does the student have real-world experience in doing research, and in spite of methodological difficulties and negative results in experiments, does the applicant still have a love for the scientific process? It does not matter if there were no conclusive results, if the project was left unfinished, or if the project was not published as an abstract or peer-reviewed publication.

While coursework in a graduate program is important, the “real” work of a graduate student is to learn to do science. The research experience demonstrates to the admissions committee that the applicant has a realistic sense of what it is like to work on an open-ended problem, which takes innovative thinking about experiments and controls as well as understanding the need for patience with the scientific process. It is important that both the applicant and the admissions committee know that if admitted, the applicant will not be surprised by the focus of graduate school on independently performed research.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is one of the most important aspects of an application to a graduate program. There are three main areas that need to be included in a personal statement, and if these are inadequate, it will have a negative impact on the ultimate success of that application. First, and most importantly, a personal statement must make it clear why that applicant wants to pursue a PhD in neuroscience specifically. A broad flowery description about the applicant’s interest in biology since they were 5 years old is not helpful. This statement is easier if the applicant has some laboratory research experience and can speak to why that research experience was motivating. A clear articulation of “why neuroscience” is imperative.

As noted above, the most important information in an application is the research done by the applicant. Thus, the applicant needs to provide a description of the independent research they have performed to date somewhere in the application. The research description should focus on the big picture: What was the big question? What choices were made in the experiments? What controls were done? Why were the specific controls used? The applicant should do this for each distinct research project. This shows the admissions committee how the applicant thinks about science; understanding the process is more important than if there were positive results.

The final part of the personal statement should state why they are applying to the particular program. A good way to show that the applicant has spent time looking at the specific graduate program and has thought about which programs were a good fit for their interests is by identifying programmatic strengths, such as the expertise of the faculty, or by identifying other specific or unique aspects that differentiate the program, such as, for example, our Itasca program [see below].

Finally, applicants should proofread their personal statements. Typographic errors, poor grammar, and other sloppy writing suggest an applicant who does not take the time or effort to ensure quality. It may seem silly to mention, but it is important to make sure that when mentioning programmatic strengths, the applicant should be sure that these are the programmatic strengths of the institution to which the application is sent.

Majors, Grades, and GREs

Neuroscience encompasses many different disciplines – from genetics and subcellular approaches to neural circuits and behavior. Most neuroscience graduate programs admit applicants with a broad variety of majors. Many of the applicants that we see majored in neuroscience, biology, or psychology as an undergraduate, but applicants with other undergraduate majors such as math, computer science, or physics have succeeded in our program. Many programs also admit applicants with degrees in the humanities, and we have found that many students with these broad backgrounds have succeeded in our program, some of whom only developed an interest in neuroscience after they graduated from college. However, successful applicants from the humanities need to have taken classes in the sciences before they apply to graduate school for a PhD in neuroscience.

The most important statement that we can make about grades is really in terms of the specific classes taken. While the major area of study is not critical, an internal survey of our program found that trainees were most successful in our PhD program if they had taken at least some biology, some physics, basic chemistry preferably through organic chemistry, and college level mathematics through calculus.

In our survey of over 50 graduate programs in neuroscience, most programs do not seem to have a strict GPA cut-off under which they will not admit someone; nevertheless, GPA is an important criteria being used by many admissions committees. While overall GPA is important, students who did poorly in their freshman and sophomore classes, but did well in their junior and senior years, can excel in their PhD training. Another example might be someone who had a very bad single semester or year due to extenuating circumstances, such as an illness of a death in the family. If one of these scenarios applies, it is imperative for this to be directly discussed in the personal statements that accompany a graduate program application. While most admissions committees do not explicitly rank schools, expected difficulty of the undergraduate program is usually taken into account when looking at grades, classes and GPA.

The use of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in making admissions decisions to a neuroscience PhD graduate program is a complex issue and has become controversial in recent years. Although many recent studies have claimed to suggest that GRE scores do not correlate with successful completion of a PhD degree in the biomedical sciences ( Hall et al., 2017 ; Moneta-Koehler et al., 2017 ), other studies examining PhDs in more quantitative disciplines, including neuroscience, found that the portions of the GRE score are in fact correlated with successful degree completion ( Willcockson et al., 2009 ; Olivares-Urueta and Williamson, 2013 ). In a large meta-analysis of GRE scores and success in graduate school, Kuncel and Hezlett (2007) found that both the GRE and undergraduate grades were effective predictors of important academic outcomes even beyond grades earned in graduate school. It should be noted that all of these studies have been performed on programs that took GREs into account when making admissions decisions and thus are based on biased data sets. Following this, some neuroscience graduate programs have elected to remove the GRE from their admission decisions, while others have decided to weigh it less in their decision-making. Most graduate programs recognize that the GRE score is just a tool, and one of many that admissions committees use to make their admissions decisions. Our graduate program, for example, is currently in the latter group—we still require it but are weighing it less than other factors such as the personal statement, classes taken, GPA, and letters of recommendation.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are some of the most important components of an application to graduate school. Who the student chooses to write for them and what those letters say are important factors considered by admissions committee members. The most important letters are those from research mentors with whom the applicant did independent research. A lack of letters from research mentors leaves open the question of the extent and value of that research experience. The best letters of recommendation are detailed and provide a clear indication that the mentor knew the student and can assess the student’s potential for success. The mentor’s comparison of the applicant’s abilities relative to others with whom they have worked is particularly useful.

Letters from other sources, such as athletics coaches or course directors, can speak to initiative, time management, ability to work under stress, and so forth; however, most admissions committees do not find these particularly useful, unless the course director can speak to exceptional academic achievement, such as an undergraduate shining in a graduate class. Least useful are letters from non-academic sources, such as faith leaders, employers, family friends, and the like. These letters cannot speak to the questions of success in a graduate program and have been known to detract from an application, because it implies that the student does not have sufficient academic mentors to provide the full complement of letters.

Should letters come from postdoctoral fellows or graduate students? In many large laboratories, the primary professor may not actually interact with an undergraduate research assistant very much. Instead, undergraduate research is often done under the supervision of a postdoctoral fellow or graduate student. While letters from senior postdoctoral fellows are acceptable to some programs, they are not for others. We advise the applicant to check with each program to determine if this is an issue for their admissions committee. Our program has accepted students with one letter from a postdoctoral mentor, but we found that these students were not eligible to be nominated for some university-level awards. Thus, there is a balance in having the letter come from someone who worked with the student directly but also having the letter come from a faculty member. We recommend that undergraduates in these situations get a single letter that is co-signed by both the postdoctoral fellow and the professor or senior mentor.

The Admissions Process

Most graduate programs in neuroscience use a two-stage admissions process. The first stage identifies a subset of students to invite for an interview/recruiting visit and then a subset of those students is provided offers. All graduate schools in the U. S. have signed the Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants from the Council of Graduate Programs which says that students have until April 15th to make their matriculation decisions. In order to try to manage this, schools will admit more students than they actually expect to matriculate, and may place other students on a waitlist, trying to balance issues of getting too many students, producing a problem for budgets, or too few students producing problems of cohesion, and problems meeting the research needs of the program and university.

Interview and Recruiting Visits

Some graduate programs bring students out either singly or in small batches to visit their program, interview with faculty, and see what possibilities could come from matriculating into the program. Other programs bring students out all at once as a cohort in a combined interview/recruiting visit. Many programs combine this interview/recruiting visit with other program events; for example, we tie ours to our annual retreat. The method of organizing these interviews and recruiting visits is not particularly important, as the goal of these visits is the same – to provide an in-person look at the graduate program.

From the program side, the interview/recruiting visit allows the admissions committee to assess the fit of the potential students and to ask specific questions related to how they think about science. It is important for visiting interviewees/recruits to realize that graduate programs often have graduate students contribute to the governance of the program and provide input to the admissions committees. In our program, two current PhD students are full voting members of the admissions committee. Comments made during events where only graduate students are present do matter, and we have had a number of experiences where comments and behavior at dinners or other trainee-only events have led to rejection of the applicant.

From the visitor side, this is an opportunity to see what the program is like, as well as the living environment where the program is located. Important questions that applicants should consider include whether the students are getting the training and support that they need, whether the faculty members are engaged with the program, and whether there are faculty members to work with in the student’s area of interest. Generally, applicants should recognize that their goals, interests, and research directions may change. Ensuring that a program can accommodate those changes is an important thing when choosing a PhD program.

Choosing the Right Program

Graduate school, like most of life, is about finding the right fit. Every student is going to have to use their own judgement to determine which graduate school is right for them, but we have some suggestions about issues to consider.

First and foremost, are there a sufficient number of faculty members in their area of interest? Importantly, students should recognize that interests often change, either with experience or time or discoveries, so the student should also look at what other faculty members are around, and what opportunities there are to examine other research areas. For example, how collaborative are the faculty? What processes are in place if one needs to switch advisors? Does the program do rotations in different laboratories, or does the student have to choose an advisor immediately?

In our survey of over 50 neuroscience graduate programs in the U. S., all but one admit students into the program as a whole, rather than into specific laboratories. Students in the majority of programs spend the first year rotating through three or four different laboratories in order to get a thorough exploration of advisors and potential research areas. Furthermore, because students are admitted to the program as a whole and not into a specific laboratory, there are processes in place to handle the (rare) situation when a student needs to switch their primary research mentor.

An important consideration on picking an advisor is not only the research area of the advisor, but also the training and personal style of that PhD mentor. In our graduate program, we have 8-week rotations to give a student and an advisor sufficient time to determine if they can work together well. The duration of laboratory rotations varies between programs, but generally most programs have between 2 and 4 during the course of the first year. Choosing a PhD thesis mentor is not generally an issue of advisor quality, but rather one of style. Should the student and advisor meet daily? Weekly? Monthly? Is the goal a thesis that is a hoop to jump through on the path to another career or is it a magnum opus on which one will build a reputation? How are manuscripts written? How does the laboratory decide which projects to do? These questions do not have right and wrong answers, but a mismatch between styles can potentially make it difficult to complete the degree.

There are several other considerations. The applicant should examine the curriculum. How comprehensive or specific is it? Does it cover what the student wants to have as their baseline/background? Applicants should also look at publication requirements and expectations. Are students publishing first author papers? Trainee funding should also be evaluated. How are trainees supported? Is funding guaranteed or not? Part of the consideration relative to trainee funding is whether the program has training grants to help financially support students—these can include National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 grants, and National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Traineeship (NRT) and Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) training grants. Training grant support from NIH and NSF is a good measure of how the PhD training program is viewed by external reviewers. It is also useful to see if the trainees are successfully competing for fellowship awards. This speaks to the quality of the graduate students as well as the quality of mentorship from their thesis advisors and the program.

