Dynamical Neuroscience

Dynamical Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that is focused on the study of how the nervous system generates perception, behavior and cognition. It is a computational approach that goes beyond traditional structure/function correlations.

Its subdisciplines include such areas as molecular and cellular biology, genetics, computer science, artificial intelligence, nonlinear systems, statistical processes, physics and aspects of psychology. The UCSB campus has superb standing faculty in all of these academic disciplines.

At UCSB, we have 14 core faculty spanning seven departments who conduct research and provide education in dynamical neuroscience. We are excited to offer this program, which incorporates the individual strengths of existing faculty and builds upon the significant intellectual activity that is already in place in quantitative approaches to biological phenomena at UCSB.

Core Courses (16 units):

The required Dynamical Neuroscience core series consists of four 200-level, 4-unit courses, one each in engineering and mathematics, and two in psychological and brain sciences, plus the 1- unit Dynamical Neuroscience graduate seminar. The core courses are:

1. ECE 230A/ME 243A. Linear Systems I
2. MATH 214A. Ordinary Differential Equations
3. PSY 265. Computational Neuroscience
4. PSY 269. Neuroanatomy or MCDB 251. Neurobiology I
5. DYNS 592. Graduate Seminar Dynamical Neuroscience (1 unit per quarter)

Four Elective Courses (16 units):

Four additional courses will be required to be taken during years two and three of the program. These courses will be individually selected from the following list by the student under advice and consent by his/her mentor and approved by the steering committee.

• CMPSC 225/ECE 205A – Information Theory
• CMPSC 234 – Randomized Algorithms
• CMPSC 265 – Advanced Topics in Machine Intelligence
• CMPSC 281B/ECE 281B – Advanced Topics in Computer Vision
• ECE 230B/ME 243B – Linear Systems II
• ECE 235 – Stochastic Processes in Engineering
• ECE 236 – Nonlinear Control Systems
• MATH 214B – Chaotic Dynamics and Bifurcation Theory
• ME 215A – Applied Dynamical Systems I
• ME 215B – Applied Dynamical Systems II
• PHYS 219 – Statistical Mechanics
• PHYS 223C – Concepts and Phenomena of Condensed Matter Physics
• PSTAT 207A-B-C – Statistical Theory
• PSTAT 213A-B-C – Introduction to Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes
• PSY 221E – Statistical Analysis of fMRI Data
• PSY 228 – Perception
• PSY 231 – Cognitive Neuroscience
• PSY 232 – Neuroimaging

Students who enter the program with a Master's, or other, degrees for which they took graduate-level courses that are similar to those required for the Ph.D. in Dynamical Neuroscience may petition to receive subject credit for previously taken courses if the student received a grade of B or higher.

Research Requirements:

Dynamical Neuroscience students will be assigned to a faculty supervisor prior to matriculation, and they will conduct research under faculty supervision throughout the tenures of their graduate program.

Requirements

• Online application: https://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/eapp
• Statement of Purpose, Personal Achievements/Contributions, and Resume or CV (submitted in the online application)
• Three Letters of Recommendation (submitted online)
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended (submitted online)
• Recommended: Unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, uploaded as a single PDF document in the online application.
• GRE General test scores
• TOEFL scores 550 Paper-Based Test (PBT), 80 Internet-Based Test (IBT) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Overall Band score of 7 or higher (if applicable)
• Final/Official transcripts will be required for all applicants who are admitted and have indicated their intent to enroll at UC Santa Barbara by submitting a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). UC Santa Barbara reserves the right to require official transcripts at any time during the admissions process, and rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between uploaded and official transcript(s) are found.

Scholarships

All students in the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Dynamical Neuroscience who are in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward the degree can expect financial support while at UCSB. We offer financial packages that are competitive with other major institutions, in the form of a combination of fellowships, graduate student researcher and teaching assistantships. After the first year of study, students typically are supported through their faculty mentor's research grants as Graduate Student Researchers with a stipend plus payment of fees, tuition and health insurance. Continuing graduate students are eligible to apply for campus-based fellowships as well as off-campus fellowships to supplement their teaching or research assistantship income.