what to do with phd in neuroscience

• Doing a PhD in Neuroscience

What Does a PhD in Neuroscience Focus On?

Neuroscience is the study of the structure and function of the nervous system. Neuroscientists investigate how the nervous system works and also study factors which can influence the behaviour of the nervous system. Such factors include neurological, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.

A PhD in neuroscience provides a wide range of advantages for people that are already studying in the field. It allows you to focus your postgraduate study, work with cutting edge technology, operate within leading research departments, and pursue specialist neuroscience jobs upon completion of your research project.

It should be noted that there are many research projects which are focused on a specialist area of neuroscience. Subsequently, other relevant doctoral degrees include (but are not limited to):

• PhD in cognitive neuroscience – A PhD in cognitive neuroscience offers a unique opportunity. It teaches you how the brain functions chemically and neurologically. A PhD allows you to investigate the role of neurotransmitters, chemical compounds that send messages across the synapses of the brain. These compounds control the behaviour of the neurons and influence all the other functions of the brain. When they are working the way they’re supposed to, the brain is behaving normally.
• PhD in behavioural neuroscience – Also known as biological psychology, biopsychology, or psychobiology. Behavioural neuroscience includes the study of psychological and neural mechanisms which affect behaviour (e.g. genetic or psychiatric) and neurological disease.
• PhD in computational neuroscience – Computational neuroscience is a growing field and uses computers to simulate the brain. Computational neuroscience candidates should be well versed in the emerging technologies of this field to contribute to the field’s progress, and may have a background in mathematics, physics, artificial intelligence, or computer science rather than biology. A PhD in computational neuroscience may see a PhD student develop personalized treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
• PhD in clinical neuroscience – A postgraduate degree in clinical neuroscience focuses on the nervous system in relation to health and disease. A research project in this field may involve the development of novel techniques to diagnose and treat disorders of the human brain or central nervous system.

Other popular neuroscience research areas in include molecular neuroscience, neuroengineering, neuroimaging, neurolinguistics, neuroinformatics, and neurobiological study.

Entry Requirements for A PhD in Neuroscience

The typical neuroscience PhD research project requires applicants to have, or expect to obtain, an upper second class (2:1) bachelor’s degree in a related subject area. In some cases, a lower second class (2:2) bachelor’s degree is sufficient if the graduate has a master’s degree or other relevant experience. For international students, overseas equivalent qualifications are almost always accepted. Since the focus of a research project can vary greatly, relevant subjects can be decided on an individual basis.

Of course, PhD in neuroscience requirements vary across different institutions, and some projects may have subject specific entry requirements, e.g. a PhD in computational neuroscience may require the graduate student to have basic programming knowledge.

Universities typically expect international graduate students to provide evidence of their English Language ability in addition to their application. English language requirements are usually provided in the form of a IELTS, TOEFL (iBT) or CAE and CPE score. The exact score requirements may differ from university to university. Any English language qualifications will be clearly stated as part of the application process.

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A next-generation genetic technology to identify biotechnologically-valuable enzymes and transporters, development of fluorescent organic molecules for application in super-resolution imaging techniques, ubiquitin-dependent signalling pathways in ageing, speciation in facultatively sexual species, energy dissipation in human soft tissue during impacts, how long does it take to get a phd in neuroscience.

In the United Kingdom, a standard PhD research project in neuroscience requires 3 to 4 years of full-time study. A part-time neuroscience programme typically takes 6 to 7 years to complete. A neuroscience MPhil typically takes 1 to 2 years of full time study.

Students pursuing careers in this field may undertake additional training courses, aimed to develop independent research, communication and project management skills. Courses in these areas will give students an excellent foundation in which to begin their careers.

There are also laboratory rotations and specialised training modules for doctoral students within some PhD programmes, which may include developmental psychology, developmental biology, brain sciences, clinical neuroscience, cell biology, medicine, biomedical sciences, genetics, pharmacology, neurophysiology, cognitive science and neurology .

Costs and Funding

Annual tuition fees for PhDs in neuroscience are typically around £5,000 – £6,000 for UK students. Tuition fees for overseas students are typically around £25,000 – £35,000 per academic year. Tuition fees for part time programmes are typically scaled down according to the programme length (for both home and international tuition fees).

Some neuroscience PhD programmes also have additional costs to cover laboratory resources, travel, fieldwork, department administration and computational costs.

Many Universities offer postgraduate studentships or doctoral loan schemes which cover the tuition fees and in some cases the living costs for neuroscience PhD programmes.

PhD in Neuroscience Career Paths and Jobs

If you are wondering what to do with a PhD in neuroscience, there are many options you can explore. PhD in neuroscience jobs require specialist knowledge, and the typical neuroscientist salary in the UK reflects this. However, the average salary of a neuroscientist varies greatly due to the broad range of industries they can operate in. Generally a senior neuroscientist salary in the UK is around £50,000 per annum, however salaries can exceed £100,000 depending on the specific role. For example a cognitive neuroscientist salary in the UK may be greater than that of a cellular neuroscience researcher. It is also possible to use your PhD to find work internationally as some countries may provide employment opportunities which improve upon neuroscience salaries in the UK.

Many PhD in neuroscience careers are within the academic world, as often postgraduate students choose to become lecturers, professors and researchers. Here they can continue to lead research into their field of interest and can help shape future postgraduate study. Neuroscience professors and lecturers can expect a generous salary. Higher education institutions are not the only destination available for postdoctoral researchers. Government lead research councils such as the BBRSC are one of many employers which contribute to academia.

Other PhD students look for neuroscience jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, where they can use their specialist knowledge and skills in the lab to understand how developmental drugs affect the nervous system.

Another popular career destination is within public engagement. As a scientific communicator, you are responsible for educating the general public on neurological matters and often take governmental or advisory roles. There are many NHS jobs that facilitate these responsibilities.

Typically, a PhD in neuroscience salary is higher than that of a counterpart with an undergraduate degree only. This is because the specialist knowledge a PhD graduate student has allows them to innovate and lead. A PhD programme also usually involves some manner of project management which lends itself to management roles.

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Neuroscience Ph.D. Program

Our Neuroscience Ph.D. Program is one of the best in the nation, and prepares students to become independent researchers, educators and trainers making significant contributions across all aspects of the field.

Program Overview

Our program combines rigorous coursework and sound training in the fundamentals of neuroscience, including the integrated study of nervous system function and disease, with opportunities for state-of-the-art research. 

Please reach out to Bruce Carter if you have any questions about the Neuroscience Ph.D. Program or the application process.

Bruce Carter

Director of Graduate Studies in Neuroscience

Associate Director for Education and Training, Vanderbilt Brain Institute Professor of Biochemistry

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We foster the development from trainee to independent research scientist and educator.

Individualized Attention

With 81 graduate students and 64 training faculty, our excellent student-teacher ratio results in extensive opportunities for interaction and exchange of ideas in a relaxed and collegial atmosphere. Our distinguished training faculty stem from diverse fields such as Psychology, Biochemistry, Molecular Physiology, and Pharmacology and capture the multidisciplinary nature of modern neurobiological inquiry.

Career Outlook

Graduates of our department are superbly prepared for a variety of career options in both academia and industry. Each student's program is designed to provide a broad-based education in neuroscience, yet accommodate individual needs and interests to allow students to become creative, independent scientists.

Students holding degrees in the biological or physical sciences, psychology, or biomedical engineering are especially encouraged to apply to the Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, but applicants from other fields will be considered.

Areas of Concentration

The Neuroscience Ph.D program offers two areas of concentration. Students have the option to emphasize either Cellular & Molecular or Cognitive & Systems neuroscience, preparing each trainee for a future in which neuroscientists must be able to navigate from molecules to cells to neural systems and behavior.

Cognitive & Systems

This path provides doctoral training with emphasis on cognitive neuroscience, sensory-motor systems, neuroimaging, neural development, synaptic plasticity, neurobiological basis of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, and targeted gene disruption in transgenic animals to ascertain the function of neural genes and establish disease models.

Cellular & Molecular

This path provides doctoral training with emphasis on neurogenetics and genetic dissection of neural development, molecular aspects of synapse formation and plasticity, structure and regulation of ion channels and transporters, targeting and signal transduction, psychotropic drug action, the molecular basis of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, and targeted gene disruption in transgenic animals to ascertain the function of neural genes and establish disease models.

Cellular & Molecular Application Tip

Students with broad biomedical interests are encouraged to apply through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences instead of directly through the Neuroscience Ph.D. Program. This pathways provides a strong foundation in biomedical science prior to matriculation into neuroscience.

Students begin their first year with a general course in graduate level cellular and molecular biology and then begin specialized courses in Neuroscience in the spring semester of their first year.

Grants and Awards

University Tuition Scholarships are service-free awards that pay all or part of tuition costs. The following graduate awards are normally supplemented by a full University Tuition Scholarship, which usually includes student health insurance coverage:

• University Fellowships
• Graduate Teaching Assistantships
• Graduate Research Assistantships
• Traineeships
• Teacher Training Awards

The current stipend level for 2023-2024 is $36,500. In addition, applicants may be nominated at the time of application for Harold S. Vanderbilt graduate scholarships and other awards, which provide an additional stipend of up to $10,000 per year to students of exceptional accomplishment and high promise.

Training in Fundamental Neuroscience T32 Grant

The Neuroscience Graduate Program receives invaluable support from the "Training in Fundamental Neuroscience" NIH T32. Over 70 mentors across 22 departments within 4 schools and colleges are available to train students, with 65+ Neuroscience trainees earning PhDs in the past 5 years. Over 60 trainees have been supported by the T32 since its inception, with over a third subsequently securing their own fellowship funding. Program graduates have gone on to leadership positions in academia, industry, and additional research-related fields, providing a rich alumni network across multiple career tracks. The program includes works-in-progress seminars by all Neuroscience trainees, invited external seminar speakers including several suggested or hosted by trainees, and an annual retreat.

Graduate students interested in joining the training program should contact Dr. Bruce Carter, Associate Director for Education & Training and Director of Graduate Studies for the VBI.

Faculty interested in becoming T32 preceptors should contact Dr. Rebecca A. Ihrie or Dr. Lisa Monteggia, VBI Director.

Rebecca A. Ihrie

Associate Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology and Neurological Surgery

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Graduate students in the Neuroscience Graduate program receiving Vanderbilt University financial support or services must devote full-time effort to graduate study. Students cannot accept jobs for pay within or outside the University unless prior approval is given by their advisor, their Director of Graduate Studies, and the Dean for the Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training. Exceptions to this rule include part-time internships and activities that contribute to career development and that do not exceed the time commitment outlined by the National Institutes of Health, service as course associates at Vanderbilt, and occasional and temporary part-time pursuits (e.g. house sitting). Engagement in outside employment without obtaining approval may result in loss of financial aid, including stipend.

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Best Neuroscience PhD Programs: Careers, and More [2024]

Are you looking for the best neuroscience PhD programs of 2024? You’re lucky because I have compiled the best neuroscience PhD programs list. Before we get into the individual programs, let’s first dive into what neuroscience is.

Neuroscience is a branch of biological science studying the brain, emphasizing its biochemistry, molecular biology, psychology, and anatomy to understand human and animal behavior. It offers an in-depth understanding of brain diseases and abnormalities so we can develop solutions using studies with neuroscientific models.

An expert neuroscientist can make significant contributions to society, and a PhD in neuroscience will equip you to pursue a prestigious career in the field. According to Salary Expert , the average annual salary of neuroscience PhD holders is $113,946. That number is expected to rise to $129,991 by 2028, making this one of the highest-paying PhDs .

Ready to find your dream PhD program in neuroscience? Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Best Neuroscience PhD Programs

Harvard university, harvard medical school.

Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience (PiN)

The Neurobiology Department of Harvard Medical School is the first research department in the world to take an interdisciplinary, systemic approach to studying the human brain. This program is one of the more competitive PhDs in neuroscience and offers a wide range of electives in a flexible format. Students can easily balance their coursework and lab work with hybrid and online learning.

• Courses : Quantitative methods for biologists, rotations in neuroscience, and discipline of neuroscience.
• Duration : 3 years or more
• Delivery : On-campus
• Tuition : Full funding
• Financial aid : Full tuition/stipend support, health insurance, childcare support, parental support, and travel allowance.
• Acceptance rate:  5%
• Location : Boston, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Brain and Cognitive Sciences PhD Program

MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences claims to produce the world’s sharpest and most innovative brain scientists. This PhD program enables students to pursue cutting-edge research that seeks to push the boundaries of neuroscientific knowledge.

• Courses : Molecular & cellular neuroscience, computational cognitive science, and statistics for neuroscience research.
• Duration : 5 years plus
• Tuition : $29,875 per term
• Financial aid:  Scholarships, loans, and health insurance.
• Acceptance rate : 7.3%
• Location : Cambridge, Massachusetts

Stanford University, School of Medicine

Neurosciences Ph.D. Program

Stanford is one of the leading research universities in the world. This PhD program is one of 14 “Biosciences Home Programs” offered by the institution’s School of Medicine. One of the best neuroscience PhD programs the USA provides, it enables students to design their post-graduate studies by working collaboratively with an extensive network of faculty and labs.

• Courses : Responsible conduct of neuroscience, neuroscience systems core, and neurogenetics core.
• Credits : 135 units
• Duration : 5 years
• Tuition : Refer tuition page
• Financial aid: Fellowships, grants, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and veteran benefits.
• Acceptance rate : 5.2%
• Location : Stanford, California

Princeton University, Graduate School

Ph.D. in Neuroscience

Princeton University is a globally acclaimed school with a long list of Nobel laureates and other honors. This one in our list of the best neuroscience PhD programs emphasizes hands-on experience, encouraging students to apply the concepts they learn in lectures in the lab.

• Courses : Cellular & circuits Neuroscience, computational neuroscience, and Statistics for Neuroscience.
• Tuition : $59,710 per year
• Financial aid : Fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, external funding, travel grants, veteran benefits, and loans.
• Acceptance rate : 5.6%
• Location : Princeton, New Jersey

Yale University, School of Medicine

Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program

Yale is another world-renowned university with several cultural centers to preserve the institution’s unique cultural identity. This interdepartmental PhD program is called a “department without walls” as it allows students to explore every aspect of neuroscience with the help of over 100 faculty members from more than twenty departments.