Other issues to consider are the environment and social climate of the program and the career paths the program’s graduates take. In terms of social climate and environment, we suggest asking whether the trainees know and support each other, and whether the faculty members know the trainees. Science is increasingly a collaborative venture. Evidence could be the presence of co-mentored trainees, as well as research publications that are co-authored by members of the graduate program. Other evidence of the environment of a PhD graduate program is to determine how integrated the PhD trainees are in program decision making and leadership. Do they serve on committees, and if so, what are their roles? Self-reflective programs generally include multiple voices in making program decisions. This also speaks in part to mentorship of trainees, as participating in program governance provides the PhD trainee an opportunity to develop leadership skills.

In terms of outcomes, it is important to recognize that career goals change, but we recommend programs that provide opportunities for a variety of career paths. Importantly, programs should have processes that enable students to succeed in academia and elsewhere. As we will discuss in the following section, post-graduate paths for PhD trainees have always included a mix of academic and non-academic careers. This was also the recommendation of a workshop held by the National Academy of Science ( IOM, 2015 ), and in fact reflects the actual career choices of individuals who received their PhD in neuroscience ( Akil et al., 2016 ). Importantly, the career-space that our current graduates will face will look very different from previous generations. In particular, it will look very different from the previous generation when there were very few academic jobs available. The current career space is broader than it used to be, including some jobs, such as internet-related positions, that did not exist a generation ago. Furthermore, neuroscience academic jobs are opening up as baby boomers retire and universities invest in neuroscience. Whatever the student’s goal is, we recommend looking for programs that provide career facilitation support for a variety of outcomes, because, as noted above, career goals may change with experience.

While many students and many programs will look at time-to-degree as a criterion for program quality, we feel that this can be misleading. No one has ever asked us how long we took to get through graduate school. One way to think about graduate school is to realize that graduate students in neuroscience programs get paid to go to graduate school – being a graduate student in neuroscience is a job, and one that should provide a living wage in the area that one will be living in during one’s time in graduate school. The main problem with students taking too long to complete a degree is that it may indicate deeper problems in a graduate program, for example, when students are not graduating because their technical skills are needed in a laboratory. These situations are rare, but extremely long durations (e.g., 8 years) can be a sign to look for when making a decision. However, the difference between spending 4.5, 5.5, or even 6 years in graduate school is simply not important relative to the duration of a scientific career. In fact, there is a case to be made that taking an extra year to get additional publications can be a wise choice for students going into academic careers, since fellowships, awards, and other granting mechanisms, such as individual NIH postdoctoral training grants (F32) and individual NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) awards, and the faculty level “early stage investigator” identifier at NIH, are based on date of graduation. Furthermore, few reviewers normalize number of papers by time spent in graduate school.

Additional Resources

The Society for Neuroscience provides useful resources to undergraduate students interested in a PhD in Neuroscience. One resource is the online training program directory that offers graduate program information on more than 75 top neuroscience graduate programs in North America, and provides a short summary of the characteristics of each program (e.g., number of faculty, student demographics, and research areas) along with a link to the program of interest. A second resource is available to prospective students who are able to attend the SfN annual meeting. Known as the Graduate Student Fair , it offers an opportunity for prospective students to meet face-to-face with representatives of many graduate programs.

The Gap Year Question

In recent years, we have seen that increasing numbers of applicants are taking a gap year between completion of their undergraduate degree and entering graduate school. We have not seen any correlation with success in graduate school from a gap year, and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota does not require such a gap year. However, other neuroscience graduate programs have begun to require it. The gap year itself can vary, but often the recent college graduate enters a formal postbaccalaureate or “postbac” program, such as the one at the NIH, works in a laboratory, and participates in specific programs designed to increase readiness for graduate school. Many applicants have taken one or more years off from formal education to do research in an academic, government or industry setting. Whether a postbac year is useful or not is very much an individual choice.

There are two cases where a postbaccalaureate experience can be helpful for admissions into a neuroscience PhD program. One is when the undergraduate GPA is lower than a 3.0 or the student does not have the requisite science-related coursework. The other is when a student does not have sufficient research experience. Structured programs, such as the one at NIH, can be helpful in these situations. These postbac programs can provide an experience that is valuable for those students with limited research experiences. They can also provide opportunities for students who decide to transition to new fields late in their college career or after completion of their undergraduate degree. However, as noted above, in our experience, students underestimate their research experience and take gap years unnecessarily. To summarize, additional research training after a bachelor’s degree is not necessary for successful admission into a graduate program in neuroscience for the vast majority of applicants, nor does it appear to correlate with successful completion of the PhD.

What Trainees Can Expect During Their PhD Training in Neuroscience

A neuroscience PhD is a research-focused degree. This means that the student will spend the majority of their time as a PhD trainee working on research that can be published in peer-reviewed journals. However, that journey can look quite different from program to program. Most programs work through some structure that is a combination of coursework and early research exploration in the first years, punctuated by a written preliminary exam, followed by a thesis proposal, thesis research, and a thesis defense. In almost all of the programs we surveyed, the student is paired with an advisor that is the primary research mentor.

Throughout this section, we will use our program as an example and we will note where it differs from others. However, the general timeline is similar between programs.

In August before our “official” school year actually starts, we provide a month-long hands-on, state-of-the-art research experience for all our incoming PhD students at a research station owned by the University of Minnesota at Lake Itasca at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. This program is unique in our experience relative to other programs, and it (1) provides a neuroscience background experience for students coming from diverse intellectual backgrounds, (2) binds the class together into a cohort which helps to provide a strong support system during the transition to and experience of graduate school, (3) begins the trainees on a journey from student to colleague. They then return to the Twin Cities to begin their formal year 1 experience.

In the majority of neuroscience graduate programs, students spend their first year doing two to four laboratory rotations with faculty who participate in the neuroscience graduate program and complete a set of core classes. The four core classes we require are Cell and Molecular Neuroscience , Systems Neuroscience , Developmental Neurobiology , and Behavioral Neurobiology . Other programs require other classes that might constitute a “minor” in a secondary subject, such as pharmaceutics or computational methods. At the end of the first year, many programs have students take a written preliminary examination that is focused on the integration of the material taught in the core first-year classes. Generally, programs use this sort of examination as a check to ensure that students have integrated the knowledge from their first-year classes. Students in most neuroscience graduate programs also take a class that provides training in research ethics, writing experiences, and other important non-academic components that will be necessary for a research career. Starting in the first year, it is typical that the program directors have annual or semi-annual meetings with every trainee in the graduate program. In later years, a thesis committee will also meet semi-annually with students to provide oversight and mentorship. Some programs we surveyed have separate committees that monitor student progress in the PhD program independent from the mentor and thesis committees. We advise looking for a program that will provide the trainee with regular evaluations and clearly defined milestones to help the student complete their degree in a timely manner.

In year 2, students in the majority of graduate neuroscience programs have settled into a laboratory and are working towards writing their thesis proposal. The thesis proposal is usually the basis for the “oral preliminary exam.” In our program, we have students write their thesis proposal in the form of an NIH NRSA (F30 or F31) grant proposal which helps train students to write grant proposals.

Many programs have students take other elective classes throughout their second and sometimes even into the third year. In the second year in our program, students take one more required class, Quantitative Neuroscience that covers statistics, programming, and experimental design, but that then completes their class requirements. These types of quantitative classes are being introduced in many neuroscience graduate programs in response to the rigor and reproducibility issues that are being raised in the scientific literature and expected to be discussed as part of grant submissions to the NIH.

Most neuroscience graduate programs also have a teaching requirement. In our program, this occurs in the second year. Programs require different amounts of teaching, so this is a good question for the applicant to ask when they are interviewing. Many graduate students are interested in careers that include teaching as well as research, and additional teaching experience is important. We provide extra opportunities for teaching, where the trainee might run discussion sections or give course lectures. Often, these “extra” teaching experiences are paid beyond what the student receives from their stipend. For those interested in a more teaching-centric career, these experiences are very important. We recommend the applicant ask about how teaching expectations of the graduate students is handled in the programs to which they are applying.

Year 3 and Beyond

In the subsequent years, PhD trainees continue to do research, write and publish papers, present their work at conferences and in colloquia, and proceed on the journey to graduation. Graduate neuroscience programs generally have trainees meet with their thesis committee once or twice a year to ensure that they stay on track to graduation. The final stage, of course, is the thesis writing and thesis defense.

Presentations and Outreach

A key factor for a successful science career is the ability to communicate one’s discoveries, both to fellow scientists and to the public at large. In our program, students are required to present their research annually to the other faculty and students in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. These presentations are opportunities to learn how to present work to a friendly audience who will push one scientifically, but still provide positive support. In our experience, students are often very nervous giving their first colloquium, but confident by the time they are ready to defend their PhD thesis. The final PhD defense is a public presentation in which the student presents and defends their research. The specific aspects of the PhD defense are accomplished in different ways amongst PhD graduate programs; however, in the end, all PhD programs require that the student be able to publicly present their research in a comprehensive and cohesive manner as well as field questions about their research.

In addition, neuroscience graduate programs provide many opportunities for outreach beyond the scientific community, although most do not require outreach explicitly. Typical types of outreach in many programs include volunteering to present science at K-12 schools, Brain Awareness Week programs sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience, or science museums as examples. We have found that these opportunities provide students learning experiences in how to present scientific data and ideas to a broader audience. Not surprisingly, the ability to present ideas to a broad audience translates very well to communicating scientific results to other scientists as well.

It’s a Job

We have found it useful for students to think of graduate school as a combination of college and career. Students should not have pay out of pocket for their PhD program. Most neuroscience graduate programs not only pay students a stipend but also provide tuition and health care benefits. For some trainees, conceptualizing graduate school as a job rather than as continued school can be important for dealing with family pressures to “get a job” rather than “continue in school.”

Where to Go from Here

Fundamentally, the goal of a PhD program is to teach the student how to think critically and how to determine if a new discovery is real or illusion. An undergraduate program is usually about how to learn from books and from teachers, how to determine if the text in front of you is trustworthy or not, and how to integrate knowledge from multiple sources. A graduate program is about how to determine if the discovery you just made is correct when there is no answer in the back of a book for you to look up. In practice, this means learning how to ask questions that are answerable, how to design appropriate controls, how to interpret results and integrate them into a scholarly literature, and, importantly, how to communicate those discoveries to other scientists and the public as a whole.

These skills are useful in a variety of careers. Much of the discussion of graduate school outcomes has suggested that graduate programs are designed to produce faculty for colleges and universities and bemoan the fact that (1) there are too many PhD trainees and not enough faculty jobs, and (2) that many students are forced into “alternative careers.” Both of these statements are wrong when one looks at the actual data.

First and foremost, we wish to point out that there should be no such thing as an “alternative career” — graduates should go towards a career and not away from one. We tell our students that we want them to do something important, whether that is becoming faculty at a research institution, teaching undergraduates at a liberal arts college, contributing to industrial research, analysis, or translation, becoming a writer and making research findings accessible to other scientist or lay audiences, or making policy in a governmental or non-profit setting.

