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Program Description
Neural science spans multiple disciplines for studying the function of the brain. Experimental approaches in neural science vary from analyses of molecular and cellular mechanisms in nerve cells and groups of nerve cells to behavioral and psychological studies of whole organisms. Theoretical tools include mathematical and computational modeling approaches that have proved useful in other areas of science. Experimental questions include issues related to biophysical and neurochemical mechanisms within single nerve cells, functional neural circuits consisting of small numbers of neurons, the behavior of large systems of neurons, and the relationship between the activity of elements of the nervous system and the behavior of organisms. The Center for Neural Science confers the B.S. degree in neural science (there is no B.A degree for this major, nor is there a minor).
Honors Program
To graduate with honors in neural science, students must achieve a GPA of 3.65 in both the major and overall.
In the fall semester of their senior year, students seeking honors must complete NEURL-UA 301 Honors Seminar. In the spring of their senior year, they must present a paper at the College’s annual Undergraduate Research Conference and the department’s Undergraduate Research Conference and submit an honors thesis that is accepted by the faculty sponsor and the director of undergraduate studies.
Admittance to the laboratory courses associated with NEURL-UA 210 Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology and NEURL-UA 220 Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience is assured and required only for students in the honors track.
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Program Requirements
The neural science major comprises fifteen courses (63 credits), outlined below.
Prehealth students must take, in addition to the above, BIOL-UA 123 Principles of Biology Laboratory, PHYS-UA 11 General Physics I, CHEM-UA 225 Organic Chemistry I & Laboratory, CHEM-UA 226 Organic Chemistry II & Laboratory, and CHEM-UA 881 Biochemistry I. These courses are not required for the major in neural science.
AP or other advanced standing credit is only accepted for the calculus and statistics requirements. This is on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by a neural science adviser.
A grade of B- or higher in NEURL-UA 100 Intro to Neural Science is the prerequisite to declaring the major (a grade of C or better is required for all other courses in the major). Exceptions may be made for students taking NEURL-UA 100 Intro to Neural Science in the spring of sophomore year; however, they must earn a B- or better in NEURL-UA 100 Intro to Neural Science to remain declared.
Note: NEURL-UA 100 Intro to Neural Science is offered only in the spring term. Students may take it as early as their first year if they are well-prepared and their schedules permit it, but taking it in the spring of their sophomore year does not endanger their ability to complete this major and graduate in two more years.
Students should meet with a neural science adviser as early in their NYU career as possible (freshman year is recommended).
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:
- Foundational knowledge in the field of Neural Science, including molecular, cellular, developmental, systems, cognitive, behavioral, and computational approaches to understanding the brain.
- The ability to conduct and utilize research.
- Skills in critical reading, quantitative analysis, clear writing, and verbal presentation.
Policies
Program Policies
Elective Courses
Students may replace 4-credit degree electives with 2-credit electives as necessary to graduate with the minimum 128 credits.
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
College of Arts and Science Policies
A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.