Departments & Programs
Neuroscience Program
Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience Degree Requirements
Degree Requirements
First-Year Experience Course (1 cr.)
Beginning freshmen and transfer students with fewer than 19 credit hours are required to take SCI-I120 Windows on Science (1 cr.) or an equivalent first-year experience course.
Area I English Composition and Communication Competency (9 cr.)
See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin. The second semester of English composition may be satisfied with ENG-W231 (or ENG-W270 / ENG-W150, ENG-W320, ENG-W350, TCM 22000, or TCM 32000).
Area II World Language Competency
No world language proficiency is required for a Bachelor of Science degree. However, knowledge of a world language is strongly recommended for any student planning to attend graduate school.
Area IIIA Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Cultural Understanding Competencies (12 cr.)
- List H Arts and Humanities Competency: Choose one course (3cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.
- List S Social Sciences Competency: Choose one course (3cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin. NOTE: PSY-B110 (or an equivalent introductory psychology course) cannot be used to satisfy this requirement, as the course is required in the major.
- One additional course from List H or List S
- List C Cultural Understanding Competency: Choose one course (3cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.
For the most current list of courses in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Understanding, please refer to the IUPUI General Education Curriculum.
Area IIIC Life and Physical Sciences Competency (19-20 cr.)
The following courses are required:
CHEM-C105 Principles of Chemistry I (3 cr.) and CHEM-C125 Experimental Chemistry I (2 cr.)
CHEM-C106 Principles of Chemistry II (3 cr.) and CHEM-C126 Experimental Chemistry II (2 cr.)
CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry Lectures I (3 cr.) and CHEM-C343 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (2 cr.)
One of the following courses or course sequences is required:
CHEM-C342 Organic Chemistry Lectures I (3 cr.) and CHEM-C344 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (2 cr.)
or
PHYS 15200 Mechanics (4 cr.)
or
PHYS-P201 General Physics I (5 cr.)
Area IIID Analytical Reasoning Competency (9 cr.)
Two courses beyond college algebra and trigonometry are required. Starting point to be worked out with departmental advisor based on the math placement test and/or background of the student. Acceptable calculus sequences include
MATH 23100 / MATH 23200 Calculus for the Life Sciences I and II (3 cr./3 cr.)
MATH 22100 / MATH 22200 Calculus for Technology I and II (3 cr./3 cr.)
MATH 16500 / MATH 16600 Analytic Calculus and Geometry I and II (4 cr./4 cr.)
The computer programming requirement may be satisfied with the following. Alternate computer science programming courses may be approved in consultation with an academic advisor.
CSCI-N200 Principles of Computer Science (3 cr.)
or
CSCI-N201 Programming Concepts (3 cr.)
or
CSCI-N207 Data Analysis Using Spreadsheets (3 cr.)
or
CSCI-N211 Introduction to Databases (3 cr.)
Note: Computer Science CSCI-N241 and CSCI-N299 do not count in Area IIID, but may count as a general elective.
Area IV Neuroscience Major Requirements (minimum 48 cr.)
A minimum grade of C- (1.70) or higher is required in all courses in AREA IV, including neuroscience electives. An overall GPA of 2.00 GPA is required for AREA IV.
A. Foundation Courses (25 cr.)
- BIOL-K101 Concepts of Biology I (5 cr.)
- BIOL-K103 Concepts of Biology II (5 cr.)
- BIOL-K324 Cell Biology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-K416 Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience (3 cr.)
- PSY-B110 Introduction to Psychology (3 cr.)
- PSY-B201 Foundations in Neuroscience (3 cr.)
- PSY-B301 Systems Neuroscience (3 cr.)
B. Statistical Research Methods(3 cr.)
- PSY-B305 Statistics (3 cr.)
- STAT 35000 Introduction to Statistics (3 cr.)
C. Neuroscience Electives (18 cr.)
Students must complete 3 credits from the biology electives course list, 3 credits from the psychology electives course list, and an additional 12 credit hours from any courses included in the biology electives course list, the psychology electives course list, or the chemistry/physics electives course list.
