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Neuroscience - An Interdepartmental Major

Professor: Beltz (Director)

Assistant Professors:  Conway, Goldman, Tetel

Senior Instructor in Neuroscience: Paul

Neuroscience Advisory Committee: Ducas (Physics), Kolodny (Chemistry), Hildreth (Computer Science), Keane (Psychology), Peterman (Biology).

Neuroscience explores how the brain and nervous system function to generate behavior, emotion and cognition.  Neuroscience is highly interdisciplinary, integrating biology, psychology, chemistry, physics and computer science.  Exploring the complexity of the nervous system requires analyses at multiple levels.  Neuroscientists investigate how genes and molecules regulate nerve cell function (cellular/molecular neuroscience), explore how neural systems produce integrated behaviors (behavioral neuroscience), seek to understand how neural substrates create mental processes and thought (cognitive neuroscience) and use mathematics and computer models to comprehend brain function (computational neuroscience).  In studying how the brain and nervous system function normally, neuroscientists also hope to better understand devastating neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Links to course descriptions for each department:

Biology  Chemistry  Psychology  Neuroscience  Physics  Computer Science

For students entering the College in the fall of 2007 or later, the major in neuroscience offers three areas of concentration:

Students are expected to achieve competence in two of these three areas.  The figure below is a graphic explanation of the neuroscience major.

(click here for a larger version of the major diagram)

Core courses:

Majors must elect three 200-level courses from two of the three areas of concentration:

Additionally, majors must elect three 300-level courses from two of the three areas of concentration, at least one of which must be a laboratory course:

Any other 300-level courses must be specifically approved by the Director.  NEUR 250, 350,360 and 370 do not count towards the minimum major.  A minimum of 7 courses towards the major requirements must be taken at Wellesley.

For students entering the College prior to fall of 2007, a major in neuroscience must include the following:

Core courses

Majors must elect two 200-level courses from among the following:

Additionally, majors must elect two 300-level courses, at least one of which must be a laboratory course.

Acceptable 300-level courses are NEUR 300, BISC 302; CHEM 306 (in 06-07); CS 332, NEUR/BISC 306, 315, NEURO 320, 332, NEUR/PHYS 335; PSYC 315, 316, 318, 319.

Any other 300-level courses must be approved specifically by the director. NEUR 250, 350, 360 and 370 do not count towards the minimum major.  A minimum of 6 courses (a minimum of 6.75 units) towards the major requirements must be taken at Wellesley.

Normally no more than 3 units in neuroscience taken at other institutions may be counted towards the major.

Honors Projects
Senior thesis (NEUR 360/370) projects may be supervised by members of the various departments associated with the major. Students considering the senior thesis option are advised to consult with the Director of the Program during the fall of their junior year.
Students wishing to attend graduate school in neuroscience are strongly encouraged to take CHEM 211/212, CS 112, MATH 115/116 and physics through PHYS 106 or PHYS 108.