An increasing
number of colleges and universities offer an undergraduate
major in neuroscience. Students with such a major will
automatically have access to the course work and training
necessary to build a strong record for graduate study. Most
students that apply to graduate programs in neuroscience,
however, still come from traditional disciplines: biology,
chemistry, and psychology are common undergraduate majors. If
you have one of these backgrounds, you should prepare to take
several advanced courses in your junior and senior years. Most
graduate neuroscience programs expect applicants to have
completed at least one semester of organic chemistry as well
as courses in genetics, molecular or cellular biology, and
mammalian physiology. A course in brain and behavior
(behavioral neuroscience, physiological psychology, or
psychobiology) also is important, and many programs expect
applicants to pursue some advanced topics courses in this
general area. You also should take at least one course in
calculus and one in statistics.
Beyond these basic
courses, the type of undergraduate transcript that you develop
will depend, in part, on your interests and the type of
offerings available at your institution. Biochemistry,
computer science, cognitive science, developmental biology,
neuroethology, pharmacology, physics or electronics, and
experimental psychology can help round out the basic science
background you'll need for graduate study in neuroscience.
Courses that cover
such topics as the basic elements of experimental design and
the write-up of research reports represent other useful
additions to your transcript. Ideally, such courses should be
taken in your sophomore or junior year to ensure adequate
preparation for more advanced seminars or research courses in
which data analysis and laboratory reports are expected. It
also is a good idea to take courses that emphasize writing,
especially science writing. Far too many students apply to
graduate school with an adequate background in science courses
but with almost no experience in the craft that is the
hallmark of science. Poor writing skills can sink a
dissertation just as easily as inadequate or sloppy research.
In addition, because so much of science involves the oral
presentation of research results (e.g., at scientific meetings
and job interviews as well as at a dissertation defense), a
formal course in public speaking or courses that offer
opportunities for discussion or oral presentations in class
are extremely valuable.
Laboratory courses
also are helpful even if the topic is not directly related to
neuroscience. Laboratories in organic chemistry or molecular
biology, for example, provide valuable introductions to
research techniques. Laboratory courses that cover some
fundamental aspects of research on the nervous system are even
more appropriate. Such courses provide critical first-hand
experience with some basic research tools of neuroscience, but
they are no substitute for research experience in an actual
neuroscience laboratory..