• Courses : Principles of neuroscience, foundations of systems neuroscience, and bioethics in neuroscience.
• Duration : Up to 7 years
• Tuition : $48,300 per year
• Financial aid : Fellowships, awards, research assistantships, loans, and travel funds.
• Acceptance rate : 6.5%
• Location : New Haven, Connecticut

The University of California San Francisco, Weill Institute for Neurosciences

Neuroscience Graduate Program

The University of California San Francisco is a big name committed to diversity and follows the JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) approach to promote a positive campus environment. This post-graduate program allows students to work collaboratively with faculty members across various departments who are well-known names in their respective fields.

• Courses : Cellular & molecular neuroscience, systems & behavioral neuroscience, and computational neuroscience.
• Duration : 4 – 6 years
• Tuition : $11,442 per year
• Financial aid : Fellowships, awards, grants, and teaching assistantships.
• Acceptance rate : 3.7%
• Location : San Francisco, California

Brown University

Brown University is located in the culturally diverse city of Providence, Rhode Island. The program emphasizes intellectual freedom and has an “Open Curriculum” system at the undergraduate level, which confirms this. This PhD in neuroscience program involves various experimental approaches, including a Graduate Partnership Program (GPP) with NIH (National Institutes of Health).

• Courses : Advanced molecular & cellular neurobiology, advanced systems neuroscience, and neuroanatomy.
• Tuition : $8,207 per course
• Financial aid : Full funding, stipend, health insurance, grants, fellowships, and teaching assistantships.
• Acceptance rate : 7.7%
• Location : Providence, Rhode Island

Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

Neuroscience Training Program

The Neuroscience Department at Johns Hopkins University was one of the country’s first academic centers for Neuroscience. Its PhD program is well-regarded, offering students ample opportunities for lab rotations, a wide selection of electives, and seminar series from eminent national and international scholars.

• Courses : Neuroscience cognition, quantitative methods for the brain sciences, and neuron models.
• Duration : 3 years plus
• Tuition : Full tuition, stipend, and benefits
• Financial aid:  Fellowships, loans, scholarships, and grants.
• Acceptance rate : 11.1%
• Location : Baltimore, Maryland

California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering

Neurobiology Graduate Program

Caltech is a private institution dedicated to excellence in technological education and research. This Ph.D. program allows students to conduct advanced research in molecular mechanisms of nervous system development, the evolution of the brain and behavior in primates, neuroscience of brain disorders, and neuro-engineering.

• Courses : Tools of neurobiology, molecular, cellular, and developmental neurobiology, and circuits, systems, and behavioral biology.
• Credits : 54 units (6 quarter courses)
• Tuition : $56,364 per year
• Financial aid : Teaching assistantships, fellowships, loans, research assistantships, and full funding.
• Acceptance rate : 6.7%
• Location : Pasadena, California

The University of Chicago, Biological Sciences Division

PhD Program in Computational Neuroscience

The University of Chicago is a renowned institution that has pioneered neuroscience research by eminent scientists like K. C. Cole, Stephen Polyak, and Jack Cowan. The school’s PhD in Computational Neuroscience offers an in-depth understanding of how various neural components affect human and animal behavior.

• Courses : Cellular neurobiology, methods in computational neuroscience, and behavioral neuroscience.
• Tuition : $19,035 per quarter
• Financial aid : Grants, fellowships, awards, stipends, and research assistantships.
• Location : Chicago, Illinois

What Do I Need to Get a PhD in Neuroscience?

You’ll need an undergraduate degree in biological sciences or a related field. Some programs may also require a master’s in a relevant field; others may ask for GRE scores as part of the application process. You must complete coursework, research, and a dissertation paper throughout the program, meet teaching requirements and seminars, and pass qualifying examinations.

What to Consider When Choosing a Neuroscience PhD Program

Neuroscience is a highly specialized field that often involves interdisciplinary research. Therefore, looking for programs offering specializations in your areas of interest and with faculty members who are experts in these fields is essential. It’s also vital to consider applicable tuition, other fees, location, and whether the program offers the type of study you want (on-campus, online, or hybrid learning).

Once you decide on the best neuroscience PhD program for you, laying some groundwork is a good idea. This will help you create a more robust application and better prepare for the program. Read up on the latest neuroscience research and think about potential subjects for your dissertation. Build your sector network and start making connections that will help you with your studies and beyond.

Why Get a Doctorate in Neuroscience?

A doctorate in neuroscience can make you a valuable expert in one of the top branches of the biological sciences. You’ll have plenty of opportunities in this field to perform exciting, valuable, and innovative research.

This advanced degree will also qualify you for many well-paid roles, including:

• Medical Science Liaison ( $149,911 )
• Senior Clinical Research Associate ( $114,764 )
• Neuroscientist ( $81,661 )
• Research Scientist ( $87,532 )
• Program Director, Healthcare ( $87,780 )
• Assistant Professor, Postsecondary/Higher Education ( $73,907 )

PhD in Neuroscience: Key Facts

What is the average cost of a phd in neuroscience.

The cost of completing a Ph.D. in neuroscience varies depending on factors like the school, the program, and other expenses like accommodation. A reputable PhD in neuroscience program can range anywhere from $10K to $60K per year.

How Long Does It Take to Get a PhD in Neuroscience?

Getting a PhD in Neuroscience usually takes between 3 and 7 years.

What Skills Do You Gain from a PhD in Neuroscience?

A PhD in Neuroscience awards you a range of skills, most notably:

• The ability to develop testable neuroscientific hypotheses  and conduct studies using experimental, statistical, and literature review methods.
• Laboratory skills  related to  researching behavioral Neuroscience concepts.
• Scientific written communication skills.

PhD Neuroscience Program Statistics

• A PhD in neuroscience program can expect hundreds of applicants — the average is around 170 .
• Most neuroscience PhD candidates have an undergraduate degree in psychology, biology, or neuroscience , though they may have backgrounds in other fields, even non-science ones such as business or humanities.
• Most schools only accept a few neuroscience PhD candidates a year based on stringent criteria. For example, The University of Texas at Dallas accepts an average of 10-20 students per year.

Key Takeaways

With intake numbers for PhDs in neuroscience programs being relatively small, it’s essential to start preparing early to assemble the most robust application possible. Once you get accepted into your dream program, the future will be bright, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating a 10% growth in jobs for medical scientists between 2022 and 2032. From high salary prospects to the opportunity to make valuable contributions to society, you’re sure to have a rewarding career as a neuroscientist!

If you’re deciding between neuroscience and psychology, check out our guides to the best Master’s in Psychology  and the best online PhD in Psychology programs .

Frequently Asked Questions

How competitive are neuroscience doctoral programs.

Neuroscience PhD programs can be highly competitive. Even when there are hundreds of applicants, only 10 or so may be accepted each year by each program. Therefore, it’s essential to have a strong academic record and prepare a compelling application to be accepted into your dream program.

Do Neuroscientists Need a PhD?

This depends on the exact neuroscience role you want. Typically, you’ll need a PhD in neuroscience to work as a research scientist, senior research associate, or neuroscience professor at a post-secondary school. However, you may be eligible for entry-level neuroscience roles with an undergraduate or master’s degree .

Does Harvard Have a Neuroscience Major?

Yes, Harvard University offers one of the USA’s most reputable neuroscience doctorate programs .

Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

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Princeton Neuroscience Institute

Ph.d. in neuroscience.

First-hand experience is an essential part of gaining real understanding

Ph.D. Neuroscience students take lecture and laboratory courses; learn to read, understand, and present current scientific literature; develop and carry out substantial original research, and present their research at meetings and conferences, including the annual Neuroscience retreat each Spring.

During the first year, all students participate in a unique year-long  Core Course  that surveys current neuroscience. The subjects covered in lectures are accompanied by direct experience in the lab. Students learn through first-hand experience how to run their own fMRI experiments; to design and run their own computer simulations of neural networks; to image neural activity at cellular resolution in behaving animals; and to patch-clamp single cells, to name a few examples. This core course offers students a unique opportunity to learn the practical knowledge essential for successfully developing new experiments and techniques. Incoming students are encouraged to rotate through up to three different labs to choose the lab that best matches their interests. During this process, students may discover an area of research completely new and fascinating to them. Following their rotations and by mutual agreement with their prospective faculty adviser, students choose a lab in which they will carry out their Ph.D. research.

Ph.D. Timeline Overview

The first year of the graduate program begins with the Neuro Boot Camp in August. All newly admitted Neuroscience graduate students are required to attend a 2-week course intended to ensure that new recruits have a basic understanding of molecular biology, as well as the core skills required to use mathematical and computational approaches to analyze neural systems and neural data. The Neuro Boot Camp takes the form of morning lectures and afternoon workshops in which students will apply the principles introduced in the lectures.

Once the academic year begins, all students take the Neuroscience Core Course. The goal of this course is to provide a common foundation so that all students have a strong knowledge base and a common language across the breadth of Neuroscience, which is a highly diverse and multidisciplinary field. To the extent possible, the course aims to teach an overview of all topics through a mix of hands-on laboratory experience, lecture, and computational modeling. Students will also rotate in up to three labs, participate in grant-writing workshops, and attend the Society for Neuroscience Annual Conference .

By the second year of their Ph.D., students will have joined a research group. Projects that involve collaborations across groups, and thus have students joining more than one research group, are decidedly welcomed. Students also typically teach half-time during their second year, as part of learning to teach and communicate science, and as a part of helping the Neuroscience Institute's educational mission. The other half of their time, students begin to carry out in-depth research and dedicate themselves wholly to this in the summer between their second and third years. Students also will participate in an NSF Fellowship grant-writing workshop in September.

At the beginning of their third year, Ph.D. students present their thesis proposal at a generals exam, in which they demonstrate the command of their chosen research topic and the existing literature surrounding it, and present a logical plan to address key questions that they have identified.

The third, fourth and fifth years are largely devoted to research. They culminate with the submission of their research papers for publication, and the writing and defense of their Ph.D. thesis. Throughout their time at Princeton, students participate in grant-writing workshops, career workshops, and present their work both locally and in national and international conferences.

Across the board, from molecular biology to physics to psychology, Princeton's world-class faculty is particularly strong in quantitative and theoretical investigations. The same is true in Neuroscience. In recognition of this, a Quantitative and Computational Neuroscience track exists within the Neuroscience Ph.D.

Students in this track must fulfill all the requirements of the Neuroscience Ph.D. In addition, their electives should be in quantitative courses, and their Ph.D. research should be in quantitative and/or computational neuroscience. The QCN track is supported by the T32 training grant in Quantitative Neuroscience from the NIMH.

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Neuroscience Track

program completion rate

job placement rate

Guaranteed 5-year internal fellowship

includes full tuition, stipend and benefits

Advances in technology allow us to see and study the brain like never before, providing a panoramic view of the inner workings of the mind and how it works. By understanding the basis of learning, memory and other fundamental brain functions, researchers are at the cusp of a major paradigm shift in the way we treat, cure and even prevent nervous system disorders.

The Neuroscience Track within the Ph.D. Program at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Science brings together nearly 60 basic neuroscientists and clinician-scientists as faculty — each of whom have wide-ranging expertise and truly multidisciplinary research interests — to provide you with a unique educational experience.

Students in the Neuroscience track can freely choose from labs at the Mayo Clinic campuses in Jacksonville, Florida; Rochester, Minnesota; or Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. This provides unparalleled instruction from top neuroscientists in subjects as diverse as neurodegeneration, neuroregeneration, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, genetics, imaging, behavior, neuropathology, virology, pharmacology, stem cells and transplantation, deep brain stimulation, and clinical studies.

Ongoing research in this program includes:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Spinal cord injury and repair
• Neural regeneration
• Non-Alzheimer's disease dementias
• Neurogenetics
• Neuro-oncology
• Neuroengineering
• Neuroimaging
• Neuroinflammation

The Neuroscience Track places a significant emphasis on laboratory-based research training. Laboratory research is complemented with both core and track-specific courses, as well as advanced courses on current topics in neuroscience. These are taught in a tutorial format with small groups of faculty and students discussing cutting-edge research in areas such as neural development, neural aging, neurogenetics, addiction and electrophysiology.

In addition to regular coursework, you’re provided with institutional support for travel to advanced courses at such institutions as Cold Spring Harbor and the Marine Biology Lab. In your first year of the program, you’ll also have the opportunity to attend the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting (SfN).

• Introductory neuroscience and core curriculum courses
• Lab rotations
• Comprehensive written qualifying examination
• Critical thinking, presentation skills, and scientific writing courses
• Selection of thesis lab
• Oral qualifying exam to determine advancement to candidacy
• Completion of advanced neuroscience courses
• Formation of thesis advisory committee
• Laboratory research
• Works-in-progress presentation (annual)
• Thesis committee meetings (biannual)
• Elective courses in advanced neuroscience topics

Knowing the vast extent of research occurring across all three campuses, and the fact that I am now a contributing member of this community, is very exciting and gives me great pride. The impact that the investigators and their teams have had on the understanding and treatment of the world's most devastating diseases, is inspiring. The diversity of the Mayo research network removes limitations on the questions we can ask as scientists and the means to answer those questions.

Ben Rabichow Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Track

Neuroscience is a burgeoning field that not all institutions have the resources to pursue. Mayo Clinic has a stronger translational facility than you see at other research institutions, and there’s so much potential to be able to work firsthand with patient samples.

Francis Shue Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Track

My PhD training at Mayo Clinic will definitely benefit my long-term career goal of becoming a physician-scientist. The close collaborations between clinic and lab have taught me how to define specific questions from clinical observation and then design experiments to investigate and answer those questions. I have no doubt that I’ll be well prepared to conduct translational studies after the rigorous training at Mayo Clinic.

