U-NEUR-BS - Neuroscience (BS)

Ten courses in major (eight of ten courses must be 200-level or higher; one or more must be laboratory and methods; one or more must be a seminar at the 350 level or higher). Only two Independent Scholarship or Research Independent Study courses may count as electives. BS majors may only count one intersection course. No more than two of the ten courses required for the major may be used to satisfy the requirements of another major, minor, or certificate.

Corequisites. Foundational coursework is required in the disciplines of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics that may be completed concurrently with courses in the major. In biology, one of the gateway courses, Biology 201L (Gateway to Biology: Molecular Biology) or Biology 202L (Gateway to Biology: Evolution & Genetics) or Biology 203L (Gateway to Biology: Molecular Biology, Genetics & Evolution) or its equivalent, will satisfy the corequisite. A score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advance Placement Test in Biology can also be used to satisfy this corequisite. In chemistry, one general chemistry course-Chemistry 101DL (Core Concepts in Chemistry) or Chemistry 110DL (Honors Chemistry: Core Concepts in Context)- or equivalent, will satisfy the corequisite for the neuroscience major. A score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advance Placement Test in Chemistry can also be used to satisfy this requirement. For Computer Science, one of the following courses (or its equivalent) will fulfill the corequisite: Neuroscience 103L (Computing and the Brain), Computer Science 101L (Introduction to Computer Science), Computer Science 102L (Interdisciplinary Introduction to Computer Science), Engineering 103L (Computational Methods in Engineering), or the equivalent. A score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advance Placement Test in Computer Science A or Computer Science Principles can also be used to satisfy this corequisite. For mathematics, two terms of calculus or equivalent are required for the BS degree. The first semester calculus requirement can be satisfied by Mathematics 21 (Introductory Calculus I) or Mathematics 111L (Laboratory Calculus I) or Mathematics 121 (Introductory Calculus I), or Mathematics 105L (Laboratory Calculus and Functions I) and Mathematics 106L (Laboratory Calculus and Functions II). A score of 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Test in Calculus AB or a 4 or better in Calculus BC suffices for the first term of calculus. The second semester calculus requirement can be satisfied by: Mathematics 22 (Introductory Calculus II) or Mathematics 112L (Laboratory Calculus II) or Mathematics 122 (Introductory Calculus II) or Mathematics 122L (Introductory Calculus II with Applications). A score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Test in Calculus BC fulfills the corequisite for both terms of calculus. In physics, two terms of algebra- or calculus-based physics are required, which may be satisfied by one of the following three sequences or their equivalent: Physics 141L (General Physics I) followed by Physics 142L (General Physics II), or Physics 151L (Introductory Mechanics) followed by Physics 152L (Introductory Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics), or Physics 161L (Introductory Experimental Physics I), followed by Physics 162L (Introductory Experimental Physics II). A score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Tests for each component of the pair of yearlong Advanced Placement physics courses (AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based and AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based, or Physics C: Mechanics and Physics and Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism) will fulfill this corequisite in its entirety. A score of 4 or 5 on just one of these Advanced Placements tests will satisfy just the corresponding term of physics (first term: AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based or Physics C: Mechanics; second term: AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based or Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism). The physics requirement may also be satisfied by a two-course sequence in college-/university-level physics taken away from Duke that is pre-approved prior to enrollment by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience (may be algebra-based physics or calculus-based physics; credit need not transfer back to Duke).

Gateway Course. Neuroscience 101/102 (Biological Basis of Behavior: Introduction and Survey) is the gateway to the major.

Core Courses (two courses required). There are two core courses in the major in neuroscience that reflect different levels of inquiry described above: Neuroscience 223 (Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology), which focuses on cellular processes and synaptic mechanisms of neural signaling; and Neuroscience 212 (Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience), which focuses on cognition and the brain basis of behavior. Neuroscience 223 and 212 may be taken in any order.

Laboratory/Methods Courses (one course required). Neuroscience majors are required to understand the methods of scientific inquiry for investigating the structure and function of the nervous system. Any one of the following courses will satisfy this curricular requirement: Neuroscience 103L (Computing and the Brain), Neuroscience 104L (Interdisciplinary Introduction to Computer Science), Neuroscience 301L (Bioelectricity), Neuroscience 376 (Contemporary Neuroscience Methods), Neuroscience 378L (Perception and the Brain), Neuroscience 379L (Comparative Neuroanatomy), Neuroscience 380L (Functional Anatomy of the Human Brain), Neuroscience 381LA (Sensory Physiology and Behavior of Marine Animals), Neuroscience 382L (Functional Neuroimaging), Neuroscience 383L (Brain Waves and Cognition), Neuroscience 385L (Integrative Neuroscience Laboratory), Neuroscience 388LS (Experiments in Animal Models of Human Neurodegenerative Disease), Neuroscience 502 (Neural Signal Acquisition), Neuroscience 503 (Computational Neuroengineering), Neuroscience 511L (Intermediate Bioelectricity), or Neuroscience 515 (Neural Prosthetic Systems).

Statistics (one course required). Neuroscience majors are required to acquire competency in the elements of statistical design and practice that support the analysis and interpretation of neuroscientific data. Any one of the following courses will satisfy this curricular requirement: Statistical Science 101 (Data Analysis and Statistical Inference), Statistical Science 102 (Introductory Biostatistics), Statistical Science 104 (Data Analysis and Statistical Inference - Online), Statistical Science 110FS (Focus Program - Introductory Special Topics in Statistics), Statistical Science 111 (Probability and Statistical Inference), Statistical Science 130 (Probability and Statistics in Engineering), Statistical Science 230 (Probability),  Psychology 204L and Psychology 205L (Quantitative Research Methods and Statistics for Psychological Science, 1 & 2), or Biology 304 (Biological Data Analysis).

Electives (five courses required). Neuroscience majors are required to explore the breadth and depth of the field by fulfilling five course requirements in neuroscience, with no more than one elective at the 100 level or below and at least one elective being a seminar course (350S or above). No more than one elective may count from a set of neuroscience courses that explore the intersection of the brain sciences and other disciplines (e.g., Neuroscience 289 (Music and the Brain); see website for complete list of intersection courses). Seminar, small- lecture, and laboratory elective offerings are drawn from a dynamic list of approximately fifty courses that are offered by multiple departments in Trinity College, as well as departments in the School of Medicine and the Pratt School of Engineering. Only two Independent Scholarship or Research Independent Study courses may count. See the Psychology and Neuroscience website for the current list of elective offerings.

No more than two of the 10 courses required for the Major (not including corequisites) may be used to satisfy another academic plan.

For the BS2 Degree for BME Majors in the Pratt School of Engineering

All of the requirements for the BS degree listed above must be met with the following changes: Biomedical Engineering 301L/Neuroscience 301L (Bioelectricity) is required and will satisfy the laboratory/methods requirement. BME Majors pursuing a Second Major (BS2) in Neuroscience should take a BME-recommended Statistics course. Of the five additional neuroscience electives, no more than two electives may be cross-listed between neuroscience and biomedical engineering.