Neuroscience Major Requirements
The major in neuroscience offers three areas of concentration:
- Cellular and molecular neuroscience
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Systems and computational neuroscience
Students are expected to achieve competence in two of these three areas.
The major consists of the following courses:
Five Core Courses: 1) NEUR 100; 2) NEUR 200; 3) NEUR 300; 4) BISC 110, BISC 110P, BISC 112, BISC 112Y, or BISC 116; 5) And one of the following PSYC 105, PSYC 205, STAT 160, STAT 218 or ECON 103
Three 200-Level Courses* from at least two of the three areas of concentration:
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience: BISC 219, BISC 220, CHEM 211, CHEM 223, CHEM 227
- Cognitive Neuroscience: PSYC 215, PSYC 216, PSYC 217, PSYC 218, PHIL 215
- Systems and Computational Neuroscience: CS 232, MATH 215, PHYS 210, PHYS 216 (Class of '23 or before only), QR/STAT 260
*Note that many of these courses have specific prerequisites.
Three 300-Level Courses from at least two of the three areas of concentration, at least one of which must be a laboratory course:
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience: BIOC 325/CHEM 325, BISC 302+L, NEUR 305+L, NEUR 306/BISC 306, NEUR 315/BISC 315, NEUR 320, NEUR 332
- Cognitive Neuroscience: PSYC 314R, PSYC 315R, PSYC 316, PSYC 317, PSYC 319, PSYC 328, PSYC/CLSC 348
- Systems and Computational Neuroscience: NEUR 310+L, NEUR 325+L, NEUR 335+L, CS 305, CS 332
NEUR 240, NEUR 250, NEUR 250H, NEUR 340, NEUR 350, NEUR 350H, NEUR 360, and NEUR 370 do not count toward the minimum major. To learn more about these different opportunities for research for credit, check out the Neuroscience Department research booklet.
A minimum of eight courses toward the major requirements (including one 300-level laboratory course) must be taken at Wellesley. Normally no more than three units in neuroscience taken at other institutions may be counted toward the major. The courses must be specifically approved by the Chair.
Course descriptions for each department—Neuroscience, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, and Psychology—can be found in the course browser.