Neuroscience

Degree

Bachelor of Science with a major in Neuroscience
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Contact

Dr. Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour

jstiegler@une.edu

 

Mission

Psychology Programs offer students a broad-based liberal arts education with an emphasis on community, social and individual approaches to understanding human behavior. Students are thus exposed to a combination of theoretical, scientific and practical approaches to solving human problems. Issues of gender, race, class, and culture are emphasized in courses throughout the curriculum. As a result of required course work and internship experiences, the programs graduate students with marketable skills that prepare them for entry-level positions in social services or for graduate study in related areas. As part of this mission, we offer three majors: psychology, neuroscience, and animal behavior.

Major Description

A bachelor of science degree in Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary major offered by faculty from various departments and colleges with expertise in neuroscience. The neuroscience curriculum offers students an opportunity to explore the structure and function of the nervous system. The major requires a general science background, a number of courses specifically devoted to the brain and nervous system, and an in-depth experience that explores the limits of knowledge in at least one aspect of neuroscience. The major allows considerable flexibility for students to develop the last two years along the lines of individual preferences and interests, with potential foci in areas of cellular/molecular neurobiology, behavioral neuroscience, or cognitive science. The majority of students who graduate with a degree in Neuroscience enter graduate or professional programs culminating with careers in medicine/health care, research, and/or education.

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core Requirements Credits
Math Core Requirement must be MAT 190-  Calculus I
One SGA course must be PSY 250
Lab Science Requirement must be BIO 105
42-46
Program Required Courses Credits
PSY 105 - Introduction to Psychology 3
PSY 225 - Psychology Statistics or MAT 150 - Statistics for Life Sciences 3
NEU 205/205L - Introduction to Neurobiology 4
NEU 306/306L - Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience 4
NEU 410 - Neurobiology of Mental Illness 3
NEU 495 - Neuroscience Lab Research or NEU 300 - Internship 3
Total 58–63
Neuroscience Electives (3) Credits
BIO 106/106L - Biology II: Cellular/Molecular 4
CHE 110/110L - General Chemistry I 4
CHE 111/111L - General Chemistry II 4
CHE 210/210L/210S or CHE 210G/210LG/210LS - Organic Chemistry I 5
CHE 211/211L/211S or CHE 211G/211LG/211SG - Organic Chemistry II (CHE 310/310L may substitute for CHE 211) 5
PHY 110 - General Physics I 4
PHY 111 - General Physics II 4
Total 9–13
Minimum Required Total Credits 120

Electives

Each student will choose three elective courses. No more than two may be chosen from either list A or B. No course counted as an elective may simultaneously satisfy program requirements.

List A
Course Credits
BIO 214 /214L - Genetics 4
BIO 245/245L - General Principles of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology I 4
BIO 322 - Comparative Animal Physiology 3
BIO 330/330L - Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy 4
BIO 340/340L - Embryology 4
BIO 345/345L - General Principles of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology II 5
BIO 365 - Immunology 3
BIO 370 - Cell and Molecular Biology 3
BIO 407 - Developmental Biology 3
BIO 450 - Biology Topics (with program approval) 3
CHE 405 - Medicinal Chemistry 3
List B
Course Credits
PSY 226 - Motivation and Emotion 3
PSY 245 - Evolutionary Psychology 3
PSY 205 - Abnormal Psychology 3
PSY 275 - Introduction to Techniques in Animal Behavior 3
PSY 285 - Research Methods 3
PSY 316 - Psychology of Consciousness 3
PSY 325 - Psychology of Aging  3
PSY 335 - Comparative Animal Behavior or BIO 335 Animal Behavior/Behavioral Ecology 3
PSY 362 - Animal Cognition 3
PSY 370 - Drugs, Society, and Behavior 3
PSY 380 - Learning/Conditioning and Behavior Modification or PSY 384/ 384L - Animal Learning and Behavior or PSY 382/ 382L - Animal Learning and Behavior 3-4
PSY 383 - Memory and Cognition 3
PSY 425 - Advanced Methods in Animal Behavior 3
PHI 370 - Philosophy of Psychology 3
PHI 380 - Philosophy of Mind 3

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

Academic and Technical Standards

A grade point average of 2.25 is necessary to be approved to add a major in Psychology, Animal Behavior, or Neuroscience, and to add a minor in Psychology, Animal Behavior, Neuroscience, Art Therapy, or MHRT/C. Double majoring or majoring and minoring within the Department of Psychology may be possible for a student. However, students interested in this option should do so with close consultation of their academic advisor to ensure that a substantial degree of overlap between the two areas does not occur. Given the significant overlap between the Med Bio major and the Neuroscience major, this double major combination will not be approved.

A minimum grade of "C-" must be achieved in all courses used to fulfill the requirements for the Neuroscience major. Students must also complete the University Core mathematics requirement by the end of the first year. The department strongly recommends that students take PSY 225 or MAT 150 in their sophomore year. The department requires that PSY 225 or MAT 150 be completed by the end of the junior year. See Undergraduate Academic Policy also.

Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Neuroscience at UNE will be able to

  1. Demonstrate a broad foundation in the concepts and methodologies of the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience at the cellular, molecular, cognitive, systems, and behavioral levels.
  2. Demonstrate research skills including the ability to design experiments, and collect, analyze, and interpret data through research projects, lab work, internships, and coursework.
  3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills by analyzing and evaluating neuroscience primary literature.
  4. Communicate in written and oral format scientific information in an organized and clear manner.

Minor

A student with a GPA of at least 2.25 and a major at UNE may minor in Neuroscience with the approval of the assistant academic director. Declarations must occur prior to the completion of the first semester of the junior year. Major programs of study with significant course overlap with Neuroscience minor requirements may be disallowed by the chair. Students declaring a minor in Neuroscience will not be allowed to double-dip credits across the minor and either major or core requirements (unless no other options are provided by the major, minor, or core requirements). 

A minimum of 25 hours of approved course credit with a minimum grade of "C-" in each course is required for the minor in Neuroscience as follows:

Course Credits
PSY 105 - Introduction to Psychology 3
BIO 106/106L - Biology II: Cellular/Molecular 4
CHE 110/110L - General Chemistry I 4
CHE 111/111L - General Chemistry II 4
NEU 205/205L - Introduction to Neurobiology 4
NEU 306/306L - Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience 4
NEU 410 - Neurobiology of Mental Illness 3
Minimum Credits 26

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor. 

Transfer Credit

Courses completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program. Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the required courses offered at UNE in order to count as exact equivalents. Otherwise, they may transfer as general electives. All courses completed must be no older than five years. Other restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions also.

Admissions

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This Catalog documents the academic programs, policies, and activities of the University of New England for the 2021–2022 academic year. The information contained herein is accurate as of the date of publication April 30, 2021.

The University of New England reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its programs, calendar, or academic schedule whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable, including changes in course content, the rescheduling of classes with or without extending the academic term, canceling of scheduled classes or other academic activities, in any such case giving such notice thereof as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

While each student may work closely with an academic advisor, he or she must retain individual responsibility for meeting requirements in this catalog and for being aware of any changes in provisions or requirements.