Lingxiao Wang Ph.D. student, Neuroscience Track

Recent thesis topics

• “Blood and Brain Metabolic Signatures of Depression, Schizophrenia, and Alcohol Use Disorder,” Daniel Lindberg, Ph.D. (Mentor: Doo-Sup Choi, Ph.D.)
• “Targeting the Thrombin Receptor to Enhance Lipid Production and Repair in the CNS,” Erin M. Triplet, Ph.D. (Mentor: Isobel A. Scarisbrick, Ph.D.)
• “Neural Basis of Chronic and Binge Alcohol Exposure and Impulsive Behaviors,” Phillip Starski, Ph.D. (Mentor: Doo-Sup Choi, Ph.D.)
• “Neuroplasticity of Respiratory Motor Control following Spinal Cord Injury," Sabhya Rana, Ph.D. (Mentors: Carlos Mantilla, M.D. Ph.D. and Gary C. Sieck, Ph.D.)
• “Microglial Responses to Damaged Myelin and the Consequences of Demyelination,” Miranda Standiford, Ph.D. (Mentor: Charles L. Howe, Ph.D.)
• “Pathobiology of Clusterin in Alzheimer's Disease,” Aleksandra Wojtas, Ph.D. (Mentor: John Fryer, Ph.D.)
• “Development and Application of Genome Engineering Tools to Investigate Rapid Stress Signaling in Vertebrates Using the Zebrafish Model,” Han Lee, Ph.D. (Mentor: Karl Clark, Ph.D.)
• “Investigating the Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation on Functional and Effective Connectivity in Humans Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,” William Gibson, Ph.D. (Mentor: Kendall Lee, M.D., Ph.D.)
• “The Role of miR-7 in Regulation of Energy Homeostasis,” Hyejin Yoon, Ph.D. (Mentor: Jungsu Kim, Ph.D.)
• “Model Systems of the C9ORF72 Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion Mimic Disease Features of Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,” Jeannie Chew, Ph.D. (Mentor: Leonard Petrucelli, Ph.D.)
• “Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease in At-Risk Populations,” Aurelie N’Songo, Ph.D. (Mentor: Nilufer Taner, M.D., Ph.D.)
• “Engineering a Regeneration Permissive Environment Allowing for Recovery After Complete Spinal Cord Transection,” Jeffrey Hakim, Ph.D. (Mentor: Anthony Windebank, M.D.)
• “The Role of Cannabinoid Signaling in Zebrafish Stress Responses,” Randall Krug III, Ph.D. (Mentor: Karl Clark, Ph.D.)
• “Preclinical and Clinical Implications of Adenosine and Glutamate Signaling in Alcohol Use Disorder,” David Hinton, Ph.D. (Mentor: Doo-Sup Choi, Ph.D.)
• “Synergy and Convergence of Pathways Controlling Axon Outgrowth and Neural Regeneration in the Spinal Cord,” Lucas Calstrom, Ph.D. (Mentor: John Henley, Ph.D., M.S.)
• “Astrocytic Glutamate Dysregulation in Neuron-Glia Interactions in Alcoholism and Psychiatric Disorders,” Jennifer Ayers-Ringler, Ph.D. (Mentor: Doo-Sup Choi, Ph.D.)
• “ The Neuropathology of Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with a C9ORF72 Hexanucleotide Repeat,” Kevin Bieniek, Ph.D. (Mentor: Dennis Dickson, M.D.)
• “ Investigation of Neuropathological Identified Cerebral Microinfarcts and their Effects on Magnetic Resonance Imaging,” Mekala Raman, Ph.D. (Mentor: Kejal Kantarci, M.D.)

Your future

The Neuroscience Track has graduated more than 100 students, all of whom have gone on to successful careers in diverse areas such as academia, the pharmaceutical industry, scientific publishing and intellectual property. Our students and faculty publish at the highest levels and our scientific endeavors have made — and continue to make — a very real impact at the bench and in the clinic.

Meet the director

Welcome to neuroscience at Mayo Clinic, where we offer training for graduate students in a broad range of basic science, translational, and clinical laboratories conducting cutting-edge research with a focus on translating research findings into treatments for disorders of the nervous system.

The Neuroscience Track delivers a unique, interdisciplinary, educational experience with vibrant student populations at Mayo Clinic's campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Jacksonville, Florida.

Owen Ross, Ph.D. Neuroscience Track Director Associate Professor of Neuroscience Phone: 904-953-6280 Email:  [email protected] See research interests

Browse a list of Neuroscience Track faculty members

Brain and Cognitive Sciences PhD Program

Graduate students in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences are among the sharpest, most innovative brain scientists to be found anywhere. In a given year the department admits less than 5 percent of applicants, and our PhD program is consistently ranked among the best in the world. Students work hard to get here, and they are highly valued in the BCS community.

Innovative:  Our students often take on riskier projects and pilot studies that probe the edges of our technical and scientific knowledge. They can move among projects more easily, and their successes lay the foundation for not only their careers but the future directions of their mentors’ labs.

Collaborative:  Our students bring bold, fresh thinking to the department, and exploring these potentially transformative ideas often means reaching across boundaries of lab, center, and department to build new collaborations. Graduate students help BCS mesh with the rest of MIT.

Supportive: Graduate students are the most frequent mentors of undergraduate students in UROPs , actively guiding and developing those who will become the next generation of top-tier graduate students. BCS graduate students also are helping make sure the department is a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable community.

Overview of the Program

Graduate students in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences work with an advisor and advisory committee to pursue an innovative and rigorous program of original research. Students should aim to complete their PhD in five to six years.  

• Students take three to four of their required six courses
• Students complete required Responsible Conduct in Science training.
• Students complete a minimum of three lab rotations by March 31.
• Students select a thesis advisor by April 30.    
• Students complete the remaining two to three of their academic course requirements by the end of the Spring Term.
• Students complete teaching assistant training and their first teaching (TA) requirement.
• Students form their qualifying exam advisory committee, have their first committee meeting, and turn in the completed committee meeting form to BCS HQ by the end of the Spring Term. 
• Students should plan which activities they will participate in to fulfill the professional development requirement .
• Students complete the second teaching requirement.
• Students complete the written and oral qualifying exam in October or November.
• Students form a thesis committee, submit a written thesis proposal to their committee, orally present their proposal to the thesis committee, and receive committee approval, before the end of the Spring Term.
• Students fulfill their professional development requirement by the end of the Summer term of their fourth year.
• Students must meet with their thesis committee once per year.
• Students take the final steps to completing the PhD oral examination (also known as the thesis defense) and submission of the approved written dissertation.

For detailed information on courses, rotations, and other program requirements, see Program Details .

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• J Undergrad Neurosci Educ
• v.16(3); Summer 2018

Demystifying Graduate School: Navigating a PhD in Neuroscience and Beyond

Linda k. mcloon.

1 Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

2 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

A. David Redish

3 Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

The decision to apply to a PhD-granting graduate program is both exciting and daunting. Understanding what graduate programs look for in an applicant will increase the chance of successful admission into a PhD program. It is also helpful for an applicant to understand what graduate training will look like once they matriculate into a PhD program to ensure they select programs that will help them reach their career objectives. This article focuses specifically on PhD programs in neuroscience, and while we use our program, the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, as an example, most of what we describe is applicable to biomedical graduate programs generally. In order to ensure that our description of graduate programs is typical of neuroscience graduate programs generally, we surveyed the online websites of 52 neuroscience graduate programs around the U. S. and include our observations here. We will examine what graduate schools look for in an applicant, what to expect once admitted into a PhD graduate program, and the potential outcomes for those who successfully complete their PhD in neuroscience.

What Makes a Strong Application to a PhD Program in Neuroscience

A number of years ago, our Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota performed a statistical analysis of what correlated with successful completion of our PhD program. Consistent with more recent analyses ( Weiner, 2014 ), we found that the strongest correlation was if the applicant had done research outside of the classroom setting. Given those results, at this point, our admissions committee will only consider applicants if they have some research experience. However, in our experience speaking to undergraduates, we find that undergraduates tend to underestimate how much research they’ve done. This issue of what counts as “research” appears to worry many applicants, who often feel that they have not done sufficient research to meet this requirement.

The most useful research experiences are not necessarily those which result in publications, or even those which find statistically significant answers. Rather, the most useful research experiences are those in which an applicant contributes to the research being performed, which involve grappling with questions which do not have known answers in the back of the book. These experiences are generally performed outside of a regular classroom setting, but a wide array of experiences can fulfill this research prerequisite. For example, an applicant might have done one or more summer internships in a laboratory. Others may have done a directed research project that was taken for academic credit but whose sole purpose was to perform independent research. Others may have done internships at companies. We often see applicants who have worked in laboratories or done independent original research projects in the context of their specific coursework during the school year. These courses are becoming more common, and these independent research-focused undergraduate classes can be great examples of independent research if the work provided the applicant with experience in doing research directly.

Some colleges do not have strong research opportunities available. Students in those situations should reach out to summer or other internship programs at other universities to gain that research experience. There are many such research programs. For example, the University of Minnesota runs a Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP) that provides such opportunities across many fields in the life sciences (including neuroscience). Many universities have Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs available that are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). These programs usually pay a summer stipend and living costs as well as providing research experiences.

However, it is not necessary for the research to be done in a formal setting. What matters is that the applicant has some experience with direct research. Similarly, the duration of the research done is not as critical a concern as having had the experience of performing research at all. The key question is: Does the student have real-world experience in doing research, and in spite of methodological difficulties and negative results in experiments, does the applicant still have a love for the scientific process? It does not matter if there were no conclusive results, if the project was left unfinished, or if the project was not published as an abstract or peer-reviewed publication.

While coursework in a graduate program is important, the “real” work of a graduate student is to learn to do science. The research experience demonstrates to the admissions committee that the applicant has a realistic sense of what it is like to work on an open-ended problem, which takes innovative thinking about experiments and controls as well as understanding the need for patience with the scientific process. It is important that both the applicant and the admissions committee know that if admitted, the applicant will not be surprised by the focus of graduate school on independently performed research.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is one of the most important aspects of an application to a graduate program. There are three main areas that need to be included in a personal statement, and if these are inadequate, it will have a negative impact on the ultimate success of that application. First, and most importantly, a personal statement must make it clear why that applicant wants to pursue a PhD in neuroscience specifically. A broad flowery description about the applicant’s interest in biology since they were 5 years old is not helpful. This statement is easier if the applicant has some laboratory research experience and can speak to why that research experience was motivating. A clear articulation of “why neuroscience” is imperative.

As noted above, the most important information in an application is the research done by the applicant. Thus, the applicant needs to provide a description of the independent research they have performed to date somewhere in the application. The research description should focus on the big picture: What was the big question? What choices were made in the experiments? What controls were done? Why were the specific controls used? The applicant should do this for each distinct research project. This shows the admissions committee how the applicant thinks about science; understanding the process is more important than if there were positive results.

The final part of the personal statement should state why they are applying to the particular program. A good way to show that the applicant has spent time looking at the specific graduate program and has thought about which programs were a good fit for their interests is by identifying programmatic strengths, such as the expertise of the faculty, or by identifying other specific or unique aspects that differentiate the program, such as, for example, our Itasca program [see below].

Finally, applicants should proofread their personal statements. Typographic errors, poor grammar, and other sloppy writing suggest an applicant who does not take the time or effort to ensure quality. It may seem silly to mention, but it is important to make sure that when mentioning programmatic strengths, the applicant should be sure that these are the programmatic strengths of the institution to which the application is sent.

Majors, Grades, and GREs

Neuroscience encompasses many different disciplines – from genetics and subcellular approaches to neural circuits and behavior. Most neuroscience graduate programs admit applicants with a broad variety of majors. Many of the applicants that we see majored in neuroscience, biology, or psychology as an undergraduate, but applicants with other undergraduate majors such as math, computer science, or physics have succeeded in our program. Many programs also admit applicants with degrees in the humanities, and we have found that many students with these broad backgrounds have succeeded in our program, some of whom only developed an interest in neuroscience after they graduated from college. However, successful applicants from the humanities need to have taken classes in the sciences before they apply to graduate school for a PhD in neuroscience.

The most important statement that we can make about grades is really in terms of the specific classes taken. While the major area of study is not critical, an internal survey of our program found that trainees were most successful in our PhD program if they had taken at least some biology, some physics, basic chemistry preferably through organic chemistry, and college level mathematics through calculus.

In our survey of over 50 graduate programs in neuroscience, most programs do not seem to have a strict GPA cut-off under which they will not admit someone; nevertheless, GPA is an important criteria being used by many admissions committees. While overall GPA is important, students who did poorly in their freshman and sophomore classes, but did well in their junior and senior years, can excel in their PhD training. Another example might be someone who had a very bad single semester or year due to extenuating circumstances, such as an illness of a death in the family. If one of these scenarios applies, it is imperative for this to be directly discussed in the personal statements that accompany a graduate program application. While most admissions committees do not explicitly rank schools, expected difficulty of the undergraduate program is usually taken into account when looking at grades, classes and GPA.

The use of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in making admissions decisions to a neuroscience PhD graduate program is a complex issue and has become controversial in recent years. Although many recent studies have claimed to suggest that GRE scores do not correlate with successful completion of a PhD degree in the biomedical sciences ( Hall et al., 2017 ; Moneta-Koehler et al., 2017 ), other studies examining PhDs in more quantitative disciplines, including neuroscience, found that the portions of the GRE score are in fact correlated with successful degree completion ( Willcockson et al., 2009 ; Olivares-Urueta and Williamson, 2013 ). In a large meta-analysis of GRE scores and success in graduate school, Kuncel and Hezlett (2007) found that both the GRE and undergraduate grades were effective predictors of important academic outcomes even beyond grades earned in graduate school. It should be noted that all of these studies have been performed on programs that took GREs into account when making admissions decisions and thus are based on biased data sets. Following this, some neuroscience graduate programs have elected to remove the GRE from their admission decisions, while others have decided to weigh it less in their decision-making. Most graduate programs recognize that the GRE score is just a tool, and one of many that admissions committees use to make their admissions decisions. Our graduate program, for example, is currently in the latter group—we still require it but are weighing it less than other factors such as the personal statement, classes taken, GPA, and letters of recommendation.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are some of the most important components of an application to graduate school. Who the student chooses to write for them and what those letters say are important factors considered by admissions committee members. The most important letters are those from research mentors with whom the applicant did independent research. A lack of letters from research mentors leaves open the question of the extent and value of that research experience. The best letters of recommendation are detailed and provide a clear indication that the mentor knew the student and can assess the student’s potential for success. The mentor’s comparison of the applicant’s abilities relative to others with whom they have worked is particularly useful.

Letters from other sources, such as athletics coaches or course directors, can speak to initiative, time management, ability to work under stress, and so forth; however, most admissions committees do not find these particularly useful, unless the course director can speak to exceptional academic achievement, such as an undergraduate shining in a graduate class. Least useful are letters from non-academic sources, such as faith leaders, employers, family friends, and the like. These letters cannot speak to the questions of success in a graduate program and have been known to detract from an application, because it implies that the student does not have sufficient academic mentors to provide the full complement of letters.