A course cannot be used to satisfy two AREA requirements. For example, if CHEM-C342 Organic Chemistry Lecture II is taken for the AREA IIIC Life and Physical Sciences requirement, then they cannot be subsequently used to satisfy AREA IV Part C neuroscience elective requirement. This applies to other courses, including CHEM-C344, PHYS 15200, and PHYS-P201. This is not a complete list of courses that could count in more than one AREA.
Biology Electives Course List
- BIOL-K322 Genetics and Molecular Biology (3 cr.) [strongly recommended, as this serves as a prerequisite for other higher-level electives and is generally required for admission to graduate and professional programs]
- BIOL-K331 Embryology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-K338 Introductory Immunology (3 cr.)
- BIOL-K483 Biological Chemistry (3 cr.)
- BIOL-K484 Cellular Biochemistry (3 cr.)
- BIOL 55900 Endocrinology (3 cr.)
- BIOL 56800 Regenerative Biology and Medicine (3 cr.)
- BIOL 57100 Developmental Neurobiology (3 cr.)
- BIOL 69700 Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegenerative Disease (3 cr.)
Psychology Electives Course List
- PSY-B311 Introductory Laboratory in Psychology (3 cr.)
- PSY-B334 Perception (3 cr.)
- PSY-B344 Learning (3 cr.)
- PSY-B356 Motivation (3 cr.)
- PSY-B394 Drugs and Behavior (3 cr.)
- PSY-B398 Brain Mechanisms of Behavior (3 cr.)
- PSY-I535 Clinical Neuroscience (3 cr.)
- PSY-I545 {new course} Psychopharmacology (3 cr.)
- PSY-I560 {new course} Behavioral Genetics (3 cr.)
- PSY-I5## {new course} Neurophysiology and Neurochemistry of Behavior (3 cr.)
- PSY-I5## {new course} Developmental Psychobiology (3 cr.)
Chemistry/Physics Electives Course List
- CHEM-C342 Organic Chemistry II (3 cr.) (If used in AREA IIIC, then the course cannot apply to the AREA IV Part C requirement.)
- CHEM-C371 Chemical Informatics (1 cr.)
- CHEM-C372 Chemical Informatics II: Molecular Modeling (2 cr.)
- CHEM-C484 Biomolecules and Catabolism (3 cr.)
- CHEM-C485 Biosynthesis and Physiology (3 cr.)
- PHYS 15200 Mechanics (4 cr.) (If used in AREA IIIC, then the course cannot apply to the AREA IV Part C requirement.)
- PHYS 25100 Heat, Electricity and Optics (5 cr.)
- PHYS-P201 General Physics I (5 cr.) (If used in AREA IIIC, then the course cannot apply to the AREA IV Part C requirement.)
- PHYS-P202 General Physics II (5 cr.)
- PHYS 58500 Introduction to Molecular Biophysics (3 cr.)
D. Upper-level Laboratory (1-2 cr.)
To receive credit for a laboratory for which there is an accompanying pre- or co-requisite lecture, the lecture must be completed with a minimum grade of C. Laboratory courses can be enrolled concurrently with the lecture (often preferred) or in a semester after the completed lecture.
- BIOL-K323 Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory (2 cr.)
- BIOL-K325 Cell Biology Laboratory (2 cr.)
- BIOL-K333 Embryology Laboratory (1 cr.)
- BIOL-K339 Immunology Laboratory (2 cr.)
- CHEM-C344 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (2 cr.) (If used in AREA IIIC, then the course cannot apply to the AREA IV Part C requirement.)
- CHEM-C486 Biological Chemistry Laboratory (2 cr.)
E. Capstone (1 course or course sequence; where not indicated, credit hours to be determined in consultation with advisor)
- BIOL-K493 Independent Research (minimally 2 cr.) and BIOL-K494 Senior Research Thesis (minimally 1 cr.)
- PSY-B499 Capstone Honors Research
or
- PSY-B433 Laboratory in Psychology
or
- CHEM-C494 Intro to Capstone in Chemistry (1 cr.) and CHEM-C495 Capstone in Chemistry (1 cr.)
- MATH 49200 Capstone Experience
- PHYS 49000 Undergraduate Readings and Research
Additional Information
A maximum of 20 credit hours of biology earned previously at other institutions is applicable toward the major for the B.S. degree.
Once admitted, students are expected to complete their course requirements within the major at IUPUI.