The principal distinctions between the BA and BS programs are enrollment in faculty supervised research and additional required neuroscience courses.
Students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience by completing all the requirements for the BA, plus and additional 3 elective courses that include 1-3 quarters of faculty-supervised neuroscience research as an elective course. The research elective must result in a written thesis at the end of the academic year in which it is taken.
Students are encouraged to seek out laboratory experiences in their first and second years, but are only able to enroll in the research elective thesis course in third and fourth.
Neuroscience Thesis Research
To successfully enroll in the BS thesis course, NSCI 29100, students must obtain a Reading and Research form from their student advisor and have their faculty mentor sign off on the proposed thesis work. This form needs to be submitted to the Neuroscience Major’s administrative office for approval of the thesis proposal. If approved, the form then needs to be taken to the College Advising reception desk in Harper Memorial Hall in order to be enrolled in the thesis course.
Sign and approved forms must be submitted by the 3rd week of the quarter that the student wishes to enroll in the course.
By the completion of the academic year that the student has enrolled in NSCI 2910X, the student will:
Write a thesis
EITHER
A literature-based thesis will have a maximum of 20 pages, double spaced with 1-inch margins and 11-point font. The reference list should include at least 30 scientific journal articles. Format should be written in the style of a Neuron review article.
OR
An experiment-based thesis will be written in the format of the Journal of Neuroscience article (Abstract ≤250 words, Introduction ≤650 words, Discussion ≤1500 words).
The thesis must be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies for review and final grading before Friday of the 5th week of the student's graduating quarter. Faculty members outside of the student’s chosen lab will evaluate the thesis.
present their work
Each student must present a poster of their research in a symposium in the spring quarter of the year that they received elective credit. Posters are evaluated by Neuroscience faculty during the symposium and an award is given for the best poster each year.