Should letters come from postdoctoral fellows or graduate students? In many large laboratories, the primary professor may not actually interact with an undergraduate research assistant very much. Instead, undergraduate research is often done under the supervision of a postdoctoral fellow or graduate student. While letters from senior postdoctoral fellows are acceptable to some programs, they are not for others. We advise the applicant to check with each program to determine if this is an issue for their admissions committee. Our program has accepted students with one letter from a postdoctoral mentor, but we found that these students were not eligible to be nominated for some university-level awards. Thus, there is a balance in having the letter come from someone who worked with the student directly but also having the letter come from a faculty member. We recommend that undergraduates in these situations get a single letter that is co-signed by both the postdoctoral fellow and the professor or senior mentor.

The Admissions Process

Most graduate programs in neuroscience use a two-stage admissions process. The first stage identifies a subset of students to invite for an interview/recruiting visit and then a subset of those students is provided offers. All graduate schools in the U. S. have signed the Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants from the Council of Graduate Programs which says that students have until April 15th to make their matriculation decisions. In order to try to manage this, schools will admit more students than they actually expect to matriculate, and may place other students on a waitlist, trying to balance issues of getting too many students, producing a problem for budgets, or too few students producing problems of cohesion, and problems meeting the research needs of the program and university.

Interview and Recruiting Visits

Some graduate programs bring students out either singly or in small batches to visit their program, interview with faculty, and see what possibilities could come from matriculating into the program. Other programs bring students out all at once as a cohort in a combined interview/recruiting visit. Many programs combine this interview/recruiting visit with other program events; for example, we tie ours to our annual retreat. The method of organizing these interviews and recruiting visits is not particularly important, as the goal of these visits is the same – to provide an in-person look at the graduate program.

From the program side, the interview/recruiting visit allows the admissions committee to assess the fit of the potential students and to ask specific questions related to how they think about science. It is important for visiting interviewees/recruits to realize that graduate programs often have graduate students contribute to the governance of the program and provide input to the admissions committees. In our program, two current PhD students are full voting members of the admissions committee. Comments made during events where only graduate students are present do matter, and we have had a number of experiences where comments and behavior at dinners or other trainee-only events have led to rejection of the applicant.

From the visitor side, this is an opportunity to see what the program is like, as well as the living environment where the program is located. Important questions that applicants should consider include whether the students are getting the training and support that they need, whether the faculty members are engaged with the program, and whether there are faculty members to work with in the student’s area of interest. Generally, applicants should recognize that their goals, interests, and research directions may change. Ensuring that a program can accommodate those changes is an important thing when choosing a PhD program.

Choosing the Right Program

Graduate school, like most of life, is about finding the right fit. Every student is going to have to use their own judgement to determine which graduate school is right for them, but we have some suggestions about issues to consider.

First and foremost, are there a sufficient number of faculty members in their area of interest? Importantly, students should recognize that interests often change, either with experience or time or discoveries, so the student should also look at what other faculty members are around, and what opportunities there are to examine other research areas. For example, how collaborative are the faculty? What processes are in place if one needs to switch advisors? Does the program do rotations in different laboratories, or does the student have to choose an advisor immediately?

In our survey of over 50 neuroscience graduate programs in the U. S., all but one admit students into the program as a whole, rather than into specific laboratories. Students in the majority of programs spend the first year rotating through three or four different laboratories in order to get a thorough exploration of advisors and potential research areas. Furthermore, because students are admitted to the program as a whole and not into a specific laboratory, there are processes in place to handle the (rare) situation when a student needs to switch their primary research mentor.

An important consideration on picking an advisor is not only the research area of the advisor, but also the training and personal style of that PhD mentor. In our graduate program, we have 8-week rotations to give a student and an advisor sufficient time to determine if they can work together well. The duration of laboratory rotations varies between programs, but generally most programs have between 2 and 4 during the course of the first year. Choosing a PhD thesis mentor is not generally an issue of advisor quality, but rather one of style. Should the student and advisor meet daily? Weekly? Monthly? Is the goal a thesis that is a hoop to jump through on the path to another career or is it a magnum opus on which one will build a reputation? How are manuscripts written? How does the laboratory decide which projects to do? These questions do not have right and wrong answers, but a mismatch between styles can potentially make it difficult to complete the degree.

There are several other considerations. The applicant should examine the curriculum. How comprehensive or specific is it? Does it cover what the student wants to have as their baseline/background? Applicants should also look at publication requirements and expectations. Are students publishing first author papers? Trainee funding should also be evaluated. How are trainees supported? Is funding guaranteed or not? Part of the consideration relative to trainee funding is whether the program has training grants to help financially support students—these can include National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 grants, and National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Traineeship (NRT) and Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) training grants. Training grant support from NIH and NSF is a good measure of how the PhD training program is viewed by external reviewers. It is also useful to see if the trainees are successfully competing for fellowship awards. This speaks to the quality of the graduate students as well as the quality of mentorship from their thesis advisors and the program.

Other issues to consider are the environment and social climate of the program and the career paths the program’s graduates take. In terms of social climate and environment, we suggest asking whether the trainees know and support each other, and whether the faculty members know the trainees. Science is increasingly a collaborative venture. Evidence could be the presence of co-mentored trainees, as well as research publications that are co-authored by members of the graduate program. Other evidence of the environment of a PhD graduate program is to determine how integrated the PhD trainees are in program decision making and leadership. Do they serve on committees, and if so, what are their roles? Self-reflective programs generally include multiple voices in making program decisions. This also speaks in part to mentorship of trainees, as participating in program governance provides the PhD trainee an opportunity to develop leadership skills.

In terms of outcomes, it is important to recognize that career goals change, but we recommend programs that provide opportunities for a variety of career paths. Importantly, programs should have processes that enable students to succeed in academia and elsewhere. As we will discuss in the following section, post-graduate paths for PhD trainees have always included a mix of academic and non-academic careers. This was also the recommendation of a workshop held by the National Academy of Science ( IOM, 2015 ), and in fact reflects the actual career choices of individuals who received their PhD in neuroscience ( Akil et al., 2016 ). Importantly, the career-space that our current graduates will face will look very different from previous generations. In particular, it will look very different from the previous generation when there were very few academic jobs available. The current career space is broader than it used to be, including some jobs, such as internet-related positions, that did not exist a generation ago. Furthermore, neuroscience academic jobs are opening up as baby boomers retire and universities invest in neuroscience. Whatever the student’s goal is, we recommend looking for programs that provide career facilitation support for a variety of outcomes, because, as noted above, career goals may change with experience.

While many students and many programs will look at time-to-degree as a criterion for program quality, we feel that this can be misleading. No one has ever asked us how long we took to get through graduate school. One way to think about graduate school is to realize that graduate students in neuroscience programs get paid to go to graduate school – being a graduate student in neuroscience is a job, and one that should provide a living wage in the area that one will be living in during one’s time in graduate school. The main problem with students taking too long to complete a degree is that it may indicate deeper problems in a graduate program, for example, when students are not graduating because their technical skills are needed in a laboratory. These situations are rare, but extremely long durations (e.g., 8 years) can be a sign to look for when making a decision. However, the difference between spending 4.5, 5.5, or even 6 years in graduate school is simply not important relative to the duration of a scientific career. In fact, there is a case to be made that taking an extra year to get additional publications can be a wise choice for students going into academic careers, since fellowships, awards, and other granting mechanisms, such as individual NIH postdoctoral training grants (F32) and individual NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) awards, and the faculty level “early stage investigator” identifier at NIH, are based on date of graduation. Furthermore, few reviewers normalize number of papers by time spent in graduate school.

Additional Resources

The Society for Neuroscience provides useful resources to undergraduate students interested in a PhD in Neuroscience. One resource is the online training program directory that offers graduate program information on more than 75 top neuroscience graduate programs in North America, and provides a short summary of the characteristics of each program (e.g., number of faculty, student demographics, and research areas) along with a link to the program of interest. A second resource is available to prospective students who are able to attend the SfN annual meeting. Known as the Graduate Student Fair , it offers an opportunity for prospective students to meet face-to-face with representatives of many graduate programs.

The Gap Year Question

In recent years, we have seen that increasing numbers of applicants are taking a gap year between completion of their undergraduate degree and entering graduate school. We have not seen any correlation with success in graduate school from a gap year, and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota does not require such a gap year. However, other neuroscience graduate programs have begun to require it. The gap year itself can vary, but often the recent college graduate enters a formal postbaccalaureate or “postbac” program, such as the one at the NIH, works in a laboratory, and participates in specific programs designed to increase readiness for graduate school. Many applicants have taken one or more years off from formal education to do research in an academic, government or industry setting. Whether a postbac year is useful or not is very much an individual choice.

There are two cases where a postbaccalaureate experience can be helpful for admissions into a neuroscience PhD program. One is when the undergraduate GPA is lower than a 3.0 or the student does not have the requisite science-related coursework. The other is when a student does not have sufficient research experience. Structured programs, such as the one at NIH, can be helpful in these situations. These postbac programs can provide an experience that is valuable for those students with limited research experiences. They can also provide opportunities for students who decide to transition to new fields late in their college career or after completion of their undergraduate degree. However, as noted above, in our experience, students underestimate their research experience and take gap years unnecessarily. To summarize, additional research training after a bachelor’s degree is not necessary for successful admission into a graduate program in neuroscience for the vast majority of applicants, nor does it appear to correlate with successful completion of the PhD.

What Trainees Can Expect During Their PhD Training in Neuroscience

A neuroscience PhD is a research-focused degree. This means that the student will spend the majority of their time as a PhD trainee working on research that can be published in peer-reviewed journals. However, that journey can look quite different from program to program. Most programs work through some structure that is a combination of coursework and early research exploration in the first years, punctuated by a written preliminary exam, followed by a thesis proposal, thesis research, and a thesis defense. In almost all of the programs we surveyed, the student is paired with an advisor that is the primary research mentor.

Throughout this section, we will use our program as an example and we will note where it differs from others. However, the general timeline is similar between programs.

In August before our “official” school year actually starts, we provide a month-long hands-on, state-of-the-art research experience for all our incoming PhD students at a research station owned by the University of Minnesota at Lake Itasca at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. This program is unique in our experience relative to other programs, and it (1) provides a neuroscience background experience for students coming from diverse intellectual backgrounds, (2) binds the class together into a cohort which helps to provide a strong support system during the transition to and experience of graduate school, (3) begins the trainees on a journey from student to colleague. They then return to the Twin Cities to begin their formal year 1 experience.

In the majority of neuroscience graduate programs, students spend their first year doing two to four laboratory rotations with faculty who participate in the neuroscience graduate program and complete a set of core classes. The four core classes we require are Cell and Molecular Neuroscience , Systems Neuroscience , Developmental Neurobiology , and Behavioral Neurobiology . Other programs require other classes that might constitute a “minor” in a secondary subject, such as pharmaceutics or computational methods. At the end of the first year, many programs have students take a written preliminary examination that is focused on the integration of the material taught in the core first-year classes. Generally, programs use this sort of examination as a check to ensure that students have integrated the knowledge from their first-year classes. Students in most neuroscience graduate programs also take a class that provides training in research ethics, writing experiences, and other important non-academic components that will be necessary for a research career. Starting in the first year, it is typical that the program directors have annual or semi-annual meetings with every trainee in the graduate program. In later years, a thesis committee will also meet semi-annually with students to provide oversight and mentorship. Some programs we surveyed have separate committees that monitor student progress in the PhD program independent from the mentor and thesis committees. We advise looking for a program that will provide the trainee with regular evaluations and clearly defined milestones to help the student complete their degree in a timely manner.

In year 2, students in the majority of graduate neuroscience programs have settled into a laboratory and are working towards writing their thesis proposal. The thesis proposal is usually the basis for the “oral preliminary exam.” In our program, we have students write their thesis proposal in the form of an NIH NRSA (F30 or F31) grant proposal which helps train students to write grant proposals.

Many programs have students take other elective classes throughout their second and sometimes even into the third year. In the second year in our program, students take one more required class, Quantitative Neuroscience that covers statistics, programming, and experimental design, but that then completes their class requirements. These types of quantitative classes are being introduced in many neuroscience graduate programs in response to the rigor and reproducibility issues that are being raised in the scientific literature and expected to be discussed as part of grant submissions to the NIH.

Most neuroscience graduate programs also have a teaching requirement. In our program, this occurs in the second year. Programs require different amounts of teaching, so this is a good question for the applicant to ask when they are interviewing. Many graduate students are interested in careers that include teaching as well as research, and additional teaching experience is important. We provide extra opportunities for teaching, where the trainee might run discussion sections or give course lectures. Often, these “extra” teaching experiences are paid beyond what the student receives from their stipend. For those interested in a more teaching-centric career, these experiences are very important. We recommend the applicant ask about how teaching expectations of the graduate students is handled in the programs to which they are applying.

Year 3 and Beyond

In the subsequent years, PhD trainees continue to do research, write and publish papers, present their work at conferences and in colloquia, and proceed on the journey to graduation. Graduate neuroscience programs generally have trainees meet with their thesis committee once or twice a year to ensure that they stay on track to graduation. The final stage, of course, is the thesis writing and thesis defense.

Presentations and Outreach

A key factor for a successful science career is the ability to communicate one’s discoveries, both to fellow scientists and to the public at large. In our program, students are required to present their research annually to the other faculty and students in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. These presentations are opportunities to learn how to present work to a friendly audience who will push one scientifically, but still provide positive support. In our experience, students are often very nervous giving their first colloquium, but confident by the time they are ready to defend their PhD thesis. The final PhD defense is a public presentation in which the student presents and defends their research. The specific aspects of the PhD defense are accomplished in different ways amongst PhD graduate programs; however, in the end, all PhD programs require that the student be able to publicly present their research in a comprehensive and cohesive manner as well as field questions about their research.

In addition, neuroscience graduate programs provide many opportunities for outreach beyond the scientific community, although most do not require outreach explicitly. Typical types of outreach in many programs include volunteering to present science at K-12 schools, Brain Awareness Week programs sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience, or science museums as examples. We have found that these opportunities provide students learning experiences in how to present scientific data and ideas to a broader audience. Not surprisingly, the ability to present ideas to a broad audience translates very well to communicating scientific results to other scientists as well.

