Behavioral Neuroscience, BS
Program Director: Althea Kaminske, Ph.D.
The Department of Psychology offers a program leading to the Bachelor of Science with a major in Behavioral Neuroscience. The Behavioral Neuroscience program provides students with a biological understanding of psychological phenomena. Coursework emphasizes an understanding of the nervous system at a cellular level, how the brain integrates information, as well as an understanding of a range of methodologies, animal models systems, experimental designs, and statistical tools used in 21st century behavioral neuroscience. The capstone course integrates the biological and psychological coursework by discussing and analyzing current topics in behavioral neuroscience.
This major will be of interest to students with a strong background in science who are interested in questions surrounding the brain and behavior. This major helps prepare students for graduate studies in healthcare professions, or masters or Ph.D. programs in research fields like neuroscience, neurobiology, biopsychology, or biology.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PSYC-101 | 3 | PSYC-102 | 3 |
| BIO-105 | 4 | BIO-106 | 4 |
| ENG-101 | 3 | ENG-102 | 3 |
| SBU-101 | 2 | SBU-102 | 1 |
| Foreign Language 201 | 3 | Foreign Language 202 | 3 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PSYC-201 & PSYL-201 | 4 | PSYC-202 & PSYL-202 | 4 |
| Behavioral Neuroscience Elective | 3 | Behavioral Neuroscience Elective | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning2 | 3-4 | BIO-350 | 3 |
| THFS-101 | 3 | General Education Requirement1 | 6 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
Behavioral Neuroscience Elective | |||
| 16-17 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| General Education Requirement 1 | 6 | General Education Requirements1 | 6 |
| General Electives | 6 | General Electives | 6 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | Select one of the following: | 3 |
Behavioral Neuroscience Elective | Behavioral Neuroscience Elective | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BNS-401 | 3 | Behavioral Neuroscience Elective | 3 |
| General Education Requirements1 | 6 | General Electives | 12 |
| General Electives | 6 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 121-122 | |||
| 1 | When a General Education requirement also fulfills a major requirement, General Elective credits are needed to reach the required 120 credits. |
| 2 | This requirement can be fulfilled by MATH-151 or any higher-numbered MATH course. |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | 52-53 | |
| BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE I and BIOLOGICAL SCI. I LAB | ||
| BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE II and BIOLOGICAL SCI. II LAB | ||
| INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| AN INTRO TO BIOPSYCHOLOGY | ||
| PSYC RESEARCH: METHODS & STATISTICS I and Psychological Reseach Lab I,PSYC RESEARCH: METHODS & STATS LAB I | ||
| PSYC RESEARCH: METHODS & STATS II and PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEACH LAB II,PSYC RES: METHODS/STATISTICS LAB II | ||
| NEUROBIOLOGY | ||
| PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR | ||
One Cellular Mechanisms elective | ||
One Evolutionary Developmental Biology elective | ||
One Behavior and Mental Processes elective | ||
Three additional major electives 1 | ||
Quantitative reasoning course 2 | ||
| Foreign Language 3 | 3 | |
| General Education Requirements | 37 | |
| General Electives | 28-29 | |
| Total Credits | 120-122 | |
| 1 | Chosen from among courses in the Cellular Mechanisms, Evolutionary Developmental Biology, and Behavior and Mental Processes elective areas. To ensure breadth of experience, no more than two of these three electives may be taken in any one area. |
| 2 | This requirement can be fulfilled by MATH-151 or any higher -numbered MATH course. |
| 3 | The foreign language must be at the level of 202 or higher. Students not prepared to begin at this level will need to take additional courses in language. |
The electives in the Behavioral Neuroscience major are grouped in the following three areas. Students must take at least one and no more than three total courses in each elective area.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Cellular Mechanisms | ||
| BIO-291 | GENETICS | 3 |
| BIO-292 | CELL BIOLOGY | 3 |
| BIO-472 | IMMUNOLOGY | 3 |
| BIO-494 | GENOMICS | 3 |
| Evolutionary Developmental Biology | ||
| PSYC-315 | ANIMAL BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| BIO-362 | ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BIO-390 | EVOLUTION | 3 |
| Behavior and Mental Processes | ||
| PSYC-215 | MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| PSYC-316 | HUMAN SEXUALITY | 3 |
| PSYC-330 | HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC-421 | SENSATION & PERCEPTION | 3 |
| PSYC-422 | COGNITION | 3 |
With approval of the director of the Behavioral Neuroscience program, students may fulfill one elective in the major with a mentored research project for which they receive PSYC-48x or BIO-318 BIO-319 BIO-418 or BIO-419 credit totaling at least three credit hours. The focus of this research project must be relevant to the field of Behavioral Neuroscience.
New courses relevant to Behavioral Neuroscience may be offered from time to time, often as Special Topics courses in Psychology or Biology. Such courses may fulfill Behavioral Neuroscience elective requirements with the approval of the Director of the Behavioral Neuroscience Program and relevant academic administrators.
Students working towards a major in Behavioral Neuroscience are strongly encouraged to take at least one semester of general chemistry with laboratory (CHEM-101 CHML-101 and/or CHEM-102 CHML-102.)