Second, the complaints seen in many of these publications do not take into account very important demographic trends. Current students will see a very different world of faculty jobs than their professors did. Simply put, understanding the faculty situation requires considering the baby boomers (q.v. ACD biomedical workforce data ). In 1980, a 35-year-old young professor was born in 1945, while a 65-year-old was born in 1915. This means that the generation of senior professors in 1980 consisted of those who had survived two World Wars and the Great Depression, while the junior professors were baby boomers. With the blossoming of investment in science after WWII, there were lots of jobs, and the baby boomers filled them quickly. Mechanisms were developed for new professors to get initial NIH grants to help them set up their laboratories (q.v. NIH History of new and early stage investigator policies ). In contrast, in 2000, a 35-year-old was born in 1965, and a baby-boomer born in 1945 was 55, in the prime of their scientific career. There were fewer jobs and few funding mechanisms that focused on providing assistance for new, young investigators. In 2018, that baby-boomer born in 1945 is nearly 75 years old and likely retiring or retired. Thus, based on our own university as well as checking sources online such as Science Careers , there are faculty positions in neuroscience open all over the country. In addition, there are now specific programs at NIH to help new faculty get grants and transition into becoming successfully funded faculty quickly.

In practice, this has meant that there are many faculty positions for those who want them, at many different types of academic institutions. An undergraduate student who wants to take the next step into a PhD program should be encouraged to do so. PhDs have always gone on after their PhD to contribute to science in many ways. A recent survey published in Nature found that a scientific PhD had high value in the United Kingdom and Canadian job markets ( Woolston, 2018 ). In fact, when we look at the distribution of careers our graduating students have taken since graduation, we find that the vast majority (96%) are engaged in important, science-related jobs.

However, the essential benefit of a PhD is that it teaches one how to think critically about the world around them. Life is long and careers are long, and the needs of both society and technology changes. It is critical to remember that many of the jobs people are doing today literally did not exist when we (the authors of this paper) were in graduate school. For example, it is now possible to make a living running an educational website on scientific topics that gets millions of hits per month, reaching thousands of school districts around the country, but when we (the authors) were in college, the internet didn’t exist. A well-designed PhD program will prepare its trainees for whatever career they chose.

We cannot imagine the world 30 years from now, but we can state that PhD-trained scientists will not only be able to handle these changes but will in fact invent many of them. Huge technological innovations now allow investigators to see many individual neurons inside the brain, control the properties of neurons experimentally, to see effects of individual channels and proteins within a neuron or glial cell, and to observe the effects of these manipulations on behavior. Neuroscience is making amazing discoveries in the fundamental science of how the brain functions and the clinical and practical consequences of those discoveries. Simply put, it is an amazing time to be a neuroscientist.

The authors thank Drs. Robert Meisel, Timothy Ebner, Paul Mermelstein, Stephanie Fretham, Kevin Crisp, and Neil Schmitzer-Torbert for comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

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Neuroscience, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Neuroscience

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Studies in neuroscience can be multifaceted and combine physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developmental biology, cytology, computer science and mathematical modeling to understand the fundamental and emergent properties of the many different cells in the brain and how they interact and coregulate each other.

Students integrate several levels of analysis --- molecular, cellular, systems, behavioral and cognitive --- to investigate basic, translational and clinical questions about the relationship between the brain and behavior.

The PhD program in neuroscience includes aspects of graduate-level training from many different units on campus as well as from the program's partner institutions distributed across the greater Phoenix area. Partner institutions include Barrow Neurological Institute, Translational Genomics Research Institute, University of Arizona College of Medicine and Sun Health Research Institute.

Interdisciplinary Partners

The program’s interdisciplinary faculty consists of people from various schools and departments at ASU, and from outside organizations. Therefore, some faculty members are not physically located on any of the ASU campuses.

• Barrow Neurological Institute
• College of Medicine-Phoenix, Dept. of Basic Medical Sciences
• Translational Genomics Research Institute

Program Faculty   PhD Students

Courses and electives, school of biological and health systems engineering.

• BME 521 Neural Basis of Motor Control (3)
• BME 532 Prosthetic and Rehabilitation Engineering (3)
• BME 561 Clinical Neuroscience (3)
• BME 568 Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation (3)

School of Life Sciences

• BIO 451/551: Cell Biotechnology Laboratory (4)
• BIO 465/598: Neurophysiology (3)
• BIO 515: Science, Technology and Public Affairs (3)
• NEU/BIO 598: Neural Development (3)
• MCB 555: Advanced Molecular and Cellular Biology (3)
• BIO 543: Molecular Genetics and Genomics (3)
• NEU 598: Neurodegenerative Disorders of the Aging Brain (3)
• NEU 598: Genetics and Genomics of Behavior (3)
• NEU 591: Biotechnology Viruses as Tools (3)
• NEU 591: Data Analysis and Visualization in R (3)
• BIO 514: Statistical Models for Biology (4)

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

• APM 530: Mathematical Cell Physiology (3)
• APM 531: Mathematical Neuroscience I (3)
• APM 532: Mathematical Neuroscience II (3)
• APM 598: Introduction to Deep Neural Networks (3)
• APM 494/598: Data Analysis in Neuroscience (3)

Department of Psychology

• PSY 591: Neuroanatomy (4)
• PSY 528: Sensation and Perception (3)
• PSY 591: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (3)
• PSY 591: Neuropsychopharmacology (3)
• PSY/NEU 598: Visual Cognitive Neuroscience (3)
• PSY 591: Neuroscience of Attention (3)
• PSY 591: Behavioral Neuroscience of Women's Health (3)
• PSY 591: Advanced Neurobiology of Cognition (3)
• NEU 591: Neurobiology of Social Behavior (3)
• NEU 598: Brain and Emotion (3)

College of Health Solutions - Speech and Hearing Sciences

• SHS 513 Neurophysiology of the Auditory System (3)
• SHS 519 Auditory Pathologies and Disorders (3)
• SHS 545 Speech Perception by the Hearing Impaired (2)
• SHS 567: Neural Bases of Communication Disorders (3)
• SHS 575: Aphasia and Related Neurogenic Language Disorders (3)
• SHS 576: Neuromotor Speech Disorders (3)
• SHS 598: Health Neuroscience (3)

Neuroscience PhD Student Highlights

Joanna Winstone

Congratulations to Joanna Winstone, the Velazquez lab, and TGen collaborators for their recent publication! 

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-science/2022/08/29/az-researchers-want-to-know-if-glyphosate-exposure-impacts-brain/10303589002/

Samantha Harker

Congratulations for recently becoming one of 25 students in the US that were awarded the Quad Fellowship! (Left-to-right: Dr. Candace Lewis (co-mentor), Samantha Harker, and Dr. Blair Braden (co-mentor))

Link: https://news.asu.edu/20221209-global-engagement-2-asu-students-receive-prestigious-quad-fellowships

Samantha Scott

Congratulations for publishing your recent research in Dr. Neisewander’s laboratory examining the utility of a serotonin 1B receptor agonist, CP94253, in a model of psychostimulant use disorders!

Link: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1020146

Application and admission information

How to apply.

Applications open September 1 for admission in Fall of the following year. The application deadline is December 1 . We accept applications for Fall semesters only. We cannot guarantee that applications received after the December 1 deadline will be considered for admission.

All applicants must apply by filling out ASU's Graduate Admissions application. All application materials must be submitted through the application or to Graduate Admissions directly. Please do not mail or email any documents to the School of Life Sciences. 

Required materials and information include the following:

• 1-2 page personal statement
• An up to date CV or resume
• The names of relevant SOLS faculty you have been in touch with who you might be interested in being supervised by
• Unofficial transcripts and English proficiency test scores (if applicable)
• The names and emails of at least 3 recommenders to write you letters of recommendation

Application review process and timeline

Following the December 1 deadline, faculty will begin reviewing applications. Applicants should monitor their My ASU priority tasks to ensure there are no missing materials in their application.

Faculty will decide which applicants they would like to invite to our Graduate Recruitment Weekends (GRWs), typically held in February. Applicants will hear from the School of Life Sciences in January if they are invited to participate in the GRWs.

Admission decisions will begin after the GRWs, and applicants typically receive final decisions by April 1.

Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission include the following:

• Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• There are other ways to demonstrate English proficiency beyond the tests, so please refer to ASU's English proficiency webpage to review how you might satisfy requirements

Desired qualifications typically seen in competitive candidates:

• Research experience and a letter of recommendation from a faculty research supervisor
• English proficiency scores that meet these teaching assistant language proficiency requirements

Please note that the GRE is not required.

Students offered admission to a PhD program in the School of Life Sciences will typically receive a funding offer as well. While individual funding offers may differ to some degree, they typically include teaching assistant and/or research assistant positions each semester (summer optional) for 5 years. These positions provide financial coverage through the following:

• A standard salary stipend paid biweekly
• Tuition remission covering enrollment in 6-18 credit hours for fall and spring semesters and 1-14 credit hours for summer semesters
• Health insurance coverage

To discover more, check out the ASU Graduate College's funding opportunities !

Degree Requirements

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (8 credit hours) BIO 610 Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research in Life Sciences (1) NEU 556 Human Systems Neuroscience (4) NEU 576 Advanced Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (3)

Electives or Research (58 credit hours)

Other Requirements (6 credit hours) NEU 558 Neuroscience Journal Club (3) NEU 591 Seminar (3)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) NEU 799 Dissertation (12)

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Regular admission may be granted to applicants who have achieved the minimum cumulative GPA requirement or better in the last two years of work leading to a bachelor's degree and who are competitive in the applicant pool as evidenced by letters of recommendation. Particular attention is paid to research experience and overall preparation in problem-solving abilities as evidenced by previous coursework and research experiences.

There are no specific undergraduate course requirements other than those implied by the degree requirements described above. Most students are expected to have had coursework in biology, chemistry and math.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• academic record form
• personal statement
• curriculum vitae or resume
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Research experience is a desired qualification.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, learning outcomes.

• Effectively communicate neuroscientific concepts, both orally and in writing.
• Execute an independent research plan of their own design that tests hypotheses related to neuroscience.
• Apply core neuroscientific concepts to address fundamental questions regarding nervous system function and associated pathologies.

Career Opportunities

A doctorate in neuroscience provides strong preparation for academic careers at every level, from community colleges to research universities. Graduates also apply the skills and knowledge obtained in this program in government careers in federal and state agencies, in industry (biotech, medical or pharmaceutical), as well as in nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

• health care scientists in academic, private and industrial labs
• principal investigators in government labs and nonprofit organizations
• professors or instructors in universities and colleges
• science teachers in elementary and high schools

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-1768

Neuroscience

Undergraduate Program

Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system, is a field that investigates the biological mechanisms that underlie behavior and how brains process information. The study of neuroscience provides both a broad scientific training and a deep understanding of the biology of the nervous system. Given the diversity of interests in this field, the only prerequisite for students entering this concentration is an intense curiosity about the brain.

The Program in Neuroscience is an inter-departmental Ph.D. program dedicated to training Ph.D.s in neuroscience. The program provides students with the instruction, research experience, and mentoring they need to become leaders in research and education. The program offers students options for thesis research with neuroscientists in departments throughout the University, including in labs based on the Cambridge campus and at Harvard-affiliated hospitals. The enormous number and diversity of affiliated labs means that students have a wide range of options in choosing research experiences.