It’s a Job

We have found it useful for students to think of graduate school as a combination of college and career. Students should not have pay out of pocket for their PhD program. Most neuroscience graduate programs not only pay students a stipend but also provide tuition and health care benefits. For some trainees, conceptualizing graduate school as a job rather than as continued school can be important for dealing with family pressures to “get a job” rather than “continue in school.”

Where to Go from Here

Fundamentally, the goal of a PhD program is to teach the student how to think critically and how to determine if a new discovery is real or illusion. An undergraduate program is usually about how to learn from books and from teachers, how to determine if the text in front of you is trustworthy or not, and how to integrate knowledge from multiple sources. A graduate program is about how to determine if the discovery you just made is correct when there is no answer in the back of a book for you to look up. In practice, this means learning how to ask questions that are answerable, how to design appropriate controls, how to interpret results and integrate them into a scholarly literature, and, importantly, how to communicate those discoveries to other scientists and the public as a whole.

These skills are useful in a variety of careers. Much of the discussion of graduate school outcomes has suggested that graduate programs are designed to produce faculty for colleges and universities and bemoan the fact that (1) there are too many PhD trainees and not enough faculty jobs, and (2) that many students are forced into “alternative careers.” Both of these statements are wrong when one looks at the actual data.

First and foremost, we wish to point out that there should be no such thing as an “alternative career” — graduates should go towards a career and not away from one. We tell our students that we want them to do something important, whether that is becoming faculty at a research institution, teaching undergraduates at a liberal arts college, contributing to industrial research, analysis, or translation, becoming a writer and making research findings accessible to other scientist or lay audiences, or making policy in a governmental or non-profit setting.

Second, the complaints seen in many of these publications do not take into account very important demographic trends. Current students will see a very different world of faculty jobs than their professors did. Simply put, understanding the faculty situation requires considering the baby boomers (q.v. ACD biomedical workforce data ). In 1980, a 35-year-old young professor was born in 1945, while a 65-year-old was born in 1915. This means that the generation of senior professors in 1980 consisted of those who had survived two World Wars and the Great Depression, while the junior professors were baby boomers. With the blossoming of investment in science after WWII, there were lots of jobs, and the baby boomers filled them quickly. Mechanisms were developed for new professors to get initial NIH grants to help them set up their laboratories (q.v. NIH History of new and early stage investigator policies ). In contrast, in 2000, a 35-year-old was born in 1965, and a baby-boomer born in 1945 was 55, in the prime of their scientific career. There were fewer jobs and few funding mechanisms that focused on providing assistance for new, young investigators. In 2018, that baby-boomer born in 1945 is nearly 75 years old and likely retiring or retired. Thus, based on our own university as well as checking sources online such as Science Careers , there are faculty positions in neuroscience open all over the country. In addition, there are now specific programs at NIH to help new faculty get grants and transition into becoming successfully funded faculty quickly.

In practice, this has meant that there are many faculty positions for those who want them, at many different types of academic institutions. An undergraduate student who wants to take the next step into a PhD program should be encouraged to do so. PhDs have always gone on after their PhD to contribute to science in many ways. A recent survey published in Nature found that a scientific PhD had high value in the United Kingdom and Canadian job markets ( Woolston, 2018 ). In fact, when we look at the distribution of careers our graduating students have taken since graduation, we find that the vast majority (96%) are engaged in important, science-related jobs.

However, the essential benefit of a PhD is that it teaches one how to think critically about the world around them. Life is long and careers are long, and the needs of both society and technology changes. It is critical to remember that many of the jobs people are doing today literally did not exist when we (the authors of this paper) were in graduate school. For example, it is now possible to make a living running an educational website on scientific topics that gets millions of hits per month, reaching thousands of school districts around the country, but when we (the authors) were in college, the internet didn’t exist. A well-designed PhD program will prepare its trainees for whatever career they chose.

We cannot imagine the world 30 years from now, but we can state that PhD-trained scientists will not only be able to handle these changes but will in fact invent many of them. Huge technological innovations now allow investigators to see many individual neurons inside the brain, control the properties of neurons experimentally, to see effects of individual channels and proteins within a neuron or glial cell, and to observe the effects of these manipulations on behavior. Neuroscience is making amazing discoveries in the fundamental science of how the brain functions and the clinical and practical consequences of those discoveries. Simply put, it is an amazing time to be a neuroscientist.

The authors thank Drs. Robert Meisel, Timothy Ebner, Paul Mermelstein, Stephanie Fretham, Kevin Crisp, and Neil Schmitzer-Torbert for comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

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Welcome to Stanford Neurosciences

The Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program (IDP) offers interdisciplinary training leading to a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. The primary goal of the program is to train students to become leaders in neuroscience research, education and outreach. Graduates of the program will be innovators, investigators, and teachers whose programs and pursuits are founded on research. The signature feature of the Stanford Neurosciences IDP is the combination of outstanding faculty researchers and exceedingly bright, energetic students in a community that shares a firm and longstanding commitment to understanding the nervous system at all its levels of function.

Program News

Admissions Information Session

Join us virtually to learn more about the Stanford Neurosciences PhD program and the admissions process.

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

11:30 am - 12:30 pm PST

Registration: https://stanford.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a55hhH06Q6639slUtifHHw

Thank You, 2022-23 Student Reps and Committee Members!

2022-23 was a busy and engaging year in the program. Thank you to the Student Reps and Committee Members who led the way in bringing the community together!

Krishna Shenoy, engineer who reimagined how the brain makes the body move, dies at 54

Shenoy was a pioneer of neuroprosthetics, a field that paired chips implanted in the brain with algorithms able to decipher the chatter between neurons, allowing people with paralysis to control computers and mechanical limbs with their thoughts. Read more

Virtual Information Session - Monday, October 3, 2022

Virtual Information Session - Monday, October 4, 2021

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Tirin Moore wins 2021 Pradel Research Award

Dr. Shah elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg elected to National Academy of Medicine

Incorporating Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Training for our incoming class

Thomas R. Clandinin elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Kevin Guttenplan recognized by Biosciences Excellence in Teaching Award

Karl Deisseroth wins 2020 Heineken Prize for Medicine 

Daniel Cardozo Pinto wins Gilliam Prize 

President Marc Tessier-Lavigne donates Gruber Neuroscience Prize money to support Neuro grads who are under-represented 

Neuroscience, PhD

School of medicine.

The Department of Neuroscience offers an interdisciplinary program designed to train doctoral students for independent research and teaching in neuroscience. It is the goal of the program to ensure that candidates for the Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. degrees obtain a background covering molecular, cellular, systems, and cognitive approaches to neuroscience, as well as receive training that brings them to the forefront of research in their particular area of interest. A series of core courses in neuroscience, along with advanced electives, seminar series, laboratory rotations, and original independent dissertation research, form the Neuroscience Graduate Training Program.

Students enter the program from different backgrounds and the laboratories in which they elect to work cover different disciplines; therefore, the program is tailored to fit the needs of individual students. The academic year at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is divided into four quarters plus a summer semester. Courses are designed so that students have ample time to become involved in laboratory rotations. These laboratory rotations expose the student to a variety of current research techniques in neuroscience and provide an opportunity for the student to select a laboratory in which to conduct dissertation research. Scheduling of the three rotations is adjusted to make the most convenient schedule for each student. The rotations are usually completed by the end of the first full year in the program. Most students begin their thesis research at the beginning of their second year.

For more information, please visit The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience webpage: http://neuroscience.jhu.edu.

Financial Aid

The program provides tuition remission plus a stipend at or above the National Institutes of Health Predoctoral level for all students. All entering and first-year students are encouraged to apply for individual fellowships such as those sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Vivien Thomas PhD Scholars at JHU The  Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI)  is a new endowed fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for PhD students in STEM fields. It provides full tuition, stipend, and benefits while also providing targeted mentoring, networking, community, and professional development opportunities. Students who have attended a historically black college and university ( HBCU ) or other minority serving institution (MSI) for undergraduate study are eligible to apply. More information about the VTSI program is available at this link:  https://provost.jhu.edu/about/vivien-thomas-scholars-initiative/ . To be considered for the VTSI, all application and supplementary materials must be received by  December 1st .

Admission Requirements

We use a holistic approach to evaluating applicants and look forward to reading your application. We are most enthusiastic about applicants who have taken full advantage of the opportunities available at their undergraduate institution and through other summer or postbac experiences. Our class size is typically ~18 students per year.

Applicants are expected to have received a B.S. or B.A. prior to enrolling in the graduate program. Laboratory research experience prior to enrollment is also desirable. If you have research experience, please describe your research in your Statement of Interest and Career Objectives and indicate the number of months engaged in full-time and part-time research on your CV. Students who do well in our program typically have a strong academic foundation in areas of biological or physical sciences. Some of the courses that prepare students well include general biology, neuroscience, mathematics through calculus, general physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, statistics, engineering, or computer science.

NOTE: The Neuroscience Program DOES NOT require GRE scores. 

Program Requirements

A year-long core course provides an integrated overview of molecular and cellular neuroscience, neuroanatomy and systems, and cognitive neuroscience. This course is aimed at providing Neuroscience graduate students with a foundation for posing meaningful questions in their area of interest.  During the first two years, students are required to take 6 graduate level core courses that provide rigorous training in principles of neuroscience research. In addition, students in the first year attend research symposia and complete lab rotations to introduce them to research. Students in the program are also required to participate in core program activities such as seminars, journal clubs, a quantitative analysis boot camp, career development courses and various program events. In addition, each student selects advanced electives offered by members of the Neuroscience Training Program or other departments at the Medical School.

Seminar Program

The Neuroscience Training Program conducts several seminar series to ensure that students are exposed to recent work by researchers from across the country and the world as well as by Hopkins faculty and fellows. Graduate trainees participate actively in these series throughout their training, including inviting and hosting three speakers each year. A weekly lecture is given by an outstanding researcher in some field of neuroscience. Seminars are selected so that an overall balance of subject matter is covered yearly. Students are given an opportunity to meet with each speaker for questions and discussion. Weekly lunchtime talks are presented on current literature by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Since an ability to communicate scientific work clearly is essential, graduate students receive close guidance in preparing and evaluating their journal club presentations. Once a month, the faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students from one laboratory present and discuss the ongoing research in that laboratory. This provides an informal setting to discuss research being conducted in the laboratories of the Neuroscience Training Program and gives advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows a forum for presenting their work.

Requirements for the PhD Degree

A minimum residency of two academic years is required. During the course of graduate study, the student must successfully complete the required course requirements. An oral examination, conducted as prescribed by the Doctor of Philosophy Board, must be completed by the end of the second year. The student must then conduct original research and describe this research in a written thesis dissertation, which must be approved by the students Thesis Committee and the Doctor of Philosophy Board.

Training Facilities

The Training Program is centered in the Department of Neuroscience. The Training Program utilizes laboratory facilities located in the Department of Neuroscience plus several other basic and clinical departments closely associated with the Neuroscience Department. All of these laboratories are within a short distance of each other. Modern state of the art facilities for research in molecular biology, neurophysiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology, and morphology are available. The Mind/Brain Institute, located on the Homewood Campus of the University, is a group of laboratories devoted to the investigation of the neural mechanisms of higher mental function and particularly to the mechanisms of perception. All of the disciplines required to address these questions are represented in the Institute. These include neurophysiology, psychology, theoretical neurobiology, neuroanatomy, and cognitive science. All of the faculty in the Mind/Brain Institute are members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program.

Combined M.D./Ph.D. Program

A subset of the current predoctoral trainees in the Neuroscience Program are candidates for both Ph.D. and M.D. degrees. Applications for admission to the combined program are considered by the M.D./Ph.D. Committee of the School of Medicine. Application forms for the School of Medicine contain a section requesting information relevant to graduate study. Applicants interested in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program should complete this section also, and indicate specifically their interest in the “Neuroscience Training Program”. If application to the combined M.D./Ph.D. program proves unsuccessful and the applicant wishes to be considered for graduate studies, they must notify the Admissions Office of the Neuroscience Training Program by separate letter.

Ph.D. in Psychology and Neuroscience

General info.

• Faculty working with students: 40
• Students: 80
• Students receiving Financial Aid: 100%
• Part time study available: No
• Application terms: Fall
• Application deadline: December 2

Nancy Zucker Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Duke University Box 90086 Durham, NC 27708-0086

Email:  [email protected]

Website:  http://psychandneuro.duke.edu

Program Description

Graduate training leading to a Ph.D. in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience is offered through a unique program that merges social sciences and natural sciences in the study of brain, behavior, and cognition in humans and animals. Program tracts are offered in Clinical Psychology, Cognition & the Brain, Developmental (DEV), Social Psychology, and Systems and Integrative Neuroscience (SINS).

• Psychology and Neuroscience: PhD Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
• Psychology and Neuroscience : PhD Completion Rate Statistics
• Psychology and Neuroscience : PhD Time to Degree Statistics
• Psychology and Neuroscience: PhD Career Outcomes Statistics

Application Information

Application Terms Available:  Fall

Application Deadline:  December 2

Graduate School Application Requirements See the Application Instructions page for important details about each Graduate School requirement.

• Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts required with application submission; official transcripts required upon admission
• Letters of Recommendation: 3 Required
• Statement of Purpose: Required
• Résumé: Required
• GRE General (Optional)
• For clinical applicants ONLY:  If you were not a psychology undergraduate major, it is recommended that you take the GRE subject test. For psychology majors, it is not necessary to take the subject test.  No other area within Psychology and Neuroscience requires the subject test.
• English Language Exam: TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test required* for applicants whose first language is not English *test waiver may apply for some applicants
• GPA: Undergraduate GPA calculated on 4.0 scale required

Department-Specific Application Requirements (submitted through online application)

Writing Sample None required

Additional Components Applicants to the joint Ph.D. program in Public Policy and Allied Disciplines must submit an additional essay for admission to the program. Regardless of your selection of primary department, please respond to the following prompt:

In 500 words or less, please explain your interest in the joint Ph.D. program offered between Public Policy and an Allied Discipline. Highlight how your research interests and past experiences lie at the intersection between Public Policy and the Allied Discipline and how participation in the joint program will facilitate your professional goals after receiving your degree.

