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 (CNS) confers the BS degree in Neural Science (there is no BA degree for this major, nor is there a minor).
Honors Program
Students are eligible to apply for honors once they have declared the major in Neural Science. They must maintain both a major and an overall GPA of 3.65.
The honors program requires 6 credits over and above the requirements of the standard Neural Science major. In the fall semester of senior year, students seeking honors must complete NEURL-UA 301 Honors Seminar (2 credits). They must also take one laboratory course: either NEURL-UA 211 Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology Lab (offered only in the fall; 4 credits) or NEURL-UA 221 Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Lab (offered only in the spring; 4 credits). Admittance to the seminar and laboratory courses is assured and required only for students in the honors track. These courses do not double-count toward the neural science electives required for the major.
In the spring of senior year, students must present a paper at both the College’s annual Undergraduate Research Conference and the CNS Undergraduate Research Conference. They also submit an honors thesis for review by their faculty sponsor and the director of undergraduate studies.
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) completed with a grade of C or better (courses graded Pass/Fail do not count). Prehealth students must take, in addition to the requirements below, 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, CHEM-UA 881 Biochemistry I, and other recommended courses. These courses are not required for the major in Neural Science.
Special Topics in Neural Science (Major Elective: 3 of 3)
4
Elective
4
Elective
4
Elective
4
Credits
16
8th Semester/Term
Elective
4
Elective
4
Elective
4
Credits
12
Total Credits
128
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
Policies Applying to the Major
Students should meet with a Neural Science adviser as early in their NYU career as possible (freshman year is recommended) and check in regularly to make sure they are on track.
Students must earn a least a C in all courses that count toward the Neural Science major (or are prerequisites for major courses) except for NEURL-UA 100 Introduction to Neural Science, in which they must earn at least a B- to declare the major and proceed to advanced coursework.
NEURL-UA 100 Introduction to Neural Science can only be taken once. It cannot be repeated. (All other courses can be repeated following CAS's repeat policies.) It 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 within a total of four years.
Neural Science majors must forfeit any AP, IB, A-Level, or other test credit earned in Biology or Chemistry and take those required courses for the major.
We do not accept AP, IB or other exam scores as a replacement for BIOL-UA 11 Principles of Biology I or BIOL-UA 12 Principles of Biology II. Students must have taken Biology I and II at NYU, or, if they took them at another university, those transfer courses must appear on their NYU transcript (or be reported in Albert) and they must have email documentation that the Department of Biology approved the transfer courses as equivalent.
An AP Statistics score of 4 or higher may be applied toward the major's statistics requirement. An AP Calculus score of 4 of higher may be applied toward the major's Calculus I requirement. Any AP (or equivalent) credit that a student wishes to apply toward the statistics and/or calculus requirement must have been previously approved by the University and appear on the student's NYU transcript (or be reported in Albert).
Transfer courses may not exceed one-half of the required coursework for the major. Transfer students must contact a Neural Science adviser as soon as they are admitted to the program for evaluation of their transfer credits. Transfer courses in calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology must be evaluated by the appropriate departments, and those decisions must be communicated back to the Neural Science adviser.
Any NYU courses applied toward the major that are not offered by the College of Arts and Science (UA) or the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GA) do not count toward the 64-credit residency requirement in CAS courses that all students must satisfy to graduate. Transfer students must pay close attention to this graduation requirement and should check with an adviser if they have questions.
Neural Science Electives Requirement
Students must take three elective courses in Neural Science. Approved options include:
NEURL-UA 305 Development and Dysfunction of the Nervous System
NEURL-UA 310 How to Build a Brain: From Channels to Networks
NEUR-SHU 270 Computational Neuroscience: From Bayesian Analysis to Neural Network Models.
Additional semester-by-semester offerings in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi may also apply toward the major. Please check with a major adviser to confirm before enrolling.
Requirement of One Upper-level Course in Either Psychology or Biology
Most prehealth students choose BIOL-GA 1045 or CHEM-UA 881.
Neither PSYCH-UA 25 or PSYCH-UA 9025 Cognitive Neuroscience will count.
Many of these courses have additional prerequisites beyond the requirements of the Neural Science major; students must check these as early as possible.
Requirement of One Course in Statistics
Approved options include:
AP Statistics score of 4 or higher on the student's NYU transcript (or reported in Albert)
Introduction to Neural Data Analysis (when offered under NEURL-UA 302 Special Topics in Neural Science
) may count either as a Neural Science elective requirement or toward the statistics requirement (but not both).
Students may petition to substitute other statistics courses on a case by case basis. DS-UA 111 Principles of Data Science I and any Quantitative Reasoning course in the College Core Curriculum are not acceptable substitutions for this requirement. Most students choose PSYCH-UA 10 Statistics for The Behavioral Sciences.