Neuroscience

Graduate Programs and PhD Programs in Neuroscience at Weill Cornell Graduate School study the nervous system from a wide variety of scientific disciplines. Students interact closely with faculty studying the nervous system from a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including molecular genetics, biochemistry, pharmacology, neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, and computational and systems neuroscience. They work at the molecular, cellular and organism systems, ranging from insects to rodents to human and non-human primates.

Focus areas in the program of study include: neural disease, synaptic transmission, developmental neurobiology and regeneration, vision, computational and systems neuroscience, and neuropharmacology.

Over 60 faculty members in the program come from Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC), Sloan-Kettering Institute (SKI, part of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center), Burke-Cornell Medical Research Institute and Houston Methodist.

The research interests of the program cover the entire range of neuroscience, including the regulation of neural development, neuronal plasticity, control of neurotransmitter synthesis and release, learning, the response of neurons and neural tissue to injury, the regulation of gene expression, endocrine function, circuit development, vision and other sensory systems, information processing and behavior.

The basic science of developmental neurobiology explores the elementary processes by which the brain forms (morphogenesis), structure is established (histogenesis), neuronal and glial subtypes are specified from progenitors, connections are established and operates. Discoveries about the way that neurons form and communicate make this field one of the most promising routes toward increasing our understanding of the brain and mind. Genetics research in neurology and psychiatry is an exciting, rapidly advancing field that looks at the etiology of disease, as well as works to identify genetic predictors of disease, likely responses to available treatment and avenues to new therapies. Studies of epigenetic effects are opening a new perspective on "nature versus nurture" issues in brain development at the molecular level.

Development and function of the nervous system as a unifying theme of the Neuroscience program is reflected in the work at The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology. This institute is engaged in research on typical and atypical brain development. A primary objective is to use new techniques to study developing children in order to transform clinical methods. The Institute's program of research and training emphasizes functional neuroimaging, and genetic and behavioral influences on cognitive and emotional development. The Institute is both wide ranging and influential in its technical approaches to the study of children. It has become one of the best research centers in the world for the neurocognitive study of children.

Research is also ongoing in the fields of cerebrovascular physiology, cerebral ischemia, cellular and system neurophysiology, cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuroanatomy at the light and ultrastructural level, and imaging.

Translational research links many of the areas of basic science to clinical problems . Particular translational areas include studies in humans with brain injury, neural tube defect (spina bifida, anencephaly) and cortical malformations, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, neuroimmunological and behavioral disorders.

Many members of the program have a special interest in questions that are particularly relevant to human disease, and their research has important implications for topics such as stem cell therapeutics, the regulation of pain, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, neural tumors, stroke, addiction, aging, brain malformations, epilepsy, autism and neuropsychiatric illnesses.

Related Links

Program Requirements

Applicants to the program are expected to have had thorough undergraduate training in biology, psychology, organic chemistry, physics and/or mathematics. Candidates must apply for admission online. Applicants are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL examination.

Becoming a Doctoral Candidate

The course of study, which includes course work, seminars, laboratory rotations and thesis research, is individualized. Students are expected to work closely with members of the faculty whose research approach complements their own interests. Regularly scheduled seminars, where work in progress is presented and discussed, afford students the broadest possible view of the neurosciences and are an important component of their graduate training.

Laboratory rotations allow students to experience research first hand and to acquaint themselves with the program's research faculty. Students are expected to complete at least three rotations of three months each, but may complete additional rotations, before choosing a thesis advisor (major sponsor).

Prior to July 1st of year two, students must successfully complete the ACE (Admission to Candidacy Examination). The ACE is designed to test the student's general knowledge of neuroscience and also includes preparation of an original written research proposal. In consultation with the thesis advisor, and with the consent of the director of the program, the student chooses an ACE topic and committee. The ACE topic should not be a part of the thesis. The committee should consist of 3-4 examiners, including a designated chair from the neuroscience graduate faculty, the student's thesis advisor and two grad faculty with expertise in the topic. With submission of the ACE the student should submit a one page thesis proposal.

PhD Research and Degree

Thesis research is completed usually within four to six years from enrollment in the program, under the direction of the student's major faculty sponsor. The Special Committee advises the student in his or her research, meeting at least annually with the student to monitor progress and to oversee development of the thesis. During this time the student continues to participate in the other educational programs offered by the graduate program but works full time in the laboratory. Annual special committee meetings are mandatory.

Upon completion of the thesis, the student prepares the work for publication, presents it to the University in an open seminar, and defends the validity of the work before the Special Committee and the members of the program. The culmination of the student's successful progression through the program is the final examination (the "defense") and certification by the Special Committee that the thesis represents an official piece of research satisfying the requirements of the Graduate School for the PhD degree.

Student Stories

I’m a firm believer that in order to excel in something, you must be passionate about it. Combining my passion for science with the drive to help others motivated me to enroll in a Ph.D. program at Weill Cornell.

I chose Weill Cornell for my graduate studies because not only was the research high level and cutting edge, but the community was collaborative and engaging.

"Faculty members are approachable and supportive. I feel comfortable dropping by their lab to ask for advice, lab-related or not."

Research Topics

• Neural Networks
• Neuro-oncology
• Neurobiology
• Neurodegeneration
• Neurodevelopment
• Neurovascular Biology
• Anrather, Josef
• Blasberg, Ronald
• Burre, Jacqueline
• Calderon, Diany
• Cho, Sunghee
• Colak, Dilek
• DeMarco, Natalia
• Dittman, Jeremy
• Eliezer, David
• Fakhro, Khalid
• Gardner, Daniel
• Gibson, Gary
• Glass, Michael
• Goldstein, Peter
• Grafstein, Bernice
• Grosenick, Logan
• Hochrainer, Karin
• Hollis, Edmund
• Holodny, Andrei
• Huang, Xin Yun
• Iadecola, Costantino
• Inturrisi, Charles
• Ishii, Makoto
• Jaffrey, Samie
• Joyner, Alexandra
• Kosofsky, Barry
• Kuceyeski, Amy
• Lane, Diane
• Lee, Francis
• Levin, Lonny
• Li, Yueming
• Liston, Conor
• Manfredi, Giovanni
• Milner, Teresa
• Ndhlovu, Lishomwa
• Nikolov, Dimitar
• Nimigean, Crina
• Pickel, Virginia
• Pitt, Geoffrey
• Platholi, Jimcy
• Pleil, Kristen
• Prusky, Glen
• Purpura, Keith
• Rajadhyaksha, Anjali
• Ratan, Rajiv
• Ross, M. Elizabeth
• Ryan, Timothy
• Sagdullaev, Botir
• Schiff, Nicholas
• Sharma, Manu
• Simon, David
• Studer, Lorenz
• Sung, Ching-Hwa
• Tabar, Viviane
• Toth, Miklos
• Vierbuchen, Thomas
• Wagner, John
• Weng, Yi-Lan
• Willis, Dianna
• Yoshida, Yukuta
• Zhong, Jian

Courses and Required Curricular Components

• Addiction and Society
• Biology of Neural Diseases
• Development and Learning Seminar
• From Neuron to the Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience
• Logic and Experimental Design
• Mathematical Structures in Neuroscience
• Neuroscience 444–Drug Development: A Disease Business Approach
• Neuroscience Faculty and Their Research
• Progress in Neuroscience Seminar Series
• Research Proposals and Scientific Journalism: Inspiration, Writing and Evaluation
• Responsible Conduct of Research

Program Chair

Program director, program coordinator.

• Dua, Maullika

Student Handbook

To view the Neuroscience Student Handbook, click here .

Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences 1300 York Ave. Box 65 New York, NY 10065 Phone: (212) 746-6565 Fax: (212) 746-8906

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• What is neuroscience?
• Departments
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research Themes

Study a Neuroscience PhD programme at King's:

• Research project topics span from molecules to mind, including clinical and translational aspects to make a meaningful differences in people's health
• Be part of an international and diverse student body, studying at one of three central London campuses, with an active student Neuroscience Society ( Neurosoc ) 
• Extensive programmes of seminars by our faculty and international neuroscience research stars
• Opportunities to present research findings at national and international neuroscience conferences and publish in leading journals
• Teaching opportunities for PhD students via  King's Talent Bank

What you will study

King's PhD students can complete three-year projects focusing on a specific research project or a four-year studentship through a MRes/PhD programmes. These studentships follow a '1+3' model, in which students undertake lab rotations and transferable skills training in the first year, then perform their extended lab project over years 2-4. 

PhD students gain:

• Independent project and team-working skills
• Acuity in analytical skills and critique of the literature
• Ability to communicate findings to a wide range of audiences

Read our guide on how to apply for a PhD .

Explore King's Neuroscience

Our research

Leading the world in understanding brain function and finding new treatments for patients

Facilities & Resources

World-class neuroscience facilities & resources, including MRI, neuroimaging equipment, and King's…

Find out more about Neuroscience PhDs at King’s

MRC Doctoral Training Partnership in Biomedical Sciences

Neuroscience Doctoral Training Partnerships at King's College London.

Wellcome Trust PhD Training Programme in Neuro-Immune Interactions in Health and Disease

The Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM) in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine…

News and events

23 May 2024

Dr Nicolás Marichal receives Emerging Leadership Fellowship Award from Epilepsy Research Institute UK

The grant supports the project "Reprogramming of reactive glia into fast-spiking interneurons in a…

21 May 2024

Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi elected as Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi has been elected as a Fellow of the prestigious Academy for his…

20 May 2024

King's College London and LifeArc team up to accelerate MND treatment development

LifeArc has pledged £1.5 million to fund a new two-year collaborative partnership with King’s…

Professor Deepak Srivastava - Inaugural Lecture

18 June 2024

Join us in celebrating Srivastava's inaugural lecture on 'Synapse Confidential – Understanding the…

Neuroscience, Doctoral/PhD

The graduate program in neuroscience trains outstanding graduate students to earn a phd degree in neuroscience..

We are an interdisciplinary program spanning several Departments in the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing. Our alumni fill top-tier academic, government, and industry positions worldwide. Our curriculum emphasizes critical thinking and experimental design through an innovative applied learning model. This coursework is completed within the first 16 months, after which students perform full-time dissertation research in a laboratory chosen from 2-3 laboratory rotations completed in the first year.

• Program Home

Details, Dates & Deadlines

Program details, program length, cost/credit hour.

In State: $623 Out of State: $1101

Those accepted into the program receive tuition remission (as well as health care benefits and an annual stipend)

• Online application 
• $75 application fee 
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts 
• 300–500 word essay
• Proof of English language proficiency
• CV or resume

Dates & Deadlines

Fall deadline: December 1

Program Contacts

Dr. Jennifer McFarland Academic Services Specialist [email protected]   410.706.4701

Dr. Donna Calu Program Director [email protected] 410.706.5160

Meet Your Faculty

Our GPILS programs consist of faculty in the basic science and clinical departments of the School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Nursing, and a wide array of internationally recognized organized research centers and institutes on campus including the Center for Vaccine Development, the Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, the Institute for Genome Science, the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, and the Institute of Human Virology, in addition to collaborations with the other University of Maryland campuses.