We strongly encourage you to review additional department-specific application guidance from the program to which you are applying: Departmental Application Guidance

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Everything you need to know about studying a PhD in Neuroscience

Part of natural sciences & mathematics, what is neuroscience.

Diving deep into the intricacies of the brain and nervous system, Neuroscience is the study of how these complex systems function, from molecular biology to cognitive processing. This multidisciplinary field intertwines biology, psychology, and even computational methods to understand the mysteries of the human mind and behaviour.

Neuroscience Specialisations

Some common specialisations of Neuroscience are:

• Molecular Neuroscience: Investigating the role of individual molecules.
• Cognitive Neuroscience: Understanding the neural substrates of cognition.
• Clinical Neuroscience: Focusing on diseases and disorders.
• Computational Neuroscience: Modelling and simulating neural processes.
• Neuroimaging: Utilising advanced tech to visualise the brain's structure and function.

As students progress in their studies, they can choose specialised areas of neuroscience to focus on, such as neurodevelopment, neurodegenerative diseases, neuropharmacology, neuroimaging, computational neuroscience, or neuropsychology. While Bachelor's programs offer an overview, the Master's in Neuroscience provides profound insights into specific Neuroscience areas.

What will you learn during a Neuroscience programme?

Neuroscience is not merely a subject; it's a journey to understand the essence of our very existence. During your studies:

• Delve deep into brain anatomy and physiology.
• Uncover the mechanisms behind sensation, perception, and cognition.
• Understand neural pathologies and potential treatments.

Courses you might undertake include:

• Brain Anatomy and Function: Detailed study of the brain's structure.
• Neural Signalling: Understanding neuron communication.
• Cognitive Processes: Exploring memory, attention, and decision-making.
• Brain Diseases: Studying conditions like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
• Neuropharmacology: Understanding drug effects on the nervous system.

A typical neuroscience curriculum includes courses in neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, cognitive neuroscience, behavioural neuroscience, and research methods in neuroscience. Students may also take courses in related areas like genetics, pharmacology, and statistics.

Many neuroscience programs emphasise hands-on laboratory work and research experience. Students may have the opportunity to conduct experiments, analyse data, and contribute to ongoing research projects.

Skills required for a degree in Neuroscience

To succeed in Neuroscience, one should possess analytical acumen, attention to detail, and curiosity about the brain's wonders. Regarding Neuroscience degree requirements, strong foundations in biology, chemistry, and sometimes physics are essential.

What can you do with a Neuroscience degree?

A degree in Neuroscience can lead to fascinating jobs such as:

• Neuroscientist: Engage in cutting-edge research.
• Clinical Neuropsychologist: Assess and treat cognitive dysfunctions.
• Neurology Consultant: Diagnose and manage neurological disorders.
• Pharmaceutical Researcher: Develop new drugs for neural conditions.
• Science Communicator: Bridge the gap between science and the public.

A Bachelor's in Neuroscience sets you on paths like research assistant roles or clinical work. A Master's in Neuroscience or, further, a Ph.D., is ideal for specialised roles, deep research, or academic positions. Graduates with degrees in neuroscience can pursue a wide range of career paths. These include research positions in academia, government, or the private sector, as well as roles in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, neuroimaging, neuropsychology, and science communication.

View all PhDs in Neuroscience . Keep in mind you can also study an online PhDs in Neuroscience .

Interesting programmes for you

Specialisations within the field of natural sciences & mathematics.

• Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Astronomy & Space Sciences
• Biotechnology
• Natural Sciences
• Financial Mathematics
• Microbiology
• Molecular Sciences
• Neuroscience
• Bioinformatics & Biostatistics
• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
• Computational Mathematics
• Operations Research
• Oceanography

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Berkeley Neuroscience

Prospective Students

Current students, program activities, gsi hiring information, student services & advising.

The Neuroscience Department will offer PhD training through the Neuroscience PhD Program , which will be run jointly by the department and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute (HWNI) .  This program has existed since 2000, run by HWNI, and has graduated > 150 students with a PhD in Neuroscience.  When the department launches, the existing HWNI Neuroscience PhD Program will be adopted and jointly administered by the department and HWNI. This will be a seamless transition for current students, who will not experience any changes to program curriculum or requirements. Over the next few years, we plan to make updates to the course of study, so that the program provides the best possible training, and matches the scope of both the Neuroscience Department and HWNI.  Students who enter the program will be able to choose thesis study with Neuroscience Department faculty members or with training faculty within the broader set of HWNI faculty.  Please see the full list of eligible faculty here .

PhD Program

The Neuroscience PhD Program at UC Berkeley offers intensive training in neuroscience research through a combination of coursework, research training, mentoring, and professional development. More than 60  program faculty (link is external)  from the Neuroscience Department and other allied departments provide broad expertise from molecular and cellular neuroscience to systems and computational neuroscience, to human cognitive neuroscience.

A unique feature of the neuroscience training at Berkeley is the highly multidisciplinary research environment. For instance, neuroscientists work side-by-side in the lab with engineers and roboticists to study motor control, with bioengineers to grow stem cells for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, and with chemists to develop new reagents for optical monitoring and control of neural activity. Neuroscience PhD Program students are trained at these intersections between fields and help drive scientific and technological advances.

The Neuroscience PhD Program trains a select group of students (about 10-12 entering students per year) in an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment. Since its official launch in 2000, the program has trained more than 150 students. Our applicants have outstanding undergraduate records in both research and scholarship from diverse academic disciplines, including biology, chemistry, psychology, physics, engineering, and computer science. We carefully select students with the expectation that, given strong graduate training, they will develop into tomorrow’s leaders in the field of neuroscience. We welcome you to apply to our program.

Please see the Neuroscience Department page:  Diversity, Equity & Inclusion .

Annual Message from Our PhD Program Director

"I am delighted to be the new director of our graduate program. I have inherited a program that I am proud to tell everyone is the best run graduate program on campus..."  Read More

Neuroscience PhD Program

UC Berkeley | 444 Li Ka Shing, MC#3370 | Berkeley, CA 94720-3370 | [email protected]

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Career Options after Neuroscience

What is neuroscience.

Neuroscience is a Science which emphasizes multidisciplinary understanding of how the nervous system works. It focuses on unraveling some of the mysteries of the brain and its mechanisms of action, including dysfunctions. Neuroscience includes aspects of:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular biology
• Pharmacology

What makes Neuroscience at UTSC unique?

UTSC has tremendous research strength in neuroscience. The Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress at Scarborough is comprised of behavioural neuroscientists from the Department of Psychology and molecular and systems neuroscientists from the Department of Biological Sciences, reflecting a truly integrative approach to Neuroscience.

Skills of Neuroscience Grads

• Analyze ideas and information
• Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing
• Design experiments and conduct studies
• Gather, analyze and interpret data
• Identify and understand needs
• Inform and explain ideas
• Make critical decisions under stressful situations
• Observe and compare people, data and things
• Perceive and understand individuals
• Computational modelling
• Neuroimaging

Entry-Level Jobs for Bachelor Grads

Common employment destinations include:

• Research Assistant in Hospitals or Universities
• Rehabilitation Counsellor in Non-Profits
• Community Programs Organizer in Non-Profits
• Disability Case Manager in Public Insurance
• Volunteer Coordinator in Disease-Focused Education
• Sales in Pharmaceuticals or Medical Devices
• Teaching Assistant / Tutor in Private Schools
• Administrator in Hospitals and NGOs

The Career Directory

Neuroscience Grads from UTSC have gone on to:

• Centre for Addictions and Mental Health
• Estee Lauder
• Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• St. Michael's Hospital
• Toronto District School Board

UTSC Neuroscience graduates are working in Healthcare, Education and Business.

Graduate & Professional Studies

Popular further education opportunities include:

• Psychology – Master of Science (Research)
• Medicine – Doctor (MD)
• Law School – JD (Juris Doctor)
• Social Work – Bachelor or Master
• Occupational Therapy – Master
• Physical Therapy – Master
• Speech & Language Pathology – Master
• Education – Bachelor or Master
• Radiation Technology – Diploma or Bachelor
• ABA Behaviour Therapy – Graduate Certificate

Examples of Fields that ‘Fit’ the Skills of Neuroscience Grads

• Social Services
• Government (Federal, Provincial, Regional, Municipal)
• Consulting Services
• Non-Profit Causes (Disorder/Disease-specific)

Your 4-Year Career Exploration Action Plan

1. do your research.

The databases below provide you with details about job prospects, nature of work, educational requirements, working conditions, pay and related career paths:

• ​Career Cruising: Log into cln.utoronto.ca , click on Resources, and click on Career Cruising to be logged in automatically
• O*Net: online.onetcenter.org (U.S. site)

Attend our workshop Discover Your Skills and Career Options , meet with a Career Counsellor , and use our resources to get to know your skills, values, personality and interests.

Use the advice on our tip sheets for gathering information:

• Information Interviews
• Working On-Campus
• Internships
• Volunteering

2. Explore Career Options & Get Experience

Gain exposure to your options in the world of work and make connections while you’re a student via campus events and programs listed on cln.utoronto.ca and ccr.utoronto.ca :

• Extern Job Shadowing
• In the Field
• Explore It! (course-based)
• Partners in Leadership (4th year students)
• iLead, uLead, weLead (Department of Student Life)
• Employer Information Sessions
• Career & Volunteer Fairs
• Departmental Student Association Events

Apply for Work Study jobs in CLN in Fall and Spring! You might also find work via the SCSU .

Find networking opportunities, internship programs and entry-level jobs via websites like TalentEgg and Charity Village .

As an upper year student (14+ credits), attend UTSC’s Get Hired conference and participate in Jobs for Grads .

As a graduate, explore internships and other trainee programs like Career Edge .

3. Build Your Network

Explore professional associations and get involved! Volunteer for their events and get to know people in your industry of interest. These are your future mentors, supervisors and colleagues!

• Psychology and Neuroscience Department Association
• Canadian Association for Neuroscience
• Society for Neuroscience
• Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation
• Canadian Psychological Association
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Canadian Psychiatric Association
• College of Psychologists Ontario
• Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association

Other websites for finding networking opportunities and experience include:

• Charity Village Events Listings (Disease-Related Non-Profits)
• Careers in Mental Health and relevant associations

Please note: This information is a starting point for your further research into career options in this field of study. For more information on this program and course requirements, please visit the Department of Psychology website.

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I am a Neuroscience Major. Now What? Graduate School and Career Paths to pursue in Neuroscience.

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Many students enter the field of Neuroscience considering a pre-medical track. However it is important to value your degree and understand the endless possibilities the foundational undergraduate degree in Neuroscience can provide. In the end, everything is connected! Whether you plan on medical school, or whether you are invested in the career field of neuroscience, with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience there are several options for graduate school and career paths. Here are some of the most common:

• Graduate School: Many graduates choose to pursue a Master’s or Ph.D. in Neuroscience or a related field. This can lead to careers in research, academia, or medicine.
• Medical School: With a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience, graduates may be well-suited to pursue a career in medicine. Many medical schools offer specialized tracks or programs in Neurology, Neurosurgery, or Psychiatry.
• Research: Graduates can work in a research setting, either in academia or in the private sector. This can include positions in pharmaceuticals, biotech, or government research institutions.
• Science Writing: Neuroscience graduates with strong writing skills may consider a career in science journalism or science writing. They can write for scientific publications, websites, or work in public relations for scientific organizations.
• Education: Graduates can also consider a career in education, working as a teacher or professor in a neuroscience-related field.
• Clinical Work: Neuroscience graduates can work in clinical settings such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, or mental health clinics.
• Industry: Graduates can work in the neuroscience industry, including sales and marketing of neuroscience-related products or medical devices

Overall, there are many career options for graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience. It is important to determine your interests and career goals early on and pursue relevant experiences and graduate education to achieve. Medical, Therapeutic, Academia and Industry are the three core branches in neuroscience career areas. The industry offers many different directions, depending on interests and expertise.

Examples and options to pursue in the Industry:

• Pharmaceutical Industry: Neuroscience research is a major focus of the pharmaceutical industry, with companies developing drugs for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Pharmaceutical companies employ neuroscientists to conduct research and clinical trials to develop new drugs and therapies.
• Medical Devices: The development of medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders is another area of focus within the industry. Examples include deep brain stimulation devices for Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy, as well as neuroprosthetics for spinal cord injuries. Neuroscientists work with engineers to develop and test these devices.
• Biotech: Biotech companies are involved in the development of new therapies and diagnostics for neurological disorders. This can include the use of stem cells, gene therapies, and other innovative approaches.
• Artificial Intelligence: The intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence is a growing area of interest, with companies developing technologies that can analyze brain imaging data, predict behavior, and create more effective therapies.
• Neuromarketing: Neuromarketing is a field that uses neuroscience techniques to understand consumer behavior and preferences. This includes the use of brain imaging to study how consumers respond to different stimuli such as advertisements or products.
• Cognitive Computing: Cognitive computing involves the use of artificial intelligence and neuroscience to create machines that can think and learn like humans. This has potential applications in areas such as robotics, autonomous vehicles.

A degree in Neuroscience can prepare you for a range of therapeutic and consulting roles. Here are some potential fields to consider:

• Neuropsychology: Neuropsychologists assess and treat individuals with neurological disorders that impact cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. With a background in neuroscience, you would have a solid foundation to pursue a career in neuropsychology.
• Clinical Psychology: Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat individuals with mental health disorders. Your knowledge of neuroscience could be valuable in understanding the underlying causes of mental health conditions and developing effective treatment plans.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviors. Understanding the neurological mechanisms of behavior and cognition could be helpful in developing effective CBT interventions.
• Neurofeedback Therapy: Neurofeedback therapy is a type of treatment that uses real-time monitoring of brain activity to help individuals learn to regulate their brainwaves. A background in neuroscience would be helpful in understanding how neurofeedback works and developing effective treatment plans.
• Consulting: Many companies and organizations are interested in understanding how the brain works and how they can use this knowledge to improve their products or services. With a degree in neuroscience, you could work as a consultant, providing insights and recommendations based on your understanding of the brain and behavior.
• Research: If you are interested in advancing our understanding of the brain and its functions, you could pursue a career in neuroscience research. This could involve studying brain disorders, developing new treatments, or investigating the neural basis of behavior.

