Neuroscience Courses / Curriculum Overview

The Graduate Program in Neuroscience is a component of the Integrated Studies Program (ISP) of the Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences. The training program leading to the Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience consists of required and elective (2) courses, presentations in journal clubs and research forums, laboratory research rotations, and thesis research. During the first year, students are introduced to research training by completing 4 eight-week laboratory research rotations with different ISP faculty. The rotations are designed to provide research experiences in multiple ISP faculty laboratories and to teach students research design, hypothesis development and research techniques. In year two, a detailed research plan is developed in consultation with the neuroscience student advisor (Dr. Michele Jacob) and a committee composed of neuroscience faculty. Students meet regularly with committee members to receive guidance and feedback on thesis research. Click here for the Thesis Committee Meeting Progress Report form.

Students are required to take core and elective courses during the first 2 years of study. Courses emphasize the basic science disciplines, including biochemistry/molecular biology, anatomy/cell biology, physiology, neuroscience and genetics. Neuroscience students take the Ph.D. qualifying exam during the second year of study.

The focus of the first year is on didactic course work. First-year students take graduate-level biochemistry (Biochem. 223) and a year long course (CNP 209/210) emphasizing cellular and molecular neuroscience, cell biology, developmental biology and physiology. In addition, students conduct lab rotations during the first year and participate with other ISP students in journal clubs and seminars. In later years, students attend weekly neuroscience seminars and participate in neuroscience journal club and the monthly neuroscience evening presentations.