PhD Program

• BMS 509 PhD Program Laboratory Rotation, 4 credits
• BMS 510 PhD Program Laboratory Rotation, 4 credits
• BMS 514LEC Introduction to Scientific Investigation and Responsible Conduct, 2 credits
• BMS 515LEC Fundamentals of Biomedical Research I, 4 credits
• BMS 516LEC Fundamentals of Biomedical Research II, 3 credits

• BMS 509 PhD Program Laboratory Rotation, 4 credits
• BMS 510 PhD Program Laboratory Rotation, 4 credits
• BMS 511 Fundamentals in Biomedical Sciences - Critiquing Scientific Literature, 1 credit
• NRS 520 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, 4 credits

AND/OR

• PMY 516, Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology, 3 credits

Selection of Thesis Advisor

Summer Laboratory Rotations (Optional)

• NRS 524 Quantitative Neuroanatomy, 4 credits
• NRS 601 Research Seminar Evaluations, 1 credit
• Thesis Research, 9 credits*

• NRS 602, Seminars in Neuroscience, 1 credit
• Thesis Research, 12 credits*

Then, depending on what you took during Semester 2,

• PMY 516, Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology, 3 credits

OR

• NRS 520, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, 4 credits

Summer after Semester 4 — At the end of the second year you will prepare for the preliminary examination, which is a the submission of a modified grant proposal.  On successful completion of all required courses and the preliminary examination, you can apply to candidacy. At that time you will select a thesis committee that consists of a mentor and three other faculty.

Thesis Research, 1 credit*

*You should register for research credit under your home department's course number in your mentor's section. Some examples are PMY 751/752, BCH 701/702, and NEU 600. If your home department does not have such a course, the default is NRS 600. Contact the Graduate Program Coordinator or your department administrator with any questions. 

• BCH 503 Biochemical Principles (4 cr.)
• BCH 512 Developmental Genomics and Stem Cell Biology (2 credits)
• BIO 506 Signal Transduction (3 cr.)
• BIO 518 Integrative Neuroscience (4 cr.)
• PGY 505 Cell and Membrane Physiology (4 cr.)
• PGY 551 Human Physiology (3 cr.)/Recitation (1 cr.)
• PGY 552 Human Physiology II (3. cr)/Recitation (1cr.)
• PGY 607 Cellular and Molecular Basis of Disease (3 cr.)
• PSY 608 Advanced Statistical Methods II (3 cr.)
• PSY 629 Ingestive Behavior (3 cr.)
• PSY 634 Animal Behavior (3 cr.)
• PSY 715 Behavior Genetics (3cr.)
• PSY 744 Biological Rhythms in Behavior (3 cr.)
• PSY 813 Hormones and Behavior (3 cr.)

This is not an exhaustive list. Please consult with your mentor or the Director of Graduate Studies to help you choose the right courses.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) define what students will know and be able to do because they have successfully completed the PhD program in neuroscience. Assessment is conducted on a regular basis to determine to what extent students achieve the PLOs, to guide program modifications, and to improve teaching and learning practices.

• Students will be able to reframe the current challenges of understanding how the brain functions in development, health and disease to cultivate insights into how the brain controls behavior.
• Students will be able to integrate the organization of the central nervous system and the physiology and pathophysiology of disease and treatment of disease states to create an inclusive background of modern medical neuroscience
• Students will be able to apply the basic connectivity and anatomy of the human brain and how such connectivity may impact disease states.
• Students will be able to critically evaluate a wide variety of research topics and communicate their findings through multiple modalities
  
• Students will acquire an understanding of numerous laboratory techniques utilized in modern life science research and critically evaluate data generated to synthesize new knowledge and discoveries and deliver to the scientific community.
• Students will author and defend a thesis-dissertation based on designing and conducting an independent research experiment.
• Students will generate a hypothesis, demonstrate advanced research methods and the analyzation of results in the pursuit of generating new science and becoming experts in their field.