Neuroscience

The Neuroscience Program is an interdisciplinary and highly individualized Ph.D. program. Students have varied backgrounds but typically have undergraduate degrees in psychology, biology, electrical engineering, or computer science. The Neuroscience Program guides students to become productive, scholarly neuroscientists with access to careers in academic research, medicine, industry or non-research careers such as law, policy, or journalism. A joint M.D./Ph.D. program is available. The faculty have broad and diverse research interests; areas of particular strength include aging, brain plasticity, cognitive functions, neurogenomics, molecular bases of development and disease, and neuroengineering. Integrative and collaborative studies that bridge two or more labs are encouraged.

Because of the breadth of the fields in this program, the coursework is tailored to the student's fields of interest as declared by a major and at least two minor areas of concentration from among those listed above. A faculty committee of representatives from the major and minor areas will then meet regularly with the student to plan coursework and research experience. The goal of this plan is to allow maximum flexibility while providing students with close guidance. Courses and laboratory research experience are supplemented by weekly seminars in neuroscience.

Other Requirements1

Requirements

• The Neuroscience Program welcomes applications from research-oriented students with strong qualifications and laboratory experience. Our program is particularly suited to students who are ready to dive into research. We make every effort to recruit and accept applicants who are well matched to our program, and a student is normally admitted to work with a specific faculty mentor. We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2014.
• Communication with one or more faculty members whose research programs are of interest to the applicant is strongly recommended.
• Applicants should have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 (4.0 = A) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate study.
• Research experience is highly desirable.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required of all applicants for the Ph.D. There are no strict cutoffs for GRE scores. The MCAT is required for applicants to the Medical Scholars Program, and for them the GRE requirement is waived.
• Students are accepted from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Students typically have strong preparation in several of the following: biology (including cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, physiology, and behavior), psychology (especially experimental and physiological), biochemistry, physics, engineering and mathematics.
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement
• Transcripts
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are also required for International students. (International students with a TOEFL score of less than 570 will not be considered.).

Scholarships

• Currently the beginning stipend for Neuroscience students is $22,660 per year, increasing to $24,701 in the fourth year and beyond
• NEURON: Novel Education for Understanding Research On Neuroscience
• NSP Fellowships