Neuroscience: An Undergraduate Major for the B.S. degree
B.S. degree students in the College of Arts and Sciences can choose Neuroscience as a major. There are two tracks within the neuroscience major, psychobiology and neurobiology. While the home of the major will be the College of Arts and Sciences, the teaching faculty and Steering Committee come from several schools, including the medical school and the biology and psychology departments in Arts and Sciences. The umbrella program for all of the neuroscience activities at the University of Miami is the
Neuroscience
Program.
In the neuroscience major, students have the option to choose between the psychobiology track, which emphasizes behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, and the neurobiology track, which emphasizes cellular and molecular neuroscience. Those who complete the major will have excellent preparation for graduate work, medical school, or other health professional careers.
The neuroscience major builds on the strength of our Ph.D. program in
neuroscience -- we have a large and strong group of faculty who do research in neuroscience at the University, and the laboratories of these scientists will offer special opportunities for research experiences for qualified students. There also is an undergraduate student organization, The Undergraduate Neuroscience Society (TUNS).
The University of Miami has taken advantage of its strength in neuroscience research and graduate training to develop an outstanding undergraduate neuroscience major. A key component of this program is the integration of neuroscience faculty at the Medical School with those on the Coral Gables campus. Faculty members cross campuses to share their expertise with undergraduates, and students may gain research experience in neuroscience faculty laboratories. Another component is the development of several new undergraduate courses, including a comprehensive neuroscience laboratory course, a course in the mechanisms of neural diseases, and a developmental neurobiology class. These courses add to an already extensive set of existing neuroscience courses in the biology and psychology departments that are available to neuroscience majors.
Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system (i.e., brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves), the mechanisms of behavior, and the nature of mind and consciousness. This interdisciplinary field draws from a number of scientific disciplines including medicine, the biological sciences, psychology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering, and beyond, with the nervous system serving as the common focus. Neuroscience is one of the most rapidly advancing fields of research and training. Currently, at the University of Miami, over 50 faculty members from 13 departments on three campuses participate in undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training. They engage in neuroscience research that accounts for more than 20% of the University's federally sponsored research dollars.
Our undergraduate program has the goal of attracting highly qualified students. Students are encouraged to be active participants in the local neuroscience community. Graduates with a major in neuroscience will be highly qualified candidates for health professional schools or for graduate programs in the biomedical/mental health fields. Pre-medical students will be able to fulfill all academic requirements for admission to medical school and gain the possibility of working with medical school faculty during their undergraduate career. The standards for admission to this program are 1270 SAT or a GPA of 3.3 after 24 credits of work at the University.
Required Courses for the Undergraduate Neuroscience Major
Common Core
| PSY 110 |
Introduction to Psychology (3
cr) |
| PSY 204 |
Biobehavioral Statistics (4
cr) (or BIL 311 Biostatistics) |
| PSY 316 |
Experimental Psychology (4
cr) |
| BIL 150/151 |
General Biology (5 cr) |
| BIL 160/161 |
Evolution and Biodiversity (5cr) |
| BIL 250 |
Genetics (3 cr) |
| BIL 255 |
Cell and Molecular Biology (3
cr) |
| PSY/BIL 403 |
Neuroscience Laboratory* (4
cr) |
Total 31 credits
| Psychobiology Track (3 cr each) |
Neurobiology Track (3 cr each) |
| PSY 202 Intro. Psychobiology |
BIL 268 (Neurobiology) |
| PSY 300+ |
BIL 368 (Cell& Mol
Neuroscience) |
| BIL 200+ |
PSY 300+ or BIL 300 |
| BIL 200+ or Research |
BIL 200+ or Research |
| BIL 200+ or Neural Mech. Disease |
BIL 3xx (Neural Mech. Disease)* |
| PSY 402 Advanced Psychobiology) |
BIL 3xx (Developmental Neuroscience)* |
| Total 18 credits |
Total 18 credits |
Grand Total 49 credits
*New course
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) 401 can be used as a biology elective, and research courses in Psychology or Biology may be used for the electives.
Required science/math courses outside of biology and psychology:
General Chemistry (CHM 111/113; 112/114)
Organic Chemistry, with lab (CHM 201/205; 202/206)
Math through calculus, 111/112 or 131/132
College Physics 101/106;102/108 or
University Physics PHY 205/206/207/208/209
(note: University Physics is highly recommended for any students considering Ph.D. level study)
The Steering Committee
The Steering Committee provides oversight and guidance for the major. The members of the Steering Committee for the undergraduate major in neuroscience are:
[add links to each faculty member's web site]
David L. Wilson,
Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Director of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Major
Victoria A.
Noriega, Ph.D., Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology, and Advisor for Neuroscience Majors
John L. Bixby,
Ph.D., Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology; Chair, Neuroscience Program
Nirupa Chaudhari, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physiology & Biophysics
W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D., Professor of Neurological Surgery and Neurology; Scientific Director of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
Robert Keane, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physiology & Biophysics
William H. Evoy, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Edward J. Green, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology
Zhongmin Lu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology
Phillip M. McCabe, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chair of Psychology
The Chairpersons of Biology and Psychology are ex officio members of the Steering Committee.
For More Information
For more information about the undergraduate neuroscience major, please contact:
Dr. David Wilson by email at: davidwilson@miami.edu or by phone at 305-284-6421
or
Dr. Victoria Noriega by email at: vnoriega@miami.edu or by phone at 305-284-1756
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