Study Abroad
Students interested in studying abroad during their time at UCLA are highly encouraged to meet with a Neuroscience advisor early in their academic careers to create and discuss a course plan that will allow them to satisfy the neuroscience major or minor requirements by their Degree Expected Term (DET). It is also recommended to connect with an advisor from the International Education Office (IEO) to discuss possible study abroad programs and review program eligibility/requirements. To assist with planning, students are also encouraged to check out the Major Academic Plan (MAP) for the neuroscience major.
Students seeking to earn credit abroad for the neuroscience major/minor requirements will typically participate in a UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP). This is due to the fact that courses taken within UCEAP are easier to transfer, receive course credit for, and often scheduled based on the quarter system. Many semester summer programs do not work well since UCLA’s spring quarter finals are held during the second week of June.
Due to the structure of the neuroscience program, it is generally recommended that students study abroad during any summer or fall of senior year. It is possible to study abroad in other quarters within students’ time at UCLA, however they should plan to meet with a Neuroscience advisor to discuss how this will affect their progress in the neuroscience major/minor.
It is not mandatory to study abroad for the neuroscience major/minor. Students can also earn credit abroad for College requirements (e.g. GEs, foreign language, etc.). As such, students should contact their respective College Counseling Unit for assistance with fulfilling non-major requirements abroad. Students should consult with their other departmental advising office if they are seeking to earn credit for another major or minor program.
Any courses taken abroad to satisfy the neuroscience major/minor requirements need to be pre-approved by the department. Once a study abroad program has been identified, students should obtain the course syllabi for any courses they would be enrolling in and submit them along with a course petition form to the Neuroscience advising office. These petitions are reviewed by the uNSIDP Chair. The review process typically takes 7-14 business days.
Please note: Once a course has been pre-approved to satisfy a neuroscience major/minor requirement, students will need to ensure that the course is UC-transferable, equivalent to at least 4 quarter units, and articulates as upper-division credit to UCLA. Upon successful completion and articulation of the course, students may contact the Neuroscience advising office to update their degree audit.
Can I earn credit abroad for major preparation requirements?
Yes, it is possible to earn credit abroad for some major preparation requirements depending on the study abroad program. Most commonly, students will earn credit toward the Physics requirement abroad. Please find more information regarding the UCEAP Summer Physics programs here.
What major upper division requirements can I earn credit for abroad?
The document below is a working document that reflects the courses that neuroscience majors have completed abroad and applied toward upper division major elective requirements in the past. If a course is not listed in the document below and you think it could satisfy an upper division major requirement, please email a course petition form along with a course syllabus to neurosci@ucla.edu for uNSIDP Chair approval.
Please note: If a course has only been approved by the uNSIDP based on content, but is TBD in regard to articulation as upper division credit to UCLA, this means that the course was approved based on content only and is pending completion to see if it will articulate back to UCLA as upper division credit. Only upper division courses that have been approved for content by the uNSIDP AND articulate back to UCLA as upper division credit may be applied to the neuroscience upper division major requirements.
I want to study abroad during fall of my third year. How does this affect my timeline with the neuroscience major requirements?
This may vary per student, however it is typically recommended for neuroscience majors who are eligible to complete the NEUROSC M101 series in their third year to do so since the courses are only offered once a year. Students cannot enroll in NEUROSC M101B or M101C without having completed M101A (with a C- or higher) prior. For students who go through with studying abroad during fall of their third year, this will result in the completion of a “flipped schedule”, which allows students in the neuroscience major to complete the NEUROSC M101 series in their fourth year.
