Neuroscience is an Interdepartmental Program administered jointly by the Department of Psychology and the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB).

Neuroscience (B.S.)

May be elected as an interdepartmental major, supervised by the Undergraduate Neuroscience Steering Committee

Effective Fall 2013

Exclusions: Students who elect a major in Neuroscience may not elect the following majors: Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Sciences; Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience; Biology, General Biology; Cell and Molecular Biology; Microbiology; Plant Biology; or Biochemistry. They may also not elect a minor in Biology; Plant Biology; Chemistry; or Biochemistry.

Student double majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience may share a maximum of 3 courses toward their two programs.


The overall goals of this major are to:

  1.  provide a course of study in the discipline of Neuroscience that integrates cell/molecular and behavioral components of the field; and 
  2. provide a course of study that better prepares students for graduate training in the field of Neuroscience than do the current majors in Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB), Biology, or Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN). 

An understanding of how the nervous system functions spans both molecular and cellular activity that is best taught by cell and molecular neurobiologists, and behavior that is best taught by psychologists. The well-trained student will receive instruction that allows her or him to understand the usefulness of genetics, cellular biology, and behavioral tests in this complex field. This degree will provide the cross-disciplinary training that will provide a head-start into postgraduate studies in Neuroscience.

Prerequisites to the Major

  • BIOLOGY 171 and 172/174; or BIOLOGY 195; or BIOLOGY 162 or 163; and
  • CHEM 210/211 and 215/216.

It is recommended that students interested in pursuing advanced training in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience elect MATH 115 and 116, CHEM 230, PHYSICS 125/126 & 127/128 or 140/141 & 240/241, or 135/141 and 235/241. Those interested in advanced training in Behavioral Neuroscience should take at least one Statistics course.

Students intending to go to graduate school should have at least two terms of research experience. These can appear as graded courses, UROP participation, or be independent of the graded curriculum. Most graduate school-bound students will have 1-2 graded research courses (2-4 credits/each) on record. Students intending to go to graduate school in Neuroscience within a CMB-type program will need research experience as well as two terms of Calculus and two terms of Physics. Students intending to go to medical school will need to take two terms of Physics and CHEM 230.

Program of study in a major

A minimum of 36 credits are required.

  1. Core:
    1.  Neurobiology: BIOLOGY 225 [This course should be taken as early as possible but no later than the end of the first term of the student's fourth year]
    2.  Genetics:BIOLOGY 305
    3.  Biochemistry:  one of MCDB 310, BIOLCHEM 415, or CHEM 351
    4.  Biopsychology:  PSYCH 230.
  2. Electives (6 courses, minimum 18 credits).
    1. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. At least two courses from the following:
      • MCDB 351, 352, 401 (appropriate sections), 402, 403, 418, 422, 426, 450, 455, 456
    2. Behavioral Neuroscience. At least two courses from the following:
      • PSYCH 240, 245, 345, 402 (appropriate sections*), 431, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 531, 532, 533;
      • ANATOMY 541
      • NEUROSCI 520
      • PHYSIOL 541.
    3. Additional Courses. Up to two courses from the following:
      • BIOLOGY 205,
      • MCDB 397,  401 (appropriate sections*), 405, 408, 411, 417, 427, 428, 435, 436, 441, 462, 469;
      • EEB 492;
      • PSYCH 346, 420, 430, 447, 531, 541;
      • STATS 250 or 400; or 401.

Additional elective courses may be approved as cognates by the department advisory panel.

*Appropriate sections have been communicated to the Registrar's Office for degree audit purposes.

  1. Lab requirement. At least two different courses for a minimum of five credits total from the following categories, with at least one course being a Methods-Based laboratory:
    1. Method-Based Laboratory courses:  Choose at least one course from:
      • PSYCH 231/UC 261;
      • BIOLOGY 226;
      • MCDB 306, 308, 419, 423, 429.
    2. Research-Based Laboratory Courses: 
      • MCDB 300, 400;
      • PSYCH 326, 331, 332, 422, 424/426.
    • Note:  Each course must be taken for a minimum of two credits each and be completed in a single academic term. Only three credits of independent study may count toward the major program.
  2. Quantitative Requirement Cognate. Two courses are required. (While 100-level courses may be used to satisfy this requirement, the credits for 100-level courses may not be used toward the minimum number of credits required for the major.)
    • STATS 250 (or 350) or 400 (only allowed if not used in Group C)
    • STATS 401 or 405 (only allowed if not used in Group C)
    • PSYCH 448
    • MATH 115 or 185
    • MATH 116 or 186
    • PHYSICS 125 or 135 or 140 or 160
    • PHYSICS 126 or 235 or 240 or 260.

Honors Plan

The Neuroscience B.S. degree is the basis for the Honors degree in Neuroscience. Students must elect two terms of independent research (under PSYCH 424 & 426, MCDB 300, or MCDB 400), maintain an overall and GPA in the major of 3.4, complete an Honors thesis and give a research presentation based on their Honors work.

Prior to applying to the Neuroscience Honors Program students must identify a research mentor from the approved Neuroscience Honors Thesis Sponsor/Co-Sponsor Faculty list. Students may conduct Honors research with faculty in other units on the University of Michigan campus who are not on this list, but must have a formal co-sponsor relationship with a faculty member who is on the approved list.

Students apply to the Honors Program in Neuroscience by submitting a Neuroscience Honors Application with a research proposal. Honors applications are due by November 1, March 1, or July 1 for graduation in fall, winter or summer term, respectively. Students are encouraged to apply early, preferably by the end of the second week of the term that the Honors thesis will be submitted. Upon approval by the chair of the Neuroscience Steering Committee students are declared into the Honors plan. Honors theses must be submitted by December 1, April 1, or August 1 of the term of graduation.

Written evaluations of the Honors thesis must be submitted by the mentor and up to two faculty readers. Honors theses must be submitted no later than one calendar month prior to the date of graduation.


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