620 W. Lexington St. Baltimore, MD 21201 (410) 706-3100

University of Maryland Graduate School. All Rights Reserved.

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Neuroscience

About the Program

Declaring the major.

Students may declare the Neuroscience major when they have fulfilled the following requirements:

• Completed  CHEM 1A / CHEM 1AL
• Completed  BIOLOGY 1A / BIOLOGY 1AL
• Completed  MATH 1A / MATH 1B  or  MATH 10A / MATH 10B
• Enrolled in or completed  PHYSICS 8A
• Have a GPA of 2.0 or higher in lower division major requirements, upper division major requirements, and UC Berkeley cumulative GPA

Visit Program Website

Major Requirements

Lower division, upper division, neuroscience course plans can be found on this page ., college requirements.

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For a detailed lists of L&S requirements, please see Overview tab to the right in this guide or visit the L&S Degree Requirements webpage. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry level writing.

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley and must be taken for a letter grade. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and American Institutions requirements are based on the principle that all U.S. residents who have graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American cultures.

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this campus requirement course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses are plentiful and offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative reasoning.

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer/data science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course taken for a letter grade.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work taken for a letter grade.

Reading and Composit ion

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College of Letters and Science requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester for a letter grade.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth requirements.

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

120 total units

Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

• Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes at Cal for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you graduate early, go abroad for a semester or year, or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an L&S College adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

UC and Campus Requirements

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).  The  UC Entry Level Writing Requirement website  provides information on how to satisfy the requirement.

The American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Campus Requirement

The American Cultures requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement, one that all undergraduate students at Berkeley need to pass in order to graduate. You satisfy the requirement by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, an American Cultures course. You may take an American Cultures course any time during your undergraduate career at Berkeley. The requirement was instituted in 1991 to introduce students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than fifty departments in many different disciplines at both the lower and upper division level.

Student Learning Goals

• Understand brain function at the cellular, molecular, and circuit levels, and how these mediate behavior: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the brain, and how this contributes to cognition and behavior. Understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie brain development.
• Understand the nature of neural computation: Understand the computational principles of brain function, including computational neuroscience approaches to studying brain and behavior, and computational tools for analyzing and interpreting complex data sets.
• Disease mechanisms and pathways: Gain in-depth knowledge of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Scientific research skills: Develop proficiency in research methods, including experimental design, data collection, and data analysis. Acquire hands-on experience with techniques such as neuroimaging, electrophysiology, molecular methods, and behavioral analysis.
• Integration of multidisciplinary knowledge: Understand the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience by integrating knowledge from biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, and other fields.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving: Cultivate critical thinking skills to analyze complex scientific concepts and research findings. Develop the ability to identify and solve scientific problems related to neuroscience.
• Scientific communication: Learn to effectively communicate complex scientific concepts and findings, in writing and verbally. Read primary scientific literature and present scientific results.

All students interested in the Neuroscience major should come in for major advising as soon as possible starting their first semester on campus for individualized assistance. Staff advisors can assist with a wide range of matters including academic course planning, research, career, and graduate school goals.

Undergraduate Advising: [email protected]

Advising Appointments: neuroscience.berkeley.edu/academics/undergraduate/advising

Contact Information

130 Barker Hall

[email protected]

Program Director

Prof. Dan Feldman

189 Weill Hall

Phone: 510-643-1723

[email protected]

Undergraduate Advising Office

3060 Valley Life Sciences Building

Phone: 510-643-8895

[email protected]

Print Options

When you print this page, you are actually printing everything within the tabs on the page you are on: this may include all the Related Courses and Faculty, in addition to the Requirements or Overview. If you just want to print information on specific tabs, you're better off downloading a PDF of the page, opening it, and then selecting the pages you really want to print.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Michael Kalish, Ph.D. 507 Huntington Hall [email protected] (315)443-2354

Daniel Corral, Ph.D., Catherine A. Cornwell, Ph.D., Amy H. Criss, Ph.D., Michael L. Kalish, Ph.D., David Kellen, Ph.D., Lynn J. Lohnas, Ph.D., Lael J. Schooler, Ph.D., Bradley A. Seymour, Ph.D., Jeffrey Zemla, Ph.D.

Program Description:

Research and training in the program is centered on using computational methods and theory to understand fundamental mechanisms underlying cognitive and neural processing. Cognitive and perceptual processes under study include visual perception, memory, learning, attention, knowledge development, concepts and categories, problem solving, reasoning, and decision making. Research in this area contributes to the understanding of human behavior in individual and social environments and provides the structure on which to build applications to improve health and behavior.

Students receive research training at the forefront of cognitive psychology. Students are assigned a core faculty member as primary advisor upon entry to the program and are required to actively participate in research through the duration of their program of study. Participation is designed to facilitate the development of research and professional skills necessary for a career in psychological science. 

Student Learning Outcomes

1) Explain fundamental mechanisms, underlying cognitive and neural processing

2) Develop a toolbox of computational skills

3) Synthesize the literature and develop novel ideas, approaches, methods, or theory to advance their sub-field

4) Conduct original research in the field

5) Organize and interpret scientific data for written and oral presentation

6) Follow ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association

7) Demonstrate expertise as a psychology instructor

Program Requirements

The curriculum is designed to provide students with the essential coursework and laboratory research experience necessary for an academic or research career. Students are required to take 90 credit hours and meet a series of Milestones.

Required Course Work

The courses offered in the program consist of intensive exposure to the prominent theories and methods in cognitive psychology. 

Statistics Core (6 credits):

• PSY 655 - Experimental Design and Statistical Methods I 3 credit(s)
• PSY 756 - Experimental Design and Statistical Methods II 3 credit(s)

Methods Core (21 Credits):

• PSY 611 - Proseminar Methods and Topics in Cognitive Psychology 3 credit(s)

Note: This class is taken each year in the program for a maximum of 15 credits

• PSY 612 - Advanced Experimental Psychology 3 credit(s)
• PSY 624 - Graduate Seminar in Psychological Methods 3 credit(s)
• PSY 854 - Bayesian Statistical Analysis 3 credit(s)

Cognitive/Neural Bases (12 credits):

• PSY 736 - Advanced Introduction to Cognitive Psychology 3 credit(s)

And 3 of the following:

• PSY 620 - Using Robots to Understand the Mind 3 credit(s)
• PSY 622 - Cognitive Psychology: Memory and Attention 3 credit(s)
• PSY 626 - Cognitive Neurochemistry 3 credit(s)
• PSY 730 - Seminar in Experimental Psychology 3 credit(s)
• PSY 737 - Experimental Psychology: Cognition and Human Aging 3 credit(s)
• PSY 777 - Advanced Cognitive Neuroscience 3 credit(s)

Electives (9 credits):

Three courses chosen from areas outside of cognitive psychology. Students are encouraged to select elective courses that are application areas for cognitive psychology or that broaden knowledge or courses that deepen or strengthen methodological and statistical skills. 

Dissertation (18 credits)

• PSY 999 - Dissertation 1-15 credit(s)

Independent Research & Other Courses

Students chose additional courses to complete the minimum 90 credits for the PhD. Students are encouraged to work closely with one or more faculty members in a research program and to develop a program of research. Research is reflected in courses including PSY 997,  690, or 990. Students should take courses that strengthen their training. Elective courses should be selected in consultation with the advisor. We strongly recommend students select electives that will further their statistical or methodological skills

Total Credits Required (90 credits)

In addition to the required coursework, all students must complete the following milestones:

• Complete a first year research project. 
• Successfully pass a Qualifying Examination.
• Complete a Master’s thesis or a pre-doctoral research project.  
• Successfully complete a dissertation.

Optional Concentrations

Please keep the triple dipping rule in mind as you consider the following optional programs to complement your MA and PhD programs.

The NO triple dipping rule: Per university policy (link: http://coursecatalog.syr.edu/content.php?catoid=25&navoid=3251#34-0), specific courses/credits can be counted toward up to two (but no more than two) graduate programs or degree. Courses listed in the Program of Study for the Master’s in Psychology count towards the PhD in Cognitive Psychology.

Concentration in Neuroscience (optional)

Requirements.

Complete the following courses:

• BIO 607 - Advanced Neuroscience 3 credit(s)
• NEU 614 - Interdisciplinary Methods of Neuroscience 0-3 credit(s)
• NEU 613 - Readings in Neuroscience 0-3 credit(s)

In addition, students are expected to:

Present at least one special seminar and participate in other research days organized or sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program during your tenure as a student.

Attend program-sponsored seminars given by outside speakers, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty.

Concentration in Advanced Quantitative Methods in Psychology (optional)

The program has two goals. First, students will receive training in a wide range of advanced statistics or quantitative methods. Such breadth assures that students have maximum flexibility in designing a curriculum that best fits their individual career goals. Second, the program emphasizes competence in the application of knowledge and analytic skills acquired through coursework to students’ own research.  Together these will help promote the pursuit of high-quality research and research-focused careers in academic and non-academic settings.

Pre-requisites

Requirements (part a).

12 credit hours of coursework focusing on statistical or quantitative methods at the 500-level or above. Select from these courses:

• CSE 581 - Introduction to Database Management Systems 3 credit(s)
• IST 718 - Big Data Analytics 3 credit(s)
• MAT 521 - Introduction to Probability 3 credit(s)
• MAT 525 - Mathematical Statistics 3 credit(s)
• MAT 651 - Probability and Statistics I 3 credit(s)
• MAT 652 - Probability and Statistics II 3 credit(s)
• MAT 750 - Statistical Consulting 3 credit(s)
• PSY 653 - Psychological Measurement 3 credit(s)
• PSY 780 - Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling 3 credit(s)

To demonstrate the minimum level of competence, students must earn a B- or better in each of the courses.

Courses may count toward the certificate and other degrees so long as the ‘triple dipping’ rule and any other university policies are met.

Requirements (part b)

An approved empirical research product demonstrating competence in the use of an advanced statistical or quantitative method.

A research product that demonstrates competence in the use of an advanced statistical or quantitative method may include one of the following options:

(b-1) submitting a manuscript based on empirical research using an advanced statistical or quantitative method for peer review, or

(b-2) successfully defending a thesis, qualifying exam, or dissertation using an advanced statistical or quantitative method. Specific statistical or quantitative methods on which the product is based may be different from those in the student’s elective coursework or desired specialization areas in psychology.

To confirm that this requirement is met, the student must:

• Submit to the committee a two-paragraph description about at the initiation of the project or proposal of the milestone: indicate the advanced statistical or quantitative method to be used in their project, along with a statement that the student alone will conduct the advanced statistical or quantitative method analysis. The committee will indicate if the proposal is sufficient for this requirement.
• After the completion of the project, the committee must review and approve the final product along with a short statement confirming that they conducted the advanced statistical or quantitative method.

The program is strongly committed to the recruitment of individuals from diverse backgrounds.  Applications are considered for the fall term only, and the deadline for receipt of the completed application is December 1. Only full-time students are considered for admission.

