Undergraduate

Neuroscience, Minor

Understand the neural underpinnings of behavior.

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Minor in Neuroscience

About the Minor in Neuroscience

The College of Liberal Arts offers the interdisciplinary minor in Neuroscience. Students interested in neuroscience can also pursue it as a major field of study through the Interdisciplinary Studies or Multidisciplinary Studies degrees.

Neuroscience study exposes students to fields as diverse as, biology, psychology, physiology, philosophy, and biomedical engineering. This diversity serves the ultimate goals of neuroscience; to develop a comprehensive and unifying theory of behavior and consciousness and train practitioners to treat mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

To prepare students for a range of clinical and academic careers, the neuroscience minor and majors provide a comprehensive and flexible course curriculum to match students’ focal interests. Students will take basic and advanced courses in pure and applied neuroscience from several departments arming students with the ability to critically analyze and communicate information. Hands-on lab experience is encouraged.

Neuroscience prepares students for an array of careers in applied and research fields such as

medical and allied health careers,
academic research from biochemistry to animal behavior,
drug discovery and testing in biotechnology firms,
clinical psychology and psychiatry practice, and
biomedical engineering developing AI and brain-computer interface.

College of Liberal Arts Undergraduates Interdisciplinary Studies

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Program Information

Degree

Required Credit Hours

18-22

Program Type

Minor

Program Location

Oxford

School

College of Liberal Arts

Academic Requirements

Find out about credit hour and course requirements for the Neuroscience minor from the 2025-26 academic catalog, including information about course prerequisites and the application form for the Neu 491, 492, 493 independent research courses.

Students complete 18-22 credit hours of courses, including four courses at the 300 level or above, of which one must be a formal laboratory course, and at least one 500-level course. Six hours, not including the 2 core courses, must be outside the student's major.

Required Courses

Psy 319: Brain and Behavior
Bisc 327: Introductory Neuroscience

Lab Courses

Bisc 330: Principles of Physiology
Bisc 427: Methods in Comparative Neuroscience
Bisc 512: Animal Behavior
Bisc 518: Microtechnique
BME 314: Biomedical Measurement
ES 514: Applied Electromyography
NEU 491: Directed Research in Neuroscience
NEU 493: Neuroscience Capstone Research
NEU 579: Advanced Topics of Neuroscience
PSY 390: Lab in Psy: Behavioral Neuroscience

Neuroscience Courses

Bisc 529: Endocrinology
Bisc 533: Advanced Neuroscience
Bisc 538: Hormones and Behavior
Bisc 541: Cell Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders
Bisc 543: Functional Neuroanatomy
BMS 471: Targeting Neurodegenerative Diseases
CSD 455: Neuroanatamy & Neurophy of Speech & Hearing
CSD 505: Neurophysiology and Genetics of Communication
CSD 526: Aphasia and Adult Language Disorders
BME 313: Physiology for Biomedical Engineering
BME 413: Biomedical Signal Processing
ES 344: Aging in 21st Century
ES 338: Neuroscience of Exercise
ES 515: Stress and the Brain
MEDC 416: Intro to the Principles of Medicinal Chemistry I
MEDC 417: Intro to the Principles of Medicinal Chemistry II
MEDC 418: Neuroscience Principles of Drug Abuse
PHCL 586: Receptors and Channels
PHIL 332: Personal Identity and the Self
PHIL 342: Philosophy of the Mind
PSY 309: Learning
Psy 320: Cognitive Psychology
PSY 322: Drugs and Behavior
PSY 326: Sensation and Perception
PSY 505: Conditioning and Learning
PSY 511: Neural Basis of Learning and Memory

Students interested in an independent research experience to earn lab course credit should complete the following form.

Neu 491, 492, 493 Enrollment Form

Alternate Prerequisites

Course prerequisites are designed to help students prepare for courses where information builds from one course to another or to help students complete courses in a logical sequence. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the minor, you may be prepared for a course outside of your major without having the prerequisites listed in the course catalog.

Students that believe they have adequate preparation for a Neuroscience Minor course should obtain the the syllabus for the course, list the courses they believe have prepared them for the course, and present their case to the course instructor to determine if they are a good match for the course. Faculty can decide if they will grant permission to be manually enrolled.

Welcome from the Director

Students at UM can study a wide range of topics and be involved in hands on research with faculty experts across the university when pursuing a minor in neuroscience. The study of neuroscience is invaluable for those considering medical school, allied health, or mental health professions, neuroscience-related graduate programs, or those interested in innovating biotechnology.

Please contact me help you plan your Neuroscience journey and to match you with lab if you want to perform research. If you know the relevant faculty research lab you would like to join, you can contact them directly to ask if they have openings.

Lainy Day

Professor of Biology and Director of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Neuroscience

Affiliated Faculty

Meet the faculty members that teach neuroscience courses.

Lainy Day

Professor of Biology and Director of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Neuroscience

Jeff Bednark

Instructional Assistant Professor of Psychology

Richard Buchholz

Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Research

Alberto Del Arco Gonzalez

Associate Professor of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management

Robert Doerksen

Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Research Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Affiliate Professor of Biomedical Engineering