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Neuroscience

Neuroscience Advisory Committee: Professors Baird, Raskin†, Trapani (Chair); and Turgeon.

Affiliated Faculty: Professors Clotfelter and Goutte.

The Neuroscience major consists of science courses in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology, plus senior comprehensives, which includes attending neuroscience seminars and a written comprehensive examination. Neuroscience majors may also choose to do a senior honors research project in the laboratory of a Neuroscience faculty member or affiliated Biology faculty member (and in some cases a faculty member from UMass). Neuroscience majors must preregister for all courses they will use to satisfy requirements for the major, rather than assume they will be guaranteed entry into a course during the add/drop period if they did not preregister for it (e.g., you must preregister for NEUR 301 and/or NEUR 351). Courses in which a student has not received a letter grade better than "D" are not counted towards the Neuroscience major.

To receive Advanced Placement in a neuroscience course, you must have fulfilled the following requirements:

  • Chemistry: with a Chemistry AP score of 4 or 5, follow the recommendation made during orientation (many students with AP credit still take CHEM 151).
  • Math: you may place out MATH 111 with a score of 4 or 5 on the AB exam or a 3 on the BC exam. In this case, you still need to satisfy the Physics/Mathematics requirement with a higher-level course.
  • Biology: you may place out of BIOL 191 with a score of 5 on the Biology AP exam. In this case you must substitute BIOL 251 or BIOL 291 for BIOL 191 requirement.

 Neuroscience majors must complete the following requirements:

 1)      General science requirements:

 Chemistry: All of the following:

  • CHEM 151 (or 155)
  • CHEM 161
  • CHEM 221 (most majors also take CHEM 231)

 Biology:

  • BIOL 191
    • note: BIOL 181 is optional for Neuroscience, but should be considered by students in the second semester of their freshman year that are considering majoring in Biology or Neuroscience but haven't decided between them yet.

 Statistics: One of the following:

  • STAT 111 (formerly MATH 130) -or-
  • STAT 135 (formerly MATH 135) -or-
  • STAT 230 (formerly MATH 230) -or-
  • BIOL 210 -or-
  • PSYC 122

   Physics/Mathematics: At least two of the following courses:

  • PHYS 116, 117, 123, 124
  • MATH 111, 121, 211
  • If you have Advanced Placement in any of these subjects, take more advanced
  • MATH 111 or Advanced Placement (at least 4 on AB or 3 on BC) is a prerequisite for CHEM 161 and PHYS 117.
  • The Statistics requirement above is a separate requirement and does not count towards this Physics/Math

 (2)     Introduction to Neuroscience course

 For the class of 2019 and 2020, the following course must be taken in the Spring semester of your sophomore year:

  • NEUR 226 Introduction to Neuroscience

 Beginning with the class of 2021, Neuroscience Majors will take the following two courses instead of NEUR 226.

  • PSYC 212 Behavioral Neuroscience with lab
  • BIOL 227 Neurobiology (non lab)
    • Note: The PSYC 212 course must be taken in the spring semester of your sophomore year. The BIOL 227 course may be taken in the fall of either sophomore or junior year.

 (3)     Upper-level Behavioral Neuroscience

 One of the following:

  • PSYC 325 Psychopharmacology
  • PSYC 356 Neurophysiology of Motivation
  • PSYC 359 Hormones and Behavior

 (4)     Upper-level Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience

 One of the following lab courses:

  • BIOL 301 Molecular Neurobiology with laboratory
  • BIOL 351 Neurophysiology with laboratory

 (5)     Electives

 Two additional upper-level elective courses, chosen as follows:

 GROUP A (at least one course must be chosen from the following courses)

  • An additional behavioral neuroscience course from item (3) above
  • An additional molecular/cellular neuroscience course from item (4) above
  • BIOL 350 Neurophysiology without lab
  • BIOL 450 Seminar in Physiology
  • PSYC 361 Consciousness and the Brain
  • NEUR 425 Proseminar: Systems Neuroscience
  • A Five College neuroscience course that is approved by the Neuroscience faculty

 GROUP B (a second elective may be chosen from Group A or from the following courses)

  • BIOL 250 & 251 Molecular Genetics (w/ and w/out lab)
  • BIOL 331 Biochemistry with lab
  • BIOL 330 Biochemical Principles of Life at the Molecular Level
  • BIOL 220 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 241 Genetic Analysis
  • BIOL 260 Animal Physiology
  • BIOL 270 & 271 Microbiology (w/ and w/out lab)
  • BIOL 380 & 381 Genome Biology (w/ and w/out lab)
  • BIOL 291 Cell Structure and Function
  • BIOL 370 Immunology
  • BIOL 310 Structural Biochemistry
  • BIOL 280 & 281 Animal Behavior (w/ and w/out lab)
  • CHEM 351 Physical Chemistry I
  • CHEM 361 Physical Chemistry II
  • PHYS 225 Modern Physics
  • PHYS 400 Molecular and Cellular Biophysics (also called BIOL 400 and CHEM 400)
  • PSYC 233 Cognitive Psychology
  • PSYC 234 Memory
  • PSYC 236 Psychology of Aging
  • PSYC 357 History of Psychiatry
†On leave fall semester 2018-19.
 

213 Neuroscience: Systems and Behavior

(See PSYC 213)

214 Neurobiology

(See BIOL 214)

226 Introduction to Neuroscience

(Offered as NEUR 226 and PSYC 226) An introduction to the structure and function of the nervous system, this course will explore the neural bases of behavior at the cellular and systems levels. Basic topics in neurobiology, neuroanatomy and physiological psychology will be covered with an emphasis on understanding how neuroscientists approach the study of the nervous system. Three class hours plus a discussion hour and three hours of laboratory per week.

Requisite: PSYC 212 or BIOL 181 or 191. Limited to 36 students. Spring semester. Professors Baird and Trapani.

2023-24: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018

325 Psychopharmacology

(See PSYC 325)

350 Neurophysiology

(See BIOL 350)

356 Neurophysiology of Motivation

(See PSYC 356)

367 Human Neuroscience

(See PSYC 367)

390, 490 Special Topics

Research in an area relevant to neuroscience, under the direction of a faculty member, and preparation of a thesis based upon the research. Full course.

Fall and spring semesters. The Committee.

Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2024

498, 499D Senior Departmental Honors

Research in an area relevant to neuroscience, under the direction of a faculty member, and preparation of a thesis based upon the research.

Spring semester. The Committee.

Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025

Departmental Courses

301 Molecular Neurobiology

(See BIOL 301)

351 Neurophysiology with Lab

(See BIOL 351)

450 Seminar in Physiology: Classic Papers in Neurophysiology

(See BIOL 450)

Senior Departmental Honors Courses

498D, 499 Senior Departmental Honors

Research in an area relevant to neuroscience, under the direction of a faculty member, and preparation of a thesis based upon the research.

Spring semester. The Committee.

Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025
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