Neuroscience Minor

Department of Psychology
1121 Biology-Psychology Building
Phone: 301-405-5866
http://psyc.umd.edu

Program Director: Lori Kader, Associate Director for Undergraduate Studies

The minor in Neuroscience will give the highly qualified and motivated undergraduate an opportunity to study neuroscience. The emphasis includes study in systems, cognitive, and computational neuroscience in a manner that crosses the traditional boundaries of psychology, biological sciences, and other related disciplines.  The minor is most appropriate for students who already have a background in the biological sciences or psychology.

All majors are eligible for the minor except students in the Physiology & Neurobiology (PHNB) track in Biological Sciences (BSCI) and the Neuroscience major. There are a number of science course prerequisites for the required and elective classes. Students should carefully review the prerequisites for all courses listed for the Neuroscience minor.  A student without a sufficient science background may not be able to complete the minor in the allotted credits. Students may only count a maximum of two courses (6-8 credits) toward both their major degree requirements and the minor in Neuroscience.

Eligibility and Application to the Minor

In order to apply for the minor, a student must be in good standing with the university, must have completed at least 30 college credits and at least 15 credits at UMD, and must have earned a minimum grade of C- in the prerequisite courses.

Applications for the minor in Neuroscience will be considered three times each year on October 1, March 1, and June 1. Students will be notified via email regarding the status of their application within three weeks of the submission deadline so that students will know whether or not they are accepted prior to early registration for the next semester.

Interested students should submit applications electronically via the Psychology Undergraduate Program website at http://psyc.umd.edu/undergraduate/neuroscience-minor/.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Students should demonstrate understanding of the important concepts in neuroscience.
2. Students should be able to read and interpret experimental data from the primary literature.
3. Students should be able to effectively communicate their ideas and results in writing.

There are five required courses (15 credits) and two elective courses (6-8 credits) for a total of 21-23 credits to complete the minor.  The five required courses and their prerequisites are listed below¹.  All courses used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better. Students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average across all courses used to satisfy the minor requirements. 

Prerequisites

In order to apply for the minor, a student must be in good standing with the university, must have completed at least 30 college credits and at least 15 credits at UMD, and must have earned a minimum grade of C- in the following courses:

Minor Requirements

¹

Course prerequisites can be viewed by clicking on the course.

²

 A list of eligible electives can be found on the program website at psyc.umd.edu/undergraduate/neuroscience-minor.