Requirements for the Neuroscience Major

Requirements for the Biopsychology Major

Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field of study that employs the tools and perspectives of biology, chemistry, psychology, and medicine to achieve a better understanding of brain function and behavior. The Neuroscience Program offers two interdisciplinary majors in neuroscience: Neuroscience and Biopsychology. 

The Biopsychology major is designed for students whose main interests are mind and behavior, and who wish to examine the neural underpinnings of these phenomena. Students with an interest in graduate study or professional work in fields such as behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, physiological psychology, clinical psychology, behavioral genetics, animal behavior, or psychiatry may find this major attractive

Advanced Placement
At this time, there is no advanced placement examination in Neuroscience. The Neuroscience and Biopsychology majors require course work in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Psychology. Advanced placement credit for work in these disciplines will be counted as meeting the course work requirements for Neuroscience or Biopsychology, if the department in which the advanced placement examination is taken also accepts advanced placement credit as meeting course requirements in its major.

Entry-Level Course Sequence Suggestions
Students wishing to major in Neuroscience or Biopsychology are advised to take Biology 118 and 119 in their first semester (well-prepared students should consider taking Chemistry 101 or 103 in the first semester as well). By the end of the sophomore year, students would do well to have taken either Neuroscience 201 or 204, and should have completed Chemistry 102 or 103, Biology 118 and 119, and a course in statistics. In addition, a Biopsychology major should have completed Psychology 100.

.Biopsychology Major
The Biopsychology major consists of approximately 45 credit hours as follows:
I. Biology
     A.  BIOL 118 - Organismal Biology
          BIOL 119 - Organismal Biology Laboratory
     B.  BIOL 120 - Genetics, Evolution and Ecology
II. Chemistry
          CHEM 101 - Structure and Reactivity
          CHEM 102 - Chemical Principles
          (CHEM 103 - Topics in General Chemistry may replace CHEM 101 and 102.)
III. Neuroscience
     A.  NSCI 201 - The Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience
          or NSCI 204 - Human Neurobiology
     B.  NSCI 211 - Laboratory in Neuroscience
     C.  NSCI - Two 300-level lecture/discussion courses
     D. NSCI - One 300-level laboratory course
         (A 300-level combined laboratory and lecture course of 4 or more hours,
             fulfills 1 course from both C. and D.)
IV. Psychology
     A. PSYC 100 - The Study of Behavior
     B. PSYC 200 - Research Methods I
     C. Two of the following courses
           PSYC 214 - Abnormal Psychology
           PSYC 216 - Developmental Psychology
           PSYC 219 - Cognitive Psychology
     D. One of the following laboratories
           PSYC 302 - Developmental Psychology Laboratory
           PSYC 303 - Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology
           PSYC 307 - Laboratory in Cognitive Neuropsychology
V. Additional course work from amongst the following (minimum of 3 hours):
           NSCI - Any additional 200- or 300-level lecture/discussion course
           BIOL 203 - Vertebrate Structure and Evolution
           BIOL 211 - Genetics
           BIOL 213 - Cell and Molecular Biology
           CSCI 299 - Seminar: Mind and Machine
           PHIL 228 - Philosophy of Mind
           PSYC 206 - Sensory Processes and Perception
           PSYC 214, 216 or 219 if not already taken as part of IV-C above
           PSYC 222 - Psychobiology of Emotion
           PSYC 300 - Research Methods II
           PSYC 305 - Human Psychophysiology
           PSYC 420 - Seminar: Explorations in Cognitive Neuropsychology

Any variation in meeting major requirements, as described above, must be approved in writing by the Director of the Program in Neuroscience. Similarly, course credit earned away from Oberlin must be approved by the Program Director before it can serve to satisfy major requirements.

Supporting Courses
The majors offered by the Neuroscience Program are by nature interdisciplinary, requiring preparation in a variety of scientific disciplines. While the Program has tried to require only those courses that are most generally useful, experience suggests that certain courses not specified may be either useful or necessary in gaining admission to graduate programs in particular specialties. For instance, a student preparing for graduate school in cellular neuroscience might consider studying physics, physiology, immunology, and biochemistry. A student planning on pursuing cognitive neuroscience should consider advanced work in mathematics and computer science. A student with a particular interest in animal behavior might wish to select additional courses such as Animal Physiology, Vertebrate Structure and Evolution, and Biological Anthropology. |
Majors should select courses in close consultation with their advisors to obtain the most appropriate supporting courses consistent with their goals and interests.

Minor
The Neuroscience Program does not offer a minor.

Research Opportunities
Students interested in research on or off campus are encouraged to discuss with their advisors the various research options that are available. Enrollment in Neuroscience 607 - Independent Research is by consent only.

Honors
During the second semester of the junior year or earlier, students wishing to enter the honors program in Neuroscience should discuss their interest with one of the Neuroscience faculty. If the faculty member is able to work with the student, he/she will help the student develop an appropriate research project proposal. To be formally accepted into the honors program, a research proposal is submitted to the Neuroscience Program early in the first semester of the student's senior year. Proposals are judged for their quality and feasibility. Students whose proposals are approved enroll in Neuroscience 607 - Independent Research.

Pre-Medical
Students planning to apply to medical school may major in any subject, provided they take those courses required for admission. Early in their academic career at Oberlin, they should discuss their plans with one of the pre-medical advisors.

Transfer of Credit
The Neuroscience Program accepts courses taken at other universities and colleges as meeting the requirements for the major if, and only if, the courses are judged to be equivalent in content to courses offered at Oberlin College. In all cases, at least half of the courses a student counts toward meeting major requirements must be taken at Oberlin. A request for permission to substitute a course taken away from Oberlin for the major should be made in advance, prior to enrolling in the course. It is the student's responsibility to make sure proper transfer credit forms are completed and placed on file in the Registrar's office.

Winter Term
During Winter Term, the Program offers a number of individual research opportunities in the laboratories of faculty members. Also, students are encouraged to participate in one or more of the many off-campus research and internship opportunities at research laboratories, hospitals, and clinics offered throughout the country.

Requirements for the Neuroscience Major