Reflecting over personal and professional interests, values and what sparks curiosity is key in starting to network, investigate and pursue education, experiential learning and research opportunities to prepare for a future career related to neuroscience. Start now, listen to podcasts, conduct informational interviews and read articles, be mindful in course selection and continue to build skills – all important factors in the journey to find your “why” and your “what”. Opportunities are waiting!

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Students in our pioneering PEN program gain state-of-the-art Cognitive Neuroscience training in how humans learn, with a special strength in the neuroplasticity of visually guided learning processes. While Cognitive Neuroscience includes studies of learning and higher cognitive processes across the lifespan, its sister discipline, Educational Neuroscience, includes intensive study of five core domains that are crucial in early childhood learning, including language and bilingualism, reading and literacy, math and numeracy, science and critical thinking (higher cognition), social and emotional learning, and includes study of action and visual processing. PEN students become expert in one of the world’s cutting-edge neuroimaging methods in the discipline of Cognitive Neuroscience (e.g., fNIRS, EEG, fMRI, and beyond), study Neuroethics, gain strong critical analysis and reasoning skills in science, and develop expertise in one of the core content areas of learning identified above. While becoming experts in both contemporary neuroimaging and behavioral experimental science, students also learn powerful, meaningful, and principled ways that science can be translated for the benefit of education and society today.

This doctoral program is a research-focused program where students develop a specific research focus, conducting supervised research within their mentor’s lab as well as developing their own lines of research through independent research projects. Students accepted into the program receive four years of funding as follows: tuition scholarship for up to the domestic rate + $25,200 annual stipend + health insurance option.

Students benefit from access to in-house, research-dedicated neuroimaging facilities where students can also choose to become certified in fNIRS (functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy), one of the world’s most advanced neuroimaging technologies. Students graduate from the program prepared to become groundbreaking scientists!

The PEN program opened its doors to the first class of Ph.D. students in Fall 2013. This is Gallaudet’s first interdisciplinary Ph.D. program and has its administrative home in Gallaudet University’s National Science Foundation Science of Learning Center, Visual Language and Visual Learning, VL2. Learn more about VL2 and its cognitive neuroscience and translational labs, all of which provide PEN students with unparalleled lab research experience and opportunities.

Deadline to apply for this program: February 15, 2023 (Early applications will be considered)

The Ph.D. Program in Educational Neuroscience (PEN) was founded at Gallaudet University by Dr. Laura-Ann Petitto (Chair, PEN Steering Committee) and Dr. Melissa Herzig (Assistant Program Director, PEN). Students in...

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Action & brain lab, cognitive and affective neuroscience lab (can), motion light lab (ml2), numeracy and educational neuroscience lab (nens), petitto brain and language center for neuroimaging (bl2).

PEN students benefit from Gallaudet University’s local university consortium, which provides students access to courses taught in the Washington, D.C. area. PEN students also have access to a national network of more than 20 cognitive neuroscience labs throughout the world, through formal Memoranda of Understanding.

In the BL2, students can choose to become certified in one of the world's most advanced neuroimaging technologies that is suited for the study of young children and individuals across the lifespan, fNIRS (functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy).

Students in PEN will spend a large portion of their time learning about current neuroscience research and conducting their own research. The Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning supervises and aids students in research. Students may join efforts in any of our Research hubs listed above.

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Fast-Track Your Neuroscience Career

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Delaware affords exceptional neuroscience majors an opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in neuroscience (30 graduate credits) in just five years of study. Students save about 50 percent in expenses and time required for a traditional master of science degree.

In addition to coursework and lab research, students in the accelerated 4+1 B.S./M.S. degree program must complete a research-based master's thesis. Students would normally begin working in a research lab at least one year prior to applying.

Applications are due in December of the applicant’s senior year.  Upon being admitted to the program, a student would then complete a graduate summer research internship (6 credits) and thesis proposal; a fifth-year curriculum of graduate studies in neuroscience; and submit their master’s thesis research and defend it orally.

Learning Objectives

The program is designed to train scientists in the biological foundations of behavior, with research foci including learning and memory, development, neural plasticity, social behavior, and animal models of developmental and affective disorders. The program reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the neurosciences and training involves a wide range of modern neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, neuropharmacological, and behavioral techniques. ​By the end of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Demonstrate expertise in select domains of neuroscience and their implications for interdisciplinary research through fluent scientific discussion, writing, and presentation.
• Think critically and programmatically. Synthesize knowledge into novel scientific insights.  Constructively critique scientific theories, hypotheses, experimental procedures, data-analytic approaches, and results. Generate empirically or theoretically grounded hypotheses and experimental designs.
• Learn and apply the statistical and quantitative methods in service of their own research as well as their ability to critically evaluate research in the literature. This includes descriptive procedures for summarizing data, statistical procedures for performing inferential tests, and development of appropriate data visualizations.
• Effectively implement rigorous experimental designs. Learn technical skills necessary to collect and manage data. Analyze and report outcomes.

Check UD Catalog for Requirements

Applying to the Program

Requirements.

Applicants to this program are recommended to have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA.

The first step is to identify a faculty member who agrees to serve as the applicant's 4+1 research mentor. We recommend that the applicant work in that faculty member's lab for at least the first semester of your junior year to establish a basis for that faculty member's decision to become your 4+1 research mentor.

Once a faculty member has agreed to mentor the applicant's 4+1 research, the applicant should construct an application packet and submit it, by the free add-drop deadline of the second semester of the applicant's junior year (usually the end of the second week of classes) to Dr. Eric Roth, director of the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience.

The application packet should include  two letters of recommendation   from faculty at the University of Delaware, one of which must be from your 4+1 research mentor. The applicant's application packet should also include a  University of Delaware transcript , and a two-page  statement of purpose .  This statement should discuss anything that might be relevant to an admissions decision and address: a) why the applicant wishes to be admitted to the 4+1 B.A./M.S. Program in Neuroscience, b) the applicant's preparation for the program, c) a brief summary of the research project the applicant expects to complete, and d) plans after receiving the Master's Degree.

Admission Procedure

Neuroscience majors who properly submit their application materials for the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience will have their application materials reviewed by the neuroscience admissions committee comprised of the behavioral neuroscience faculty who, in turn, make a recommendation to the director of graduate education in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences for final approval of admission.

Applicants are generally notified of their admission status within 30 days of their application. One should note however that: a) admission is competitive, so meeting the minimal requirements for admission will not guarantee admission, and b) junior-year admission to the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience is  provisional   until the applicant satisfies his or her senior year evaluation as per below.

The GRE is not required for admission to the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience. However, applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 550 or higher on the paper-based test or 79 or higher on the Internet-based test. Previous education, training, or residence in the U.S. does not exempt foreign nationals from these requirements. Applicants who need further training in English prior to attending graduate school may apply for admission through the University of Delaware English Language Institute's Conditional Admission Program.

Senior Year Evaluation

Students provisionally enrolled in the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience must maintain at least a 3.25 GPA in their neuroscience courses through the first semester of their senior year, and must be reevaluated by the admissions committee the  beginning of the second semester of their senior year . This evaluation, which is based on GPA and level of senior year research engagement, is conducted by the director of the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience in consultation with the student's 4+1 mentor, and is subject to final approval by the director of graduate studies in the Department of Psychological and Brain Studies.

Students who are permitted to continue in the 4+1 Program must be eligible to receive their B.S. degree in neuroscience from the University of Delaware at the end of their senior year, and must immediately complete an online application to UD's Graduate College . 

The latter is necessary to allow one to be promoted to  graduate student status   so one can register for the required  Summer Research Residency  and  Fifth Year of Graduate Studies . For students who are granted permission to continue, this final application procedure, albeit required, is largely a formality.

Academic Requirements

Senior year research.

In addition to completing the requirements for the B.S. degree in neuroscience, students provisionally accepted into the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience must register for three credits of undergraduate research per semester (NSCI368) during their senior year. This undergraduate neuroscience research must be conducted in your 4+1 research mentor's laboratory, and is usually technique-focused and exploratory in nature. However, it is often used also to satisfy the requirements for a Senior Thesis if the student so chooses, and is the foundational "pilot work" that the 4+1 neuroscience student exploits to set up a successful 4+1 master's degree thesis proposal and research project , as per below.

Summer Research Residency

Upon completing the Bachelor's Degree in Neuroscience and achieving graduate student status, students admitted into the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience transition immediately into their summer research residency , for which they must register for six credits of  graduate research in neuroscience  (NSCI868-Graduate Research). This step is particularly important since summer is a time when graduate students and their faculty mentors can devote the greatest amount of undistracted time and attention to research, particularly to the gathering and analysis of data for one's master's thesis research. During their summer research residency, 4+1 students must write and defend their master's degree proposal , (deadline August 25) described below, and initiate their master's thesis research.

Master's Degree Proposal

Students will present a concisely written thesis proposal to their master's thesis committee and defend it orally. The thesis committee shall consist of the student's faculty mentor and at least two other members of the faculty from the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Faculty from other departments or colleges within or outside the University may also serve as a research mentor and serve on the student's thesis committee, by mutual agreement of all parties involved and subject to approval by the director of graduate education in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.   

Fifth Year of Graduate Studies & Research

Students in the 4+1 Neuroscience Program complete graduate course work in neuroscience, attend area and departmental colloquia each semester ( NSCI 866: Neuroscience Colloquium ), and complete graduate research in neuroscience ( NSCI 868: Graduate Research  and  NSCI 869: Master's Thesis ).  Colloquia and seminars are an important forum for faculty, graduate students, and invited guests to present and discuss recent research.

Hence, upon graduation, students in the 4+1 Neuroscience Program will have completed a total of 30 graduate credits beyond the Bachelor's Degree in Neuroscience. Please note that neuroscience courses that were taken as an undergraduate cannot be taken again or credited toward graduate work.

Neuroscience Colloquia

Students in the 4+1 Neuroscience Program are required to register for one credit of NSCI866 each fall and spring semester, and regularly attend the Neuroscience "Brown Bag" Colloquia and Seminar Series that meet for one hour each week. These colloquia and seminars are an important forum for faculty, graduate students, and invited guests to present and discuss recent research.

Master's Thesis Completion

The culmination of a successful master's thesis research project results in a written master's thesis. Expectations for the master's thesis research are established by a student's faculty mentor with oversight by the student's thesis committee and must be approved by the director of graduate education. To allow for final revision and submission of the document in time to apply for the June graduation, the neuroscience master's thesis must be submitted to, and orally defended in front of, the students master's thesis committee by April 15 of the second semester of the fifth year. 

Advisement & Financial Aid

Primary advising for students enrolled in the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience will be the responsibility of the student's faculty research mentor.

Financial Aid

Neuroscience majors who are receiving scholarships or other forms of financial aid as undergraduates are advised that such aid applies only toward the completion of the   bachelor's degree or to the first four years of their undergraduate studies (which may nonetheless include taking some graduate courses during their senior year). Thus, students who pursue the   4+1 Program in Neuroscience may want to seek support for their  summer research residency  and  fifth year of graduate study  through student loans and other financial aid. A limited amount of support is sometimes   available to 4+1 program students through the research support of their faculty mentor, or on a competitive basis from other sources.

Neuroscience 4+1 Curriculum

The following is a suggested program plan. Please check UD's Graduate Academic Catalog for current degree requirements of the accelerated B.A./M.S. program in neuroscience.

Visit UD Catalog for Requirements

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Stritch School of Medicine

Master's in Neuroscience

Developing outstanding neuroscientists committed to scientific excellence and integrity.

The Master of Science (MS) in Neuroscience is a two-year, research-intensive program designed to provide a foundational understanding of the biomedical sciences and an appreciation for emerging concepts and methodologies in neuroscience.  Our master's degree program provides an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary approach to training in neuroscience that allows students to choose from a variety of research mentors and projects. During their training, our students develop the knowledge and confidence to utilize cutting edge techniques to address novel neuroscience questions and the communication skills necessary to succeed in challenging academic and industry environments.

Our graduates have gained admission to medical school (both allopathic or osteopathic), as well as PhD programs at Loyola and other top schools in the Chicago area and beyond. Many graduates have also obtained advanced technical research positions as well as sales and marketing jobs in the pharmaceutical industry.

Study With One of the Nation's Top Neuroscience Masters Programs

Loyola University Chicago's Master's in Neuroscience was recently recognized as one of the nations top graduate programs by Best Value Schools, ranking #9 of the " Best 15 Masters in Neuroscience Programs 2024 ". Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of neural systems, pursue a career in research, or prepare for further studies, our program provides the resources and expertise to help you succeed.

Our Commitment To You

Graduates of Loyola's MS in Neuroscience will gain the following knowledge, skills, and professional values to pursue a career as a research scientist in academia or industry or pursue additional education.

• Foundational understanding of the biochemical and molecular basis of cell function and neuronal and glial cell function
• Broad, comprehensive understanding of the neuroscience fields including: neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, molecular neurobiology, neuropharmacology, neurophysiology, and behavior
• Expertise in several scientific techniques to study of the function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system

SKILLS  

• Design and conduct experiments independently
• Analyze data
• Evaluate and apply scientific literature to experimental research
• Ability to present scientific work in a compelling manner
• Develop methodologies to explore the cellular and molecular basis of neuronal function in health and disease

PROFESSIONAL VALUES  

• Ethical standards of behavior in science

Students must complete a minimum of 30 credtis during this two-year MS program.  The Neuroscience curriculum helps students develop the skills to explore the cellular and molecular basis of neuronal function in health and disease. In addition to regular coursework, students must participate in a student-centered weekly journal club and weekly neuroscience seminars and student progress reports. Both are intended to facilitate students’ abilities to critically read, question, and synthesize scientific knowledge and to hone their presentation skills.

