Graduate Programs

Behavioral Neuroscience

Course Requirements

Courses

1. Six CORE Courses (no choices)

(Three credits each = 18 of the required 48 total course credits)

830:521 Research Design & Analysis I
830:522 Research Design & Analysis II
830:543 Conditioning and Learning
830:567 Nervous System & Behavior I
830:568 Nervous System & Behavior II
830:One additional course or seminar in Learning/Neural Plasticity (cannot be Non-thesis Research and cannot also be used to fulfill requirement #2)

2. Four Additional courses (Choose any combination of Electives and Seminars.)

Electives use lecture/examination format. Seminars involve critical discussion of literature via student presentations and participation, rather than a lecture/examination format.

Electives

Chosen from the following, partial list. Additional courses not listed below may be deemed appropriate but should be approved by both your primary advisor and the Behavioral Neuroscience area coordinator.

BN

830:556 Human and Animal Aggression
830:558 Psychopharmacology: Theory & Practice
830:579 Biopsychology of Behavioral Development
830:591 Functional Neuroanatomy
830:591 Psychoneuroimmunology
830:591 Behavioral Endocrinology
830:591 Hormones & Behavior
830:661 Neuroscience Internship

Psychology

830:507 Developmental Research Methodology
830:514 Sensation & Perception
830:546 Memory and Attention
830:566 Assessment & Treatment of Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
830:580 History & Systems of Psychology

Other

067:502 Physiology & Reproduction
115:501 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
148:503 Cellular & Molecular Endocrinology
215:546 Behavioral Genetics
709:552-553 Nutrition: A Biochemical & Physiological Basis
718:522 Pharmacology
761:501-502 Mammalian Physiology
761:544 Neuronal Development
761:546 Neuroendocrinology
761:555 Neurobiology

Seminars

830:631, 632, 635, 636, 646 Seminars in Behavioral Neuroscience offered in recent years include the following:

Autism
Behavioral Endocrinology
Behavioral Pharmacology
Neurobiological Implications of Animal Cognition
Structure & Interpretation of Scientific Inquiry
Introduction to Neuropsychological Assessment
Limbic System Anatomy & Behavior
Neural Plasticity & Behavior
Emotion & Motivation
Dopamine
Neuroethological Approaches to Behavior
Critical Analysis of Research Design
Neuroendocrine Responses to Stress

3. Additional Courses (18 of the required 48 total course credits)

The remaining 18 course credits, chosen according to the student’s interests, comprise any combination of

1. Advanced Studies in Psychology: (830: 503; 504; 3 credits each) Reading and individual study, involving written and oral reports. By arrangement on an individual basis with a faculty member.
2. Non-thesis Research Courses: (830: 501; 502; variable credit) Course credit for research not directly related to Master's or Doctoral Theses. or
3. Additional Electives or Seminars (see above).

4. Research in Psychology: (830: 701; 702; variable credit)

Research credit (usually after the first year) for research directly related to Master's or Doctoral Theses.

Curriculum Requirements for the Master's Degree

To obtain the Master of Science degree, a Behavioral Neuroscience student must have completed at least 6 research credits (830: 701; 702) and 24 course credits (including at least 15 course credits from CORE courses; no more than 6 non-thesis research credits may be counted toward the Master’s degree).