Mar 28, 2024  
Course Catalog 2005-2006 
    
Course Catalog 2005-2006 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Neuroscience


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: College of Arts and Sciences

Neuroscience Major


Any variation in meeting the major requirements indicated below must be approved in writing by the Chair of the Neuroscience Department. Similarly, the department chair must approve course credit earned away from Oberlin before it can serve to satisfy requirements for the major.

Courses in which a student has earned a letter grade lower than a C- cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the Neuroscience major.

The requirements for the Neuroscience major consist of a minimum of approximately 38 credit hours, depending on course selection. These requirements are as follows:

One of the Following Two Courses:


Two of the Following Lecture/Discussion Courses in Cellular and Systems Neuroscience:


One of the Following Laboratory Courses in Cellular and Systems Neuroscience:


Two of the Following Lecture/Discussion Courses in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience:


One of the Following Laboratory Courses:


A second Cellular and Systems laboratory course from the list above.

Senior Seminar in Neuroscience


A student who is unable to enroll in Neuroscience 400 during his/her senior year may request permission from the Chair of the Neuroscience Department to substitute one additional lecture/discussion course from either of the two lists of advanced neuroscience courses above or NSCI 607-Independent Research for the Senior Seminar.

Supporting Courses


Neuroscience is inherently an interdisciplinary field, and experience suggests that certain additional courses outside the major may be useful or necessary for gaining admission to graduate programs in particular specialties. For instance, a student preparing for graduate school in cellular neuroscience might consider taking courses in molecular biology, physics, physiology, immunology and biochemistry. A student planning to pursue cognitive neuroscience could consider advanced work in mathematics, computer science and other courses listed in the Cognitive Sciences Concentration section of the catalog. A student with particular interests in animal behavior or brain evolution might wish to select additional courses such as Animal Physiology, Evolution, Vertebrate Structure and Evolution, and Biological Anthropology.

Minor


The Neuroscience Department does not offer a minor.

Research Opportunities


Students interested in research on or off campus are encouraged to discuss with their advisors the various research options available. Enrollment in NSCI 607- Independent Research is by consent only. Information on the Honors Program is available below and on the Neuroscience Department’s web page at www.oberlin.edu/nsci.

Honors


During the second semester of the junior year or earlier, student wishing to enter the Honors Program in Neuroscience should discuss their interest with one or more of the Neuroscience Faculty. If a faculty member is able to work with a student, he/she will help the student develop an appropriate research project proposal. To be formally accepted into the Honors Program, a student’s research proposal is submitted to the Neuroscience Department early in the first semester of the student’s senior year. Proposals are judged for their quality and feasibility. Students whose proposals are approved enroll in NSCI 607-Independent Research. Admission to the Honors Program requires a minimum of GPA of 3.0 in the major.

Pre-Medical and Health Career Preparation


Students planning to apply to medical school may major in any subject, provided they take those course required by medical schools for admission. Early in their academic careers at Oberlin, students should discuss their health career plans with one of the Health Career advisors. For a list of these advisors see www.oberlin.edu/hcf.

Transfer of Credit


The Neuroscience Department accepts courses taken at other colleges and universities as meeting requirements for the major if, and only if, the courses are judged to be equivalent in content to courses offered at Oberlin College. In all cases, at least half of the courses a student counts toward meeting major requirements must be taken at Oberlin. A request to the Chair of the Neuroscience Department for permission to substitute a course taken away from Oberlin for the major should be made in advance—prior to enrolling in the course. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure proper transfer of credit forms are completed and placed on file in the Office of the Registrar.

Winter Term


During Winter Term, the Neuroscience Department offers a number of individual research opportunities in the laboratories of faculty members. Also, students are encouraged to participate in one or more of the many off-campus research and internship opportunities in laboratories, hospitals and clinics throughout the country.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: College of Arts and Sciences