The Neuroscience major consists of science courses in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology, plus senior comprehensives, which includes attending neuroscience seminarsand student comprehensive presentations. Neuroscience majors may also choose to do a senior honors research project in the laboratory of a Neuroscience faculty member or affiliated Biology faculty member (and in some cases a faculty member from UMass).
Students completing the Neuroscience major at Amherst should be able to:
- Understand basic concepts in the traditional science disciplines that are relevant to neuroscience: biology, chemistry, psychology, mathematics and computer science, and physics.
- Apply this understanding to practical problems in the field of neuroscience.
- Integrate knowledge from different science disciplines and different levels of organization ranging from molecules to behavior.
- Set up and carry out modern laboratory techniques used in behavioral and cellular/molecular neuroscience areas.
- Plan feasible experiments using principles of experimental design, including developing testable hypotheses and valid use of statistics.
- Critically evaluate scientific literature, including assessing the importance of the problems addressed, the appropriateness of the methodology used, and the legitimacy of the data analysis.
- Effectively communicate ideas orally.
- Write clearly, concisely, and gracefully.
