Neuroscience Studies

Mark Pitzer, Ph.D., psychological sciences and Jacqueline Van Hoomissen, Ph.D., biology, co-directors

Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary area of study that brings together courses in psychology, biology, philosophy, health sciences, and history in seeking to understand how the brain and nervous system acquire, process, and integrate information from the environment, how this information brings about complex behaviors of the organism, and how this impacts our understanding of the nature of the human person.

Learning Outcomes for Neuroscience Studies Minors

1. The student will be able to describe the basic anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, and application to and limitations in explaining the implications of neuroscience in higher functions such as learning, emotions, sexual behavior, memory, language, mental illness, and conceptions of freedom, consciousness and moral responsibility.
2. The student will be able to describe neuroscience phenomena at the molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral levels. This may include how external influences such as emotional experience, pre- and post-natal environment, and drug abuse alter the function and development of the nervous system.
3. The student will be able to critically evaluate the implications of neuroscience for the nature of the human person.

15 upper-division credit hours are required for the minor, in addition to any prerequisites.

In fulfillment of the minor, students must take at least 12 of the required 15 credit hours of upper-division coursework outside their designated major. Students and advisors should note that only 3 credit hours can overlap between a major and minor. Typically, psychology majors will take 6 credit hours of biology electives and biology majors will take 6 credit hours of psychology electives.