BS in Behavioral Neuroscience

Behavioral Neuroscience focuses on the biological basis of behavior. The program combines the disciplines of biology and psychology to appreciate the scope of behavior and then understand how the behavior of humans and animals is controlled by physiological systems. Course work is designed to provide an understanding of nerve cells, chemical neurotransmission, and neural circuits as well as fundamental biological processes such as inheritance, development, and physiology and then to see how these biological mechanisms give rise to normal and pathological behavior. Students tailor their major to meet their specific interests by selecting six Behavioral Neuroscience CORE courses out of 14 possible offerings which focus on diverse specializations and current topics in the field. The curriculum for the major includes a strong background in biology, psychology, chemistry and mathematics and prepares students for higher degree granting programs in graduate or medical school. In addition, students with a bachelor’s degree are qualified for employment in a variety of fields from clinical and basic research to positions in health care or biotechnology. The Behavioral Neuroscience minor is a five-course academic minor requiring a minimum of 20 semester hours (SH) of study. The course selections are spread between the parent departments of the Behavioral Neuroscience Major (i.e., Psychology and Biology) and provide a wide background in the area of Behavioral Neuroscience. Students are required to take one intermediate-level foundational course and four Behavioral Neuroscience Core courses, two from each of the parent departments of the discipline. Students majoring in Psychology and Biology may minor in Behavioral Neuroscience. Learning outcomes: Students should be able to state examples of theoretical perspectives and major findings across broad areas of neuroscience, e.g., anatomical, behavioral, developmental, clinical, comparative, and computational. Students should be able to demonstrate a depth of knowledge in self-selected areas of study in behavioral neuroscience and develop testable research questions based upon this knowledge. Students should be able to read and critique scientific articles, demonstrate scientific writing skills, and deliver oral presentations. Students should be able to describe diverse forms of descriptive, correlation, and experimental research methods used in behavioral neuroscience and defend the use of these methods. Students should be able to apply research methods, experimental designs, and analysis techniques used to investigate scientific questions. Students should be able to analyze and interpret pre-existing or novel data and communicate the findings in both oral and written formats. Students should be able to describe ethical principles involved in conducting research in clinical vs. basic neuroscience, including issues pertaining to human subjects and animal care and use, and defend the significance and application of these principles to research problems. Students should be able to relate behavioral neuroscience with other disciplines, e.g., computer science, theoretical physics, health sciences, sport and society, sociology.