Education in Neuroscience
PhD Program
The PhD in Neuroscience is an interdepartmental program that is entered from a participating department. The program has a "track" structure, with each track tailored to the needs of students in particular subdisciplines. Currently there are tracks in: a) Behavioral Genetics, b) Behavioral Neuroscience, c) Clinical Neuroscience, d) Cognitive Neuroscience, e) Integrative Physiology, f) Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Neuroscience, g) Social Neuroscience and h) Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.
All students in Neuroscience are required to complete a set of common core courses, with the remaining courses being specific to each track. There are currently 75 participating faculty members and new tracks are expected to be added. The details of the course requirements as well as the nature of the Comprehensive Examination and Thesis can be found by expanding the guidelines immediately below.
| Requirement | Provides | Expected normal progress |
|---|---|---|
| Core courses | Breadth and Integration: Introduction to fundamentals of neuroscience; survey and integration of various disciplines contributing to neuroscience; study and exchange of neuroscience research methods and results; an interdisciplinary student cohort | The Survey and Integration of Neuroscience I (NRSC 5100) and II (NRSC 5110) courses will be completed by the end of Year 2. Participation in the Advances in Neuroscience (NRSC 6100) Research Seminar (3 semesters) may be completed at any time, but in most cases will be completed by the end of Year 3 |
| Neuroscience depth/focus courses | Advanced expertise in several of the fundamental areas of neuroscience | These 3 additional neuroscience courses should be completed by the end of Year 3 |
| Neuroscience-related discipline specialization | Expert specialization in a neuroscience-related discipline | All additional specialization courses should be completed by the end of Year 4 |
| Doctoral thesis | State-of-the-art independent research contribution to neuroscience | Prospectus: end of Year 3; Thesis: end of Year 5 |
Neuroscience PhD graduation worksheet
Students apply for admission to one of the participating departments and their admission to CU Boulder and financial support is determined by that department. Once in residence, students are able to enter the combined Neuroscience PhD program while still maintaining their "home" in the department to which they were admitted. Students who complete the combined Neuroscience PhD Program receive a single diploma that indicates both the home department's major and the Neuroscience major with specialization in the student's track.
Students with prior graduate course work at other institutions (including other CU campuses) can petition to have a maximum of two prior courses (6-8 credits) count towards their graduate courses in the combined Neuroscience PhD program at CU Boulder; students can elect to have their courses count for a maximum of one depth course and one specialization course towards the combined Neuroscience PhD degree. The Neuroscience program graduate committee will determine the equivalency of the proposed course transfer, and these requests must be done within 5 years of completing the course to be transferred.
Steps for applying to the combined Neuroscience PhD Program:
- Identify a participating home department in which you would like to reside. Remember that students are required to fulfill all of the PhD requirements of the home department in addition to the Neuroscience PhD requirements.
- Apply to the Home Department:
- Behavioral Genetics (Integrative Physiology Department; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience)
- Behavioral Neuroscience (Department of Psychology and Neuroscience)
- Clinical Neuroscience (Department of Psychology and Neuroscience)
- Cognitive Neuroscience (Department of Psychology and Neuroscience)
- Integrative Physiology Department
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Neuroscience (MCD Biology Department)
- Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department
- Social Neuroscience (Department of Psychology and Neuroscience)
- If admitted to one of these participating graduate programs, you will have the opportunity within your first 2 years of graduate school to declare your intention to obtain a combined Neuroscience PhD.
- One word of caution: not all faculty members within a participating department are participating members of the Neuroscience PhD program. In order to obtain a Neuroscience PhD, the student's research advisor must be a participating member of the Neuroscience Program, and the student's doctoral dissertation project must have a predominant neuroscience theme. Thus, we recommend identifying specific neuroscience faculty that reside within the desired home department during the application processs, and determining the likelihood, that if admitted into that department's graduate program, that one of these faculty will be available to serve as your research advisor.
For more information please contact Dr. Zoe Donaldson:
Zoe.Donaldson@colorado.edu
Undergraduate Education
As of a few years ago, it is possible for undergraduates to major in neuroscience at CU Boulder. This major is overseen by faculty in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, though some students double major in disciplines like Biology or Integrative Physiology as well. To find out more about the major, visit the Psychology and Neuroscience advising website.
Introduction
The Neuroscience Certificate encourages undergraduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder to take courses in basic science while providing a means to specialize in neurosciences. Since this area of the biological sciences is cross-disciplinary, interdepartmental course selection is possible and encouraged. Applicants must satisfy the requirements of: 1) the parent department of their major, 2) their college's core curriculum, and 3) the Neuroscience Certificate. They then receive an undergraduate degree in their parent department with certification in neuroscience. Award of the Certificate appears on your CU transcript.
Benefits of the Certificate
What do you gain by getting a certificate in neuroscience? Although the certificate is not equivalent to a major, it does demonstrate that you have completed an academic program beyond the major and one which demonstrates that you have interdisciplinary breadth in neuroscience. Given the requirements and standards set for the certificate, its award also demonstrates that you are among a select group of of highly motivated undergraduates at CU Boulder. You can and should cite this award on your résumé.
Getting Started
If you are interested in applying for a Neuroscience Certificate, it is a simple process. Please fill out the online application form to declare your intent to complete the certificate. You are highly encouraged to declare your intent before you fulfill the requirements for the certificate.
For more information about the certificate:
- Send email to Professor Heidi Day, Director of the program, or contact her directly
- Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the certificate
- See the requirements for the Neuroscience Certificate