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Dec 04, 2024
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[DRAFT] Course Catalog 2025-2026 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Neuroscience Major
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The major consists of a minimum of 11.5 full courses (or the equivalent).
Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the major.
 View the catalog page for the neuroscience department.
The neuroscience major is designed for students interested in connecting the physiological functioning of the brain to perception, thought, emotion, and behavior.
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Transfer of Credit Toward the Major
One 300-level neuroscience course taken away from Oberlin and one affiliated sciences course counting as advanced placement or taken away from Oberlin may be transferred toward the major, provided the course is judged to be equivalent in content to courses offered at Oberlin College. The neuroscience department will assess transfer equivalency for neuroscience courses, and defer to the relevant department at Oberlin to assess the advanced placement qualification or transfer equivalency of non-neuroscience courses (i.e., if the relevant department accepts the course toward their major, then it is acceptable toward the neuroscience major).
Requests to transfer credit toward the major should be approved prior to the student enrolling in that course by the chair of the relevant department. 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.
Course of Study
Students considering a major in neuroscience should consult a neuroscience department faculty member within their first or second year.
Course Sequence Suggestions
Students intending to major in neuroscience should complete the core neuroscience course requirement by the end of the sophomore year, as those courses (NSCI 201 and NSCI 211 ) are prerequisites for 300-level neuroscience courses.
Students should consult closely with their advisor to determine the most appropriate set of courses consistent with their interests and goals. Below are example first- and second-year course sequence suggestions grouped by neuroscience subfield.
- Neurobiology and Health-Related Careers
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience
- Theoretical Neuroscience and Computational Neuroscience
Preparation for Post-Graduate Education
The major will serve those students interested in graduate study or professional work in any area of neuroscience or in adjacent fields such as animal behavior, behavioral genetics, neuropsychology, pharmacology and toxicology, clinical psychology, biotechnology, medicine, public health, or artificial intelligence. To be well prepared for graduate or professional study in these fields, students will generally need to take additional courses over and above the minimum required to fulfill the neuroscience major.
Students planning to apply to medical school and other health-related post-graduate programs may major in any subject including neuroscience, provided they take those courses required by medical schools for admission. Early in their academic careers at Oberlin, students should review the Pre-Medicine and Health Careers web page and discuss their health career plans with the current premedical program director.
Honors in Neuroscience
During the second semester of the junior year or earlier, students 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, they 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 - Research. Admission to the Honors Program requires a minimum of GPA of 3.10 in the major.
Detailed Major Requirements
Neuroscience Major Course Lists
Affiliated Sciences Courses
Return to the summary of requirements.
Notes:
- A minimum of one affiliated sciences course must be at the 200-level or above.
- Affiliated sciences courses must be taken in at least two different subject codes.
- Only one 100-level NSCI course may count toward the affiliated sciences requirement.
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