The admissions committee considers a candidate’s complete application and whether the research interests of this student matches with a member of the faculty.  Research interests, skills, and experience are preferred.

Financial Support

The department makes a determined effort to offer each student who is in good standing financial support in the form of a stipend and tuition remission. Stipends may stem from several sources including, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Outstanding students are placed into competition for university-wide fellowships. In addition, students are encouraged to apply for available external funding.

Satisfactory Progress

Students’ progress is reviewed by the program faculty each year. The requirements for satisfactory progress are as follows:

(a) Academic or course-related requirements. Students should make progress toward completing their coursework.  A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, exclusive of independent study courses, is required to maintain good standing with regard to GPA. In addition, students are required to earn a grade of B or better in all required courses.

(b) Research

Students are expected to actively participate in a research group, demonstrate the ability to function independently in all phases of the research process, and make timely progress toward completion of research requirements.

Deadlines for Research milestones are:

• The first-year project is due by May 15th of the first year.
• Students propose their Master’s thesis by September 30th of their second year and complete the Master’s thesis by May 15th of their second year - or - students complete their pre-doctoral research project by May 15 th of their second year.
• Students must pass the Ph.D. qualifying exam by Feb 1st of their third year.
• The Ph.D. dissertation proposal must be completed by September 30th of the 4th year with a dissertation advisor who is a core faculty member of the program. Students are expected to defend the dissertation by the end of their fifth year.

c) Professional Development

Students are expected to develop professional skills and materials in preparation for a scientific career, broadly speaking. 

In addition, all students who receive department funding as a Teaching Assistant will be evaluated each semester by the faculty member assigned to the course. Each student’s overall performance will be assessed (e.g., teaching effort and performance, attendance, meeting deadlines, following course guidelines and policies, professionalism, etc.). In addition, if the TA assignment includes teaching, the faculty member may conduct an in-class observation to evaluate each student’s teaching skills and individualized feedback will be provided. It is expected that a student’s overall performance each semester, as assessed by the faculty member assigned to the course, will meet or exceed expectations in order for a student to remain in good standing in the program. 

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Minor in Neuroscience (IGMN) is an interdisciplinary University of Tennessee academic program established to recognize graduate students for completing the requirements of a minor in Neuroscience at either the Masters or PhD level. The Program enables a student to obtain a minor in Neuroscience simultaneously with a graduate degree in a participating department.

Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field of science. Faculty members from BCMB, Chemistry, Psychology, Child and Family Studies, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Nursing and many other disciplines across the university are engaged in research and training that contribute to and enhance our understanding of the brain. Because modern Neuroscience demands computational and analytical skills that supplement an understanding of nervous system function, the IGMN program is designed to provide students seeking an advanced degree in one of the participating departments with additional knowledge and experience centered on Neuroscience research and computational analyses. For further information, see the description of the IGMN below or visit the IGMN website .

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• The student’s home department (i.e., the department in which the student is currently pursuing an advanced degree) must have approved a program of courses with the IGMN Program Committee prior to declaration of the IGMN minor.
• That program will specify the Neuroscience courses, selected from the IGMN approved list, that are considered appropriate by the home department, and the home department must verify fulfillment of non-Neuroscience degree requirements.
• Students wishing to participate in this program should contact their college representatives or the Chair of the IGMN Program Committee.
• The student’s graduate committee must include a member of the IGMN faculty .

Credit Hours Required

9 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Neurobiology course (3 credit hours)

• BCMB 550 - Advanced Concepts in Neurobiology

A Neuropsychology elective (3 credit hours)

• PSYC 524 - Brain and Behavioral Development
• PSYC 525 - Psychopharmacology
• PSYC 527 - Advances in Behavioral Neuroscience

One elective course (3 credit hours) chosen from 

• BME 511 - Biotransport Processes
• BME 574 - Medical Imaging
• BME 590 - Selected Biomedical Engineering Problems
• COSC 526 - Data Mining and Analytics
• COSC 527 - Biologically-Inspired Computation
• COSC 594 - Special Topics in Computer Science
• Check with Program Committee if additional electives are available.

Non-Course Requirements

• The Workshop on Computational Neuroscience (see the IGMN website for details on material covered and scheduling).
• The student’s Admission to Candidacy Application must contain all courses required for the chosen degree program delineated and labeled “Courses required for the minor in Neuroscience.”
• Should the student decide not to apply for admission to the program until after completion of some of the courses, the student’s major professor should file a program change with the cooperating departments and assist the student in obtaining an IGMN faculty member to serve on the student’s graduate committee.
• Successful completion of the graduate minor in Neuroscience is recognized by appropriate documentation on the student’s transcript.
• Students who do not complete the requirements of the minor will still receive academic credit for the courses they have successfully completed.
• For more information contact Dr. Bruce MacLennan ([email protected]) or Dr. Rebecca Prosser ([email protected]) or visit the IGMN website .

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Best behavioral neuroscience graduate programs

To become a behavioral neuroscientist, you’ll need a doctorate in most cases.

Behavioral neuroscience master’s programs provide foundational knowledge and research experience to prepare for a PhD program or entry-level positions in the field.

Behavioral neuroscience PhD programs provide in-depth expertise, helping you attain coveted spots in research, academia, and related professions.

To choose, consider your career aspirations; while many entry-level behavioral neuroscience positions require a master’s degree, most mid-level opportunities require a doctorate.

If you’re more interested in the research side of psychology, particularly its biological – i.e., neural – foundations, then behavioral neuroscience may be an excellent career fit for you.

Behavioral neuroscience, the place where biology and psychology meet to explain human and animal behavior, is exciting, academically rigorous, and competitive.

To enter the profession, you’ll typically need a graduate degree.

In your search for the right behavioral neuroscience program, we’ll touch on behavioral neuroscience as a concept, what you’ll need to know to enter the field, and highlight some of most renowned behavioral neuroscience master’s and PhD programs in the United States.

What is behavioral neuroscience?

Behavioral neuroscience , or biological psychology, is the field in psychology concerned with how behavior is shaped by the brain – in other words, the study of the biological basis of human and animal behavior.

To date, the field has drawn most of its insights on the brain-behavior connection from experimentation on (non-human) animal subjects.

Despite this limitation, increased opportunities for noninvasive experimentation on human subjects have allowed researchers to cover more ground, particularly in assessing neurological disorders.

A related discipline is cognitive neuroscience , or the study of the biological basis of cognition (thinking processes like memory, reasoning, and language). Behavioral neuroscience is markedly different in its focus on external behavior.

How to study behavioral neuroscience

Those who want to study behavioral neuroscience can do so at the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate level.

That said, most careers related to the field require a master’s degree at minimum – and, as mentioned, a doctorate is typically required for mid-level (i.e., non-entry level) research and academic roles .

As such, the following sections will showcase only master’s and doctorate programs in behavioral neuroscience.

Behavioral neuroscience master’s programs

Behavioral neuroscience master’s programs are typically research-oriented and designed to prepare students for entry-level research positions in the field, such as laboratory technicians, or for admittance to behavioral neuroscience PhD programs.

While most behavioral neuroscience graduate programs on the market are PhD track , meaning that admitted students intend to earn a doctorate, some schools offer master’s-level equivalents of their PhD programs or psychology degrees with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience.

Among this smaller selection, we’ve handpicked a few of those programs; either due to their connection to behavioral neuroscience or usefulness for future plans to pursue a PhD program.

CUNY, Queens College – MA in Behavioral Neuroscience

Queens University, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, prides itself on having one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation. It offers a 2-year Master of Arts in Behavioral Neuroscience that prepares its students for a career in research and academia.

Students write a master’s thesis on a research area of their choice, with the chance to present findings at conferences and in new publications – positioning them competitively later if they decide to apply to doctorate programs.

Working closely with Queens College neuroscience faculty, program participants can make valuable contributions to contemporary topics in behavioral neuroscience, some of which include:

• Adult neurogenesis
• Sensory motor integration
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Mechanisms of ADHD

This program is well suited for those interested in gaining research experience in the field – both to increase employability and to improve the likelihood of acceptance into a competitive PhD program.

Program name – Master’s program in behavioral neuroscience

Name of school (dept.) – Queens College, CUNY Department of Psychology

Accreditation – Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Location – Queens, New York

Program format – On-campus

Program length – 2 years

George Mason University – MA in Psychology (Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration)

George Mason University’s master’s program in psychology offers a Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration (CBNR), which focuses on translational neuroscience – the application of animal neuroscience research to human behavior.

George Mason psychology undergraduates also have the option to attend the program as an accelerated master’s .

Pursuing an MA in psychology with a concentration is particularly advantageous for students planning to continue to the doctoral level, as it provides them with in-depth research experience in a specialization.

Faculty in George Mason’s Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration cover a wide range of unique topics in the field, forging connections between areas like:

• Metals, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injury
• Brain systems and human error
• Neural activity and human performance

Note that the prerequisite coursework for eligibility to the program involves at least 15 credits in psychology, a lab course in psychology, and a statistics course.

Program name – MA in psychology, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience concentration

Name of school (dept.) – Department of Psychology

Accreditation – Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Location – Fairfax, Virginia

Program format – On campus

Program length – Not specified, though doctorate track-minded students can save 2-3 years on the PhD

University of Missouri, St. Louis – MA in Psychology (Emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience)

The University of Missouri in St. Louis offers a master’s program in psychology with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience , in addition to a doctoral program of the same name.

To prepare students for a career or doctorate program in behavioral neuroscience, the program targets the development of the following core skills:

• Psychological science knowledge base
• Critical thinking
• Scientific inquiry – thesis track
• Communication
• Ethical and social responsibility
• Professional development

The master’s program consists of a thesis and non-thesis track. Students of the former track benefit from an apprenticeship with a faculty member. Thesis track students usually receive financial support in the form of a Graduate Teaching Assistantship – $5,000 per semester and tuition remission.

Program name – Master’s in psychology, behavioral neuroscience

Name of school (dept.) – Department of Psychological Sciences

Accreditation – Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Location – St. Louis, Missouri

University of Alabama, Birmingham – MS in Behavioral Neuroscience

University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Behavioral Neuroscience MS is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare aspiring scientists for entry into the field, offering a mix of foundational and advanced coursework (e.g., statistics and research design).

The program offers two tracks: Plan I and Plan II. While both are comprised of 30 hours of coursework, Plan 1 involves a research and formal thesis component. Plan II students, however, can still volunteer in research facilities.

UAB’s laboratory-based training program is a good fit for students training to enter a relevant professional role, for instance, to become lab technicians, or to prepare for a PhD program.

Program name – MS in Behavioral Neuroscience

Location – Birmingham, Alabama

Program length – Not specified

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – MS in Psychological Science

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a national leader in research with psychology among its most popular majors, offers an MS program in psychological science. The program, while not designed for behavioral neuroscience , equips students with a solid foundation in psychological research and pathway to entry into a PhD program.

