Enrollment Notes

Please be aware that all NS majors must take NS M101A & NS 102 concurrently during Fall Quarter, preferably of their third year. Given the strenuous nature of these courses, we strongly recommend that Neuroscience majors limit their study list to only 3 classes for that Fall Quarter. We also suggest that the 3rd class be something that comes easily to you in order to keep a good balance for the quarter.

 

Bachelor of Science Degree in Neuroscience  (updated Dec 2007)

Preparation for the Major/Minor

1. Life Sciences 1, 2, 3, 4

2. Chemistry and Biochemistry 14A, 14B 14BL, 14C, 14CL, 14D

OR 20A, 20B, 20L, 30A, 30AL, 30B, 30BL

3. Mathematics 3A, 3B, 3C OR 31A, 31B, 32A

4. Physics 6A, 6B, 6C OR 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL

5. Statistics 10 or 13 (You may also petition Biostatistics 100A or 110A or Psychology 100A, but you must be enrolled prior to petitioning. There are enrollment restrictions for the courses, so Neuroscience students must wait until the class is open for other majors to enroll.)

Any honors section of a course listed above is also acceptable.

All core curriculum courses must be passed with a grade of C- or better and must be completed with an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better. You are encouraged to fulfill the preparation requirements prior to enrollment in upper division courses for the major.

Students receiving grades below C- in two core curriculum classes, either in separate courses or repetitions of the same course, are subject to dismissal from the major.

 

Neuroscience Major Requirements

The following twelve courses are required for the neuroscience major, for a total of 51 upper division units.

 

Group 1. Core Requirements: (6 courses)

 • Neuroscience m101A: Fall Quarter Only;

     Prerequisites: LS 2, Chem 14C/30A, Physics 6B

 • Neuroscience m101B: Winter Quarter Only

      Prerequisites: NS m101A, LS 3, LS 4

 • Neuroscience m101C: Spring Quarter Only

       Prerequisites: NS m101A, m101B

 • Neuroscience 102: Fall Quarter Only

       Co-requisite: must be taken concurrently with NS m101A

 • Chemistry and Biochemistry 153A

       Prerequisites: Chem 14D/30B

 • Chemistry and Biochemistry 153L

       Prerequisites: Chem 14CL/30BL, 153A

 

Group 2. Area Electives: (3 courses, 1 from each area)

Printable list: Electives List.pdf

2a. One behavioral and cognitive neuroscience course

Neuroscience M119L, M130*, C172, 178 (formerly numbered 191A Seminar 1), 179 (formerly numbered 191A, Seminar 2), 191A

Physiological Science C144* 

Psychology 110, 112A, 112B*, 118, 119A*, 119B*, 119C, 119D, 119E, 119F, M119L, 119M*, 119P*, 119R, 119S*,  M119X, 120A, 120B*, 124A, 124B, 124I

 
2b. One systems and integrative neuroscience course

Neuroscience M119N, M130*, M145*, 191B

Physiological Science C126*, 138, C144*, m145, 146, 147*, 173, 177

Psychology 112B*, 119A*, 119B*, 119M*, M119N, 119P*, 119S*,  120B*
 

2c. One molecular, cellular, and developmental neuroscience course

Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology C139

Neuroscience M130*, M145*, M148, 151, C177, 180 (formerly numbered 191C, Seminar 1), 181 (formerly numbered 191C, Seminar 2), 182 (formerly numbered 191C, Seminar 3), 191C

Physiological Science  C126*, M145, 146*, 147*, M148

 

* = Electives are cross-listed in another area, but only count for one area

 

Group 3. Research-Related Courses

Students should learn how to work in small groups on a project as well as work independently. One goal is to provide a framework in a lab setting for the student to thrive intellectually and to stimulate independent creative thinking within a group. Students will learn how to effectively communicate orally their ideas, generate scientific hypotheses, work independently and in small groups and organize and reduce their data into a form that can be communicated in writing to the scientific community.

Choose one of the following options:

    -Neuroscience 101L: Winter Quarter Only;   

         Prerequisite: NS m101A, m101B

OR

    -Neuroscience 199A & 199B: Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters

         Prerequisite: NS m101A, SRP 99 in the same laboratory

 

      In addition, they must present a poster at the Neuroscience        

      Undergraduate Poster Session. Please see the Research Courses section

      of the News tab for more detailed requirements, forms and directions.

      Students pursuing Departmental Honors must sign up for NS 198AB

      instead.

 

Group 4. Additional Elective(s) - determined by choice in Group 3

For students who choose NS 101L: Two additional electives

For students who choose NS 199/198A-B: One additional elective 

    Electives may be chosen from any of the following:

    Group 2 - any area

    Group 3

    Neurobiology m169

    Physiological Science 135

 

Psychology 115 cannot be substituted for Neuroscience M101A; however, Physiological Science 111A can be substituted (Neuroscience 102 must be taken prior to enrolling in Physiological Science 111A).

A maximum of eight units of Neuroscience 198 or 199 may be applied toward the major.

All required and elective courses must be taken for a letter grade, and a 2.0 average must be maintained in all upper division courses taken for the major.

   Click here to see the usual schedule of classes!

 

Neuroscience Minor

The Minor in Neuroscience is designed to allow students in other majors an opportunity to explore the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience in a structured and rigorous way, while at the same time pursuing a major field of study in another discipline.

Non-science majors wishing to minor in Neuroscience should be aware they must complete the prerequisites for NS m101ABC before declaring the minor. Students must attain a 2.5 GPA in the preparation classes and an overall 2.0 GPA.

The requirements for the minor are a total of 7 upper division courses:

Three Core Courses

     - Neuroscience M101A - Fall Quarter Only

        Prerequisite: Chem 14C/30A, LS 2, Physics 6B

    - Neuroscience M101B - Winter Quarter Only

        Prerequisite: LS 3, LS 4

    - Neuroscience M101C - Spring Quarter Only

        Prerequisite: NS m101A

Four additional electives - Choose any four electives from NS 102, Group 2, 3, and 4 lists of electives, as shown under the "Major Requirements" section of this website or in the General Catalog. You do not have to take courses from specific areas.

Note: There is a maximum 2-course overlap permissible between the student's major and the Neuroscience Minor.

Students may apply Neuroscience 199AB toward the minor. These 199s, however, may not be used as overlap with the students major.

All minor courses must be taken for a letter grade, with an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better.

 

To Sign Up:

Students may add the Neuroscience minor if it does not cause them to exceed their unit maximum. If they will exceed the max, students must first file a petition with the College of Letters and Science to raise their unit max. Please see a counselor in your appropriate counseling unit (i.e. College Counselors in A316 Murphy Hall or AAP, Athletics, Honors, etc.).

 

See Erin Fletcher in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Office, x62349, efletcher@mednet.ucla.edu.