YEAR 1 - Fall 

Students complete two, six-week research rotations in addition to the following courses:

• BMSC 410 - Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (4 credits)
• BMSC 412 - Cell Biology (4 credits)
• BMSC 416 - Methods in Biomedical Science (1 credit)
• BMSC 405 - Ethics in Biomedical Sciences (1 credit)
• NRSC 503 - Neuroscience Journal Club (1 credit)

YEAR 1 - Spring 

• BMSC 402 - Statistical Methods in Biomedical Sciences (3 credits)
• NRSC 410 - Cell and Molecular Neurobiology (3 credits)
• NRSC 503 - Neuroscience Seminar (0 credits)
• NRSC 499 - Research (2 credits)
• BMSC 418 - Presentation Skills (1 credit)

YEAR 2- Fall  

• NRSC 415 - Neurochemistry (3 credits)
• NRSC 499 - Research (4 credits)

YEAR 2 - Spring  

• NRSC 595 - Thesis Supervision (0 credits)

Course Catalog

• Neuroscience MS Course Catalog

Ready to apply? This is a good place to start.

APPLICATION DEADLINES  

We accept applications on a rolling basis. We encourage students to apply by April 15 to ensure their application receives a full review. The deadline for all application materials is June 15. Typically, orientation is two days in late July, followed by an early August start date.

APPLICATION PROCESS  (There is no application fee.)

1. COMPLETED APPLICATION

• We strongly urge you to apply online . You may mail your application (although that will delay our receipt) to: Graduate and Professional Enrollment Management Loyola University Chicago 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1200 Chicago, IL 60611

2. OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

• Applicants should have earned a bachelor's degree (at minimum) to apply. Transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate work are required for admission.
• The MS in Neuroscience program requires applicants to have taken two semesters or the equivalent in each of the following: Biology, Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry. Students also should have completed the accompanying laboratory courses within each discipline.

3. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

• Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation. We encourage applicants to have letters of recommendation submitted by individuals who have supervised the student either in an academic course or research environment, and who have direct knowledge of the student's aptitude for scientific research.

4. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

• Your statement of purpose should be a brief, one page statement that explains your interest in this program.

5. INTERVIEW

• A virtual interview is required for admission. International applicants can interview via phone or video conference.

Please note: the only documents that cannot be uploaded with an application are transcripts and official test scores. Please send those documents directly to: [email protected] .

FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

International applicants must have a degree equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree and are required to submit the above documents and:

• TOEFL or IELTS scores
• A Declaration and Certification of Finances Form
• Evaluations of international transcripts by any member organization of  NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) 

Please visit our  International Student Requirements  page for more details!

Please note: the only documents that cannot be uploaded with an application are transcripts, official test scores, and transcript evaluations. Please send those documents directly to: [email protected]

For more information, contact Student Program Recruiter Patrick Hulseman .

Request more information about our graduate programs.

WHERE ARE THESE PROGRAMS LOCATED?

The Biomedical Sciences programs are located at Loyola University Chicago's Health Sciences Campus in Maywood, approximately 12 miles west of downtown Chicago. The campus is home to the Stritch School of Medicine, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, and Loyola Medicine, our academic medical center partner. The campus features state-of-the-art facilities for education and biomedical research.

HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES PROGRAMS?

Approximately 175 graduate students are enrolled in Loyola's Biomedical Science programs.

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MS students enroll in a Core Curriculum during their first and second semesters, followed by advanced coursework and research training in their area of specialization. After completing lab rotations, students select an advisor who will mentor them throughout their studies and in many cases, after graduation. 

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JOANNA C. BAKOWSKA, PhD Associate Professor, Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers Research Interests: Genetic, behavioral, and cellular mechanisms that underlie spastic paraplegias.

ED CAMPBELL, PhD Professor, Microbiology and Immunology PhD- Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago Research Interests: Understanding the mechanisms of cellular invasion by amyloid protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative disease and the cellular dysfunction induced by such invasion.

EILEEN FOECKING, PhD Associate Professor, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD- Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University Research Interests: Mechanisms of peripheral nerve injury and repair with focus on therapeutic and surgical techniques to enhance regeneration.

ROCCO GOGLIOTTI, PhD Assistant Professor, Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD- Biomedical Research, Northwestern University Research Interests: Neurogenetics of autism and autism-associated disorders and the neuropharmacology of novel treatment strategies.

CELESTE GREER, PhD Assistant Professor, Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD- Pharmacology, Yale University Research Interests:  Transcriptional mechanisms that influence learning and memory

SIMON KAJA, PhD Associate Professor, Dr. John P. and Therese E. Mulcahy Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology PhD- Leiden University, Ophthalmology and Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience Research Interests: Identification of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying human ophthalmic, neurological and neurodegenerative disorders.

KELLEY LANGERT, PhD Assistant Professor, Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD- Neuroscience, Loyola University Chicago Research Interests: Targeted drug delivery to the inflamed peripheral nerve, identifying novel therapeutic targets at the blood-nerve barrier and the leukocyte-endothelial interface, elucidating the physiological and pathophysiological roles of monomeric GTPases in endothelial cells.

TONI PAK, PhD James R. DePauw Professor and Chair, Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology PhD- Neuroscience, University of Colorado (Boulder) Research Interests: Neuroendocrine regulation of puberty; molecular mechanisms of nuclear steroid receptor function.

ERIKA PIEDRAS-RENTERIA, PhD Associate Professor, Cell and Molecular Physiology PhD- Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of neuronal P/Q calcium channel function in normal and diseased states, including spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6).

KARIE SCROGIN, PhD Professor, Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD- Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health Sciences University Research Interests: Anxiety, mood disorders and neural control of circulation in heart disease.

MEHARVAN SINGH, PhD Vice Provost of Research and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology PhD- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Florida Research Interests: Role of gonodal hormones in aging brain and age-assocaiated neurodgenerative diseases

MONSHEEL SODHI, PhD Assistant Professor, Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD- Biochemistry, Kings of College London, U.K. Research Interests: Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression (RNA editing, alternative splicing, microRNAs) in mood disorders, psychosis and after exposure to stress.

EVAN B. STUBBS, JR. PhD Professor, Ophthalmology PhD- Biochemistry, University of Missouri Research Interests: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Metabolic and Acquired Neuropathies, including diabetic neuropathy, glaucomatous neuropathy, and acquired inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

GONZALO TORRES, PhD Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD - Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University Research Interest:  Function and regulation of brain monoamine transporters in the context of psychostimulants and antidepressants actions

ERIC VILLALON LANDEROS, PhD Assistant Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience PhD - University of Missouri, Neuroscience Research interests: Cell and molecular basis of Neuronal Membrane Proteasome(NMP)-dependent signaling modulation of pain and itch sensation.

DEREK WAINRIGHT, PhD Associate Professor, Cancer Biology MS, PhD – Cell Biology Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Loyola University Chicago Research Interests:  Neuroimmunology and glioblastoma therapy

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Welcoming Stephanie Zandee to the Ludmer Centre and The Neuro

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Stephanie Zandee, PhD, recently joined McGill, where she will be an Assistant Professor in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience, and a researcher and the leader of the Zandee Lab. Joining the Montreal Neurological Institute, Prof. Zandee is the first new Principal Investigator to embark on the Single-Cell Genomic Brain Initiative, studying multiple sclerosis (MS) at the single-cell level. We had the chance to speak with her about her career thus far, and her ambitions in her new role.

Tell us about your research and your career so far.

I started my career at Radboud University (Nijmegen, the Netherlands), where I studied molecular life sciences. I really enjoyed the combination of chemistry and the relationship to disease biology, so I completed a master’s degree in Molecular Mechanisms of Disease. This is an international honours program, with a cohort of 24 people coming from all over the world each year. It was great to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures. As part of the program, I completed an internship at the University of Edinburgh. I was particularly interested in the intersection of neuroscience and immunology, as such MS was a highly relevant field of study. I studied MS lesion pathology and created a method to study up to 7 different markers simultaneously to understand lesions better. I became interested in anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells, and why they don’t behave normally in MS patients. I completed my doctorate deepening my understanding of this phenomenon. I also worked in mouse models of MS, using machine learning on immunofluroescent images of lesions.

For my postdoctoral studies, I joined the laboratory of Alexandre Prat, MD, PhD at the Centre de Recherche du CHUM at Université de Montréal (UdeM), to further explore the regulatory T cells migration over the blood—brain barrier. During my postdoctoral fellowship, I was leading the MS Brain Bank and rapid autopsy program, where I will continue to help out now. I also collaborated with Rubèn López-Vales, PhD , at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, looking at cytokine IL-37 in MS mouse models. Though we don’t know much about this anti-inflammatory cytokine, we know it plays a role in autoimmune diseases and cancer. In the case of autoimmune diseases, people with higher levels of cytokine IL-37 tend to have better disease outcomes. In mouse models of MS, we found that higher expression of it was associated with less influx of immune cells into the spinal cord and brain, and less demyelination. In one of my postdoctoral projects, I looked at the effect of IL-37 on the blood-brain barrier. We also found cells in the Central Nervous System (CNS) that can make cytokine IL-37, potentially hinting at a self-regulatory mechanism to treat inflammation in the brain. This is what I am to investigate further with my lab.

How will the Zandee Lab integrate these findings and advance MS research?

The lab’s overarching goal will be to look at MS pathology, and the underlying factors and molecular underpinnings which govern the timing and the location of lesions. Following up on my findings with Prof. López-Vales, I want to study cytokine IL-37 during homeostasis and CNS inflammation to better understand its role in the brain and explore its potential as a treatment by triggering its expression. We will use a combination of techniques and modalities, such as single-cell RNA sequencing, neuroimaging and flow cytometry. In collaboration with researchers at Mila , we will be using multimodal analysis and machine learning to combine the findings from these different methods to try and discover underlying disease patterns.

Why do you want to use single-cell technology for your research?

Other techniques, such as bulk RNA sequencing, have been helpful and provide a lot of information. However, the patterns we extract from them include a combination of cell types in different states. We don’t know if the information comes from cells in homeostasis or in disease state. The benefit of single-cell sequencing is that we can tease apart these different cell clusters. Adding spatial sequencing, we could then see where these cells are in the tissue and in the actual lesion. Technology has evolved and we are now able to get spatial sequencing at a single-cell resolution. This combination of single-cell and spatial sequencing is ideal to understand what is happening, and where.

Was there a specific event that inspired you to study multiple sclerosis?

There are two that come to mind. During my internship and my PhD, I used confocal microscopy to develop a staining method looking at as many biomarkers in tissue as possible. I managed to design a method that can measure seven different markers simultaneously, which was a huge accomplishment. I was also learning how to use machine learning methods to take into account the vast amount of information coming out of this method. Looking at machine learning analysis, I wondered how we could do this for hundreds of thousands of molecules to really understand what these cells are doing, how they communicate with each other, and what causes lesion development. Realizing how machine learning could help science move forward was a big moment and I wanted to be a part of that.

Another big moment was when I accompanied a neuropathologist to see the brain of a human being, all while respecting the patient’s dignity and sacrifice. These individuals donate their brain to science to help others with the same disease. Holding that patient’s brain and seeing their lesions, you can’t get much closer to the disease. I know I can’t help that person anymore, but I hope I can contribute to their wish of granting a better life for those who are still alive.

Tell us about your collaborations to enhance the impact of your research.

I will continue collaborating with Dr. Prat at UdeM, working with brain tissues from the Brain Bank. At The Neuro, I will be collaborating closely with Adil Harroud, MD , Jack Antel, MD , Jo Anne Stratton, PhD , and also with Wayne Moore, MD . Dr. Harroud is a specialist in MS genetics, Dr. Antel is an expert in oligodendrocytes (the cells that produce the protective myelin sheath surrounding neurons), Prof. Stratton is more focused on ependymal cells, while Dr. Moore is studying contribution of the choroid plexus to lesion formation. The Zandee Lab will focus on differences between periventricular and deep white matter lesions. The five of us will bring our combined research in these different brain areas together, and it’s a great opportunity for us to get a more complete picture of what’s happening. At the Ludmer Centre, I’m very interested in working with Corina Nagy, PhD , and plan on using tissue from the Douglas Bell Canada Brain Bank. I’m very interested in doing nuclear sequencing, which Prof. Nagy and Prof. Stratton are both experts in. I look forward to all these collaborations.

How will your research contribute to the development of new treatments or diagnostic tools?

Studying the disease at the single-cell level will allow us to look at the disease states of the different cell types, and to better understand the disease progression and its different phases. It could potentially help us identify the pathways that are up- or down-regulated and give us a better candidate for what mechanism to target for treatment options. Many of the existing treatment options target the immune system, but none target the brain itself. If we can find the specific mechanism in the CNS or have a better understanding of what’s happening in the lesions, we can really improve the lives of the patients. At The Neuro, scientists are developing Positron Emission Tomography (PET) tracers for inflammation in the brain which can be used to follow patients over time and see the response to different treatment options in the future. If we can identify more non-invasive imaging-based targets through single-cell sequencing, that would be amazing.

Why did you decide to stay in Montreal and at McGill? There are a lot of collaborations happening across Canada. People are reaching out to help each other, and I really like this environment. At McGill, there are a lot of collaborations between the people in the MS field, like the ones I mentioned earlier. Montreal is a beacon of hope in neuroscience research, and there is a particularly good MS hub here. From clinical to neuroimaging, to single-cell and nuclear sequencing, there is a community of researchers looking at different aspects of MS. It’s the whole package.

What are your vision and your mission in building your own lab? What values do you want to pass on to the next cohort of scientists?

I want to create a space where we are continually learning from each other. It’s great to see the student trajectory from when they first enter the lab, start to gain confidence, and come up with their own interpretation and ideas. Each new cohort brings new ideas and perspectives, and it’s a privilege to witness this journey as they become their own scientists. I’ve trained a lot of students in the past, and I look forward to welcoming my first master’s student, Sara Chafik, this fall. In the Zandee Lab, I want to cultivate a passion for multidisciplinary approaches in science. More and more, we see the involvement of multiple systems in different disease mechanisms. We need to start looking over the bounds and borders of our own field for different experts to come together, learn from each other and expand our knowledge to more than one system. I would like my trainees to think outside the box and learn from other disciplines.

Anything else you’d like to mention?

I’m thankful to everybody who’s helped me along the way. I’ve had great teachers and mentors and amazing opportunities. Sometimes these were my supervisors, but there were also people from other labs or just a bit ahead of me in their career. I’m part of the International Women in Multiple Sclerosis , a society where different researchers support each other. I first joined as a mentee and am now in a place to offer mentorship. It’s nice to be able to receive support, but to also be able to pay it forward. Of course, your lab supervisors are the obvious mentors and will help you find your path; all these other mentors are just as important for you to progress in your career. You don’t become an assistant professor overnight - it takes a village.

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