The MS in Psychological Science is research-based and interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from psychology, biology, and neuroscience programs. Students enjoy a high degree of flexibility in tailoring their curriculum to their interests, with only a few required courses defined by the department.

Upon being paired with faculty sponsors, students can explore topic areas like:

• Drug abuse and addiction
• Eating, behavior, and exercise
• Neural plasticity
• Hormones and neural development

The school offers a wide range of modern facilities to provide students with hands-on research training, including animal housing facilities and group facilities for research involving microscopy and fMRI.

Program name – MS in Psychological Science (MSPS)

Accreditation – The Higher Learning Commission

Location – Urbana, Illinois

Behavioral neuroscience PhD programs

If you’re looking to become a full-fledged behavioral neuroscientist, you’ll typically need to earn a PhD .

Master’s programs, while a good source of foundational knowledge in behavioral neuroscience, lack the depth provided by PhD programs required for many roles in research and academia. And, with more expertise and connections under their belt, behavioral neuroscience doctorate holders generally have an easier time securing teaching jobs at universities, participating in research and publishing scientific work, and entering relevant industries like biotech or pharmaceuticals.

While competitive to get into, behavioral neuroscience PhD programs do not typically list a master’s in behavioral neuroscience as an eligibility criterion. Instead, students from diverse academic backgrounds can make the cut, provided they’re in good academic standing (and, of course, fulfill the course prerequisites).

The following is a curated list of some of the most nationally renowned behavioral neuroscience PhD programs in the US.

Brown University – Psychology or Cognitive Science

Brown University’s interdisciplinary Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences (CLPS) Department offers two PhD degrees in Psychology or Cognitive Science, with behavioral neuroscience as a research focus area.

PhD students in the Behavioral Neuroscience/Comparative research area focus on relevant topics in the field, including:

• Emotional development and dysfunction
• Auditory perception, memory, and cognitive functions
• Neurodevelopment, plasticity, and regeneration

The doctorate program consists of a first-year research project, 4 semesters of teaching assistantships, a dissertation proposal, a preliminary exam paper, a dissertation, and an oral presentation. The program requires a 2–3-year residency.

Admitted students receive 5 years of financial support in the form of tuition, a stipend, and a health fee.

Program name – Psychology Ph.D. Program (Behavioral Neuroscience/Comparative research focus area)

Name of school (dept.) – Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences

Accreditation – NECHE

Location – Providence, Rhode Island

Program length – 5 years

Duke University – Psychology and Neuroscience (Cognition & the Brain)

Duke University’s PhD program from its Department of Psychology and Neuroscience offers 5 graduate training areas, including a cognition & the brain (CB) track , which uses behavioral methods, among other approaches, to study human cognition.

The systems and integrative neuroscience research area is another option for students interested in neuroscience.

The department embraces an interdisciplinary approach, pulling in diverse research methods such as epigenetics, neuroimaging and lab experiments.

Along with completing core and elective coursework, students will need to defend their Major Area Paper (MAP) and pass an oral exam. A dissertation proposal is also required before it can be completed and defended for graduation. Students also need to complete 2-4 years of teacher assistantships.

All admitted graduates receive 5 years of financial support, provided they remain in good academic standing.

Program name – Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience Graduate Program

Name of school (dept) – Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Location – Durham, North Carolina

Program length – 5+ years

University of California, San Diego – Psychology, Cognitive-Behavioral Neuroscience

In University of California, San Diego’s Department of Psychology’s PhD program , students can choose from among 5 specialized fields in experimental psychology, including cognitive-behavioral neuroscience.

The school provides advanced training in modern laboratories where students have research opportunities in experimental psychology.

UCSD provides 5 years of funding to graduates, including fees, tuition and additional support, provided students serve as teaching assistants for at least 4 years during the program. There is also a full-time residency requirement of 9 months per year.

Additionally, graduates must complete first and second-year projects, attend seminar courses and practicums, and submit and successfully defend their thesis.

Program name – Cognitive-Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Program

Name of school (dept) – Department of Psychology

Accreditation – WASC Senior College and University Commission

Location – La Jolla, California

University of California, Los Angeles – Behavioral Neuroscience

University of California, Los Angeles’ (UCLA) PhD track in Behavioral Neuroscience is 1 of 8 programs offered in the department. The goal of the program is to train students focused on careers in research that will contribute to the field.

As a leader in the neurobiological study of behavior, UCLA exposes scholars to a wealth of research opportunities at its Brain Research Institute and other faculty labs.

Graduates must complete core coursework, a research project, and a dissertation proposal. An oral exam is required before students can continue with their dissertation research. Students also take a final oral exam where they defend their research. Participants should also complete at least 2 years of residency.

UCLA provides financial support to graduate students in the form of paid teaching and research assistantships, grants and fellowships.

Program name – Behavioral neuroscience

Location – Los Angeles, California

Program length – 6 years

Yale University – Behavioral Neuroscience

Yale University’s Department of Psychology offers a neuroscience graduate program , a rigorous and selective program that enrolls about 15 PhD students a year.

The program is flexible, allowing students to tailor their coursework and earn their master’s degree while working towards their Ph.D. Research methods and statistical analysis courses are required, along with a first-year research paper, teaching fellowship, pre-dissertation paper and dissertation.

Students have access to a diverse range of modern research methods and are encouraged to start their research as early as possible while attending regular seminars. There is also a 3-year residency requirement.

Yale offers the following graduate programs in areas related to behavioral neuroscience:

• clinical psychology
• cognitive psychology
• developmental psychology
• social/personality psychology

All graduate scholars in good standing receive full tuition funding and a stipend for at least 5 years.

Program name – Neuroscience Graduate Program

Accreditation – New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

Location – New Haven, Connecticut

Program length – 6 years, 12 semesters

California Institute of Technology – Social and Decision Neuroscience

The California Institute of Technology’s (Caltech) Social and Decision Neuroscience PhD Program prepares students to conduct research on the neural basis of learning behavior, social interactions, and decision making.

Research techniques at the school’s Chen Institute of Neuroscience include neural measuring methods, such as EEG and fMRI, and computational modeling.

Students complete lab rotations, serve as teaching assistants, and attend seminars throughout their graduate careers. They also attend conferences, submit grant proposals, and give talks. Scholars must also submit and defend a thesis to earn their PhD.

Caltech’s doctoral students with satisfactory academic progress also receive full tuition funding in the form of external and internal fellowships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships.

Program name – Social and Decision Neuroscience PhD Program

Name of school (dept.) – Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences

Accreditation – Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission

Location – Pasadena, California

Course length – 5 years

University of Texas, Austin – Behavioral Neuroscience

The University of Texas, Austin’s Department of Psychology offers a PhD program with behavioral neuroscience as an area of specialization.

Apart from conducting research in the field, students of UT Austin’s Behavioral Neuroscience Program are expected to take courses across the psychology department and in related departments (e.g., pharmacy, neurobiology, and kinesiology).

Graduate work is supervised by the Committee on Graduate Studies.

Doctoral students are typically fully funded through research and teaching assistantships, fellowships, and, later, teaching positions. This support includes tuition, health insurance, and a living stipend.

Program name – Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Program

Location – Austin, Texas

Program format – On campus

Program length – 4-5 years

University of California, Berkeley – Psychology, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience

The University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Psychology offers a doctorate program with 6 training units to choose from – including a Behavioral & Systems Neuroscience unit.

Specialty areas in this unit include sensory systems, neuroethology, neural basis of learning and memory, among several others.

Program participants can draw from an extensive pool of modern research methodologies to investigate their areas of interest, from the study of human and animal behavior to neural circuits and systems.

A few of the research methodologies used include:

• Electrophysiology
• ERP and fMRI
• Immunohistochemistry
• In vivo 2-photon imaging
• Chemical genetic methods (DREADDs)
• Quantitative RT-PCR

UC Berkeley Department of Psychology’s PhD program provides 10 semesters of funding through fellowships and teaching or research appointments.

Program name – Behavioral & Systems Neuroscience PhD track

Accreditation – The WASC Senior College and University Commission

Location – Berkeley, California

Teaching approach – On campus

Course length – 4-6 years

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – Neuroscience (Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience)

The Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a laboratory research-focused program and the oldest neuroscience training program in the U.S.

The program offers 7 sub-disciplines in neuroscience to choose from, including Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience. Others include:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
• Clinical Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Sensory Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience

This program is well suited for students interested in the neuroscience field in general. While flexibility is allowed in tailoring their training program, participants should complete at least 3 research rotations before choosing the laboratory for their dissertation research.

The funding package for PhD students of good academic standing includes fully paid tuition, a stipend, and health care benefits.

Name of school (dept.) – Interdepartmental

Location – Ann Arbor, Michigan

Program length – 5-6 years

How to become a behavioral neuroscientist

As mentioned, becoming a behavioral neuroscientist in most cases requires earning a doctorate in the field to participate in academia and research.

However, that journey begins at the bachelor’s level. While a psychology undergraduate degree is not mandatory, electives in math, science, or programming can increase your chances of getting accepted into a master’s or PhD program.

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree

If your goal is a career as a behavioral neuroscientist, it may be a good idea to begin to specialize at the undergraduate level.

Your options include a bachelor of science (B.S.) in behavioral neuroscience or cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. A general psychology major , a related subspecialty, or any field with a minor in behavioral neuroscience, are other possibilities.

As a behavioral neuroscience major, your focus is on the biological bases of behavior and how our physiological systems respond to external stimuli.

Topics covered include human development, mental health disorders, neuroplasticity, data analysis, and research methodologies.

What jobs can you get with a behavioral neuroscience bachelor’s degree?

A bachelor’s degree can lead to entry-level positions in psychology. Higher-level roles in most cases require advanced credentials.

Considered an entry-level mental health job, psychiatric technicians provide frontline care to individuals with developmental or mental health issues in group or long-term care homes, hospitals, or at-home settings.

A specific license or training with the target group are usually offered as on-the-job training. Psychology students may choose this type of employment on a part-time basis while in school.

A lot of work in this field is connected to medical and pharmaceutical research. With a bachelor’s in behavioral neuroscience, you may find employment as a lab technician, performing lab work used in research studies. Tasks can include carrying out immunoassays, blood tests, and cultures, as well as quality control checks on tests.

Working under the supervision of a lead researcher, research assistants help gather and enter data to analyze, perform tests, help with record-keeping, create and manage spreadsheets. They assist as part of a bigger team, trying to prove a hypothesis or conduct a specific study. Research assistantships may be part of a bachelor’s in behavioral neuroscience.

2. Earn a master’s in behavioral neuroscience

Once you’ve earned a bachelor’s in behavioral neuroscience, psychology, or a related field, the next step is to earn a master’s degree.

If your bachelor’s is not in behavioral neuroscience, it’s recommended to specialize at this stage. Specializing can improve your chances of acceptance into a doctoral program.

Keep in mind you may not get accepted into a master’s program without college-level coursework in psychology, math, cell biology, and chemistry.

Program structure

This discipline may be offered as either a Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Arts (M.A.). Generally, M.S. programs focus more on lab work and analysis, whereas M.A. programs include more discussion and essays. Some schools offer a master’s in psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience.

