Neuroscience

Administrative Committee: Professors Carlson (Psychology), Nelson (Psychology), Scaglione-Sewell (Biology); Associate Professors Anderson (English), Glass (Computing and Information Sciences); Assistant Professors Berberoglu (Biology), Butler (Psychology, coordinator), R. Johnson (Engineering), Nakamoto (Biology).

Objectives

An understanding of the mind is one of the most important and fascinating human quests. For those who want to join this important endeavor, the Neuroscience minor offers an interdisciplinary perspective on the structure and function of the human nervous system and the mental abilities that depend upon its operation.

Neuroscience is a central topic of contemporary scientific inquiry, with many large research initiatives underway in the US and international settings. It is an exciting field that attempts to study (1) the basic structure and characteristics of human mental processes, (2) the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, and (3) how mental and physical processes relate to each other. The field of neuroscience is both fascinating and complex, as it draws on insights from many different fields including bioengineering, cognitive science, computer science, experimental and clinical psychology, linguistics and philosophy.

Students entering many research and professional careers will find a background in neuroscience to the helpful or even essential in a number of fields such as artificial intelligence, clinical neuropsychology, medicine (especially neurology and psychiatry), neurolinguistics, and philosophy (especially philosophy of mind). Integral to the program is a set of learning objectives that orient faculty and students toward the acquisition of critical knowledge and skills necessary for understanding, appreciating and using the tools of modern neuroscience.

The minor in Neuroscience may be used in partial fulfillment for the degree of Bachelor of Science.