Most students complete this degree in 2 years.

Thesis and research

Most programs include a master’s thesis and lab or research requirements. Students work directly with faculty on research topics like neurodevelopmental disorders, neuropathology, neuropsychiatry, and clinical neurology. A focus on research methodology is also essential.

Data science models are increasingly popular among neuroscientists as tools for modeling neural networks and the brain. Network science contributes to working models that scientists can use to represent neural processes.

What jobs can you get with a behavioral neuroscience master’s degree?

Most senior careers in behavioral neuroscience require a doctorate. Upon completing a master’s, you can move a step closer to these careers by taking on assistant or technical roles in the field.

Research in behavioral neuroscience is usually carried out at universities or in private labs, often funded by pharmaceutical companies investigating new medical treatments.

Research associates assist in carrying out clinical trials, including the development of trial protocols, identifying trial sites, coordinating the approval process, and overseeing technical staff.

Diagnosis and treatment of and research into brain and mental health are highly dependent on neuroimaging techniques such as PET and CAT scans and MRI. Neuroimaging technicians operate the machines that produce these highly detailed soft tissue images.

3. Earn a PhD in behavioral neuroscience

Becoming a fully-fledged behavioral neuroscientist in most cases requires a doctorate. Students may pair a behavioral neuroscience doctorate with a degree in psychology, resulting in something like a PhD in behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology (BNCP). Others may choose a doctorate in psychology (PsyD) with an emphasis on behavioral neuroscience.

Doctoral students commonly conduct advanced research in highly specialized areas such as:

• hormone modulation
• learning and memory
• neurodegenerative diseases
• mathematical modeling of behavior
• behavioral and neurobiological consequences of stress and drug abuse

Doctoral programs can take 5-7 years to complete.

Students are typically required to prepare a dissertation and pass a final oral examination or thesis defense. PsyD programs focus more on clinical practice, while PhD programs emphasize research. Choosing the right doctoral program for you ultimately depends on your career goals.

What can you do with a behavioral neuroscience doctorate degree?

Behavioral neuroscience jobs can be broadly divided into clinical and research positions.

Research positions are usually in psychology or medicine, focused on treatment and medication for various physical and mental illnesses. Medical positions involve helping individuals overcome or manage brain-based illness, impairment, or disability.

Behavioral neuroscientists are in most cases researchers rather than practitioners. Employed at government, university, or private labs, they study human and animal brain physiology, genetics, development, and their relationship to mental processes and behaviors.

Cl in i cal neuropsychologists assess , diagnose, and treat psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions, as well as learn in g and cognitive disorders.  

4. Get licensed, depending on your field

In psychology, whether licensure is required depends on your career goals and the state you wish to practice in. As a researcher, you likely won’t need a license.

For careers that involve providing psychological services to the public, for instance, as a therapist , psychological licensure is required.

Final thoughts

Behavioral neuroscience is, like clinical psychology, a field in psychology that typically requires a PhD to take full advantage of professionally. That said, as we’ve seen, there are plenty of careers in the field that only require a master’s.

If, after reading this article, you find yourself curious about other paths in psychology, particularly those which only require a master’s degree, check out our related articles:

• Best psychology graduate programs
• Best master’s degrees in sports psychology
• Best master’s in criminal psychology
• Best online schools for psychology

Alternatively, for a more curated experience, consider taking our degree quiz below. Happy searching!

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PhD candidate in Neuroscience of the Tax Profession (1.0 FTE)

PhD candidate in Neuroscience of the Tax Profession (1.0 FTE) Vacancy number: 14926

The Department of Tax Law of Leiden Law School at Leiden University, in collaboration with the Psychology Institute, has a vacancy for a PhD Candidate (1.0 fte)

Are you interested in the neural processes that support corporate tax avoidance by professionals? Are you a student of psychology, cognitive neuroscience or tax law who wants to apply insights from the field to real-world problems? Consider applying, and gain skills and knowledge to conduct cutting-edge multidisciplinary research on emotion and cognition in the context of the tax profession.

What you will do As a PhD candidate you will work on a four-year research project in the department of Tax Law at the Faculty of Law and the department of Social, Economic and Organizational Psychology at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. This PhD project will be supervised by a multidisciplinary team consisting of dr. Elody Hutten, prof. dr. Jan Vleggeert, dr. Lotte van Dillen, and dr. Gert-Jan Lelieveld. While the position is offered by the department of Tax Law, you will work on the project in both departments. Your role will involve:

• Conducting a literature review
• Designing and conducting experiments for multiple methods such as fMRI and eye-tracking.
• Analyzing data (survey, eyetracking, as well as fMRI data)
• Writing scientific articles and communicating your results to the broader public

The Project Taxation can be seen as a form of social cooperation, whereby individuals agree to pay taxes in exchange for public services and goods. Individuals’ willingness to pay tax depends on the perceived fairness of the tax system. In the past years, the media have repeatedly reported on the alleged little amount of taxes paid by multinational corporations. The subsequent public criticism of such corporate tax avoidance indicates that such behavior undermines the perceived fairness of the tax system. While the general public dismisses corporate tax avoidance, research suggests that professionals working in the practice of corporate taxation continue to support and engage in such behavior. This raises the question as to what might explain these different views of tax avoidance between tax professionals and the general public.

The department of Tax Law and the department of Social, Economic and Organizational Psychology will collaborate on a research project that aims to investigate this issue using theories and techniques from social neuroscience. The objective of this research project is to provide more insight into the neuropsychological processes that determine perceptions of fairness in the context of taxation. This will be achieved by investigating patterns of attention allocation and affective processing by combining behavioral experiments with eye-tracking, and functional neuroimaging.

What you bring

• A (research) master’s degree (completed, or to be awarded before the starting date) in a topic relevant for the PhD, such as psychology, cognitive neuroscience or tax law
• Strong background in empirical research and statistical analysis
• Experience with conducting experimental fMRI research, and experience with programming for statistical analysis are a plus
• Affinity with tax policy or tax law and/or social acceptance of policy
• Commitment to Open Science practices
• A collaborative mindset, openness to learning new skills, and willingness to share knowledge
• Evidence of the ability to conduct high-quality research and write scientific text
• Good written and oral communication skills in English
• The ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research team

If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if do you not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!

What we offer The department of Tax Law is located in Leiden and consists of approximately 25 employees. The department’s research is focused on corporate taxation and the relationship between taxation and society. While legal research is the department’s core business, multidisciplinary research is highly valued and encouraged. For more information, please visit: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/rechtsgeleerdheid/instituut-voor-fiscale-en-economischevakken/belastingrecht

The unit Social, Economic and Organisational Psychology focuses on the application of scientific psychological knowledge of social processes within and between groups of people and individuals, in organisations, but also during economic and consumer decisions. For more information, please visit: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/social-behavioural-sciences/psychology/social-economic-and-organisational-psychology

The Faculty The Department of Tax Law is part of the Leiden Law School (ranked #1 in the Netherlands for the subject of law and #21 in the 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject). Leiden Law School is located in Leiden and The Hague. With more than 6500 students and around 1000 staff, it is one of the largest university faculties in the Netherlands. The faculty focuses on innovative multidisciplinary research and educational programmes that are constantly renewed in response to issues in society. Our faculty is large enough to make a difference nationally and internationally, yet small enough to offer personalised education. This is how we contribute to a safe and sustainable world, each and every day. The Faculty is housed in the beautifully restored Kamerlingh Onnes Building on the Steenschuur in Leiden. The Department of Economics also has offices in The Hague. Working for the Leiden Law School means working in a welcoming and inspiring scientific environment.

We also offer:

• The PhD position is for 0,8-1,0 fte.
• The contract as a fulltime PhD student will be for a period of four years (five years with 0,8 fte). Initially for a period of one year with an extension of three years (or four years with 0,8 fte) after positive evaluation of progress and skills development, leading to the successful completion of a PhD thesis. The appointment will be under the terms of the cao (Collective Labour Agreement) of Dutch Universities.
• Starting date: 1st of September 2024 (some flexibility is possible).
• The (fulltime) gross yearly salary is set on € 38.658,- in the first year, increasing to € 49.390,- in the final year. This includes holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%).
• Leiden University offers excellent secondary employment conditions, including an attractive benefits package with training and career development (including, for example, language courses, teaching courses and project management courses), support from the PhD dean, and we facilitate a good work-life balance via flexible working hours and various leave arrangements. Our individual choices model also gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break.

For more information on the terms and conditions of employment, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden

What we find important Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research means inclusive education and research.

Want to apply or find out more? If you want to apply straight away, click the application button. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Elody Hutten ( [email protected] ).

Applications Applications for this vacancy can be submitted via the blue button of our online system. Please submit your application online no later than 24/06/2024 via the blue button in our application system. Please ensure that you upload the following additional documents quoting the vacancy number:

• A cover letter stating your motivation for this position
• A curriculum vitae
• Your bachelor and (draft) master thesis or other major writing example
• Copies of your academic transcripts

The interviews will take place in week 26 and week 27

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden

• We believe mobility is very important. That is why we are also publishing this vacancy internally. In case of equal suitability, we will give priority to the internal candidate.

• Medical Education >
• Medical Student Life >

PhD White Coat Ceremony Honors Student Advancement

The most recent PhD white coat recipients from the Class of 2023-2024 pose for a group photo in the Jacobs School building atrium.

By Dirk Hoffman

Published June 3, 2024

The Office of Biomedical Education conducted its eighth annual white coat ceremony to recognize 51 students matching to their doctoral laboratories.

Those honored included 30 students from the Class of 2023-2024 in the  PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences  (PPBS), 16 students who directly admitted by their departments, and five students from the  MD-PhD Program .

Related Link

• Photo Gallery of PhD White Coat Ceremony

Medical School Leadership Welcomes Students

Allison Brashear, MD, MBA , UB’s vice president for health sicneces and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences , and  John C. Panepinto, PhD , senior associate dean for biomedical education and professor of microbiology and immunology , offered opening remarks.

Brashear noted the white lab coat symbolizes the transition from learning in a classroom setting to becoming true scientists in the laboratory.

“It serves a functional purpose, but it’s also a symbol of trust, professionalism and education.”

Students Match into Research Laboratories

Andrew M. Gulick, PhD , professor of structural biology and director of the PPBS program, announced the students’ names for the cloaking ceremony.

The students are listed below, with their department and mentor matches.

Ruth-Ann Saddler was cloaked by Gulick on behalf of the Office of Biomedical Education.

Mentoring, Financial Support Provided

The PPBS provides an entry portal and a common first-year curriculum, mentoring, hands-on opportunities and financial support.

With its laboratory rotation system, students can explore a variety of disciplines before committing to their specific area of research.

The white coat ceremony was conducted May 23 in the Ronald I. Dozoretz, MD ’62 Auditorium in the Jacobs School building. A brief reception in the building’s atrium followed the ceremony. 

The ceremony was sponsored by UB’s Medical Alumni Association .

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