Neuroscience Questions
Please review the major requirements in addition to the eligibility requirements and steps for declaring the major. You are also encouraged to meet with a Neuroscience Advisor to discuss the switch. Upon meeting eligibility, you may submit the major declaration form.
Please review the minor requirements in addition to the eligibility requirements and steps for declaring the minor. Upon meeting eligibility, you may submit the minor declaration form.
Students admitted to UCLA as a Neuroscience major do not need to declare anything further. There is no “pre-major” designation for Neuroscience.
Students can connect with a Neuroscience advisor via email, virtual drop-in advising, or scheduled advising appointments. You can find more information on meeting with a Neuroscience advisor here.
There is no official deadline by which all of the major prep requirements must be completed by. However, students should complete the bolded major prep courses (see here) by fall of their 3rd year if they want to enroll in NEUROSC M101A, since those courses are prerequisites. If completing a flipped schedule, students should have those prerequisites completed by fall of their 4th year. All other major prep requirements (not bolded) can be completed at any time after starting the upper division major requirements and by a student’s Degree Expected Term.
All major preparation requirements must be passed with a grade of C– or better, and all courses must be completed with an overall GPA of 2.0 or better. Students receiving grades below C– in two major prep courses, either in separate courses or repetitions of the same course, are subject to dismissal from the major.
Students are limited to repeating any major upper division course only once, given that they earned a C- or lower on the first attempt. However, please note that only the second grade earned (for better or worse) will be computed into your GPA, and both grades will remain on your transcript.
No more than eight courses may be from any one department. This solely applies to the 10 upper division major requirements for the Neuroscience major. Typically, students will take at least one non-Neuroscience elective to avoid exceeding this limit. CHEM 153A does not apply to this policy.
The Neuroscience major curriculum was created so that NEUROSC M101A and NEUROSC 102 are taken concurrently (or NEUROSC 102 during the summer prior to NEUROSC M101A, if offered) to build the most solid foundation as students progress within the major. NEUROSC M101A and NEUROSC 102 enhance students’ understanding of the remainder of the core series courses and upper division major electives.
A flipped schedule refers to a type of major course plan (see sample major course plans here) that involves completing the NEUROSC M101 series in the 4th year. This allows students to remain eligible for the Neuroscience major and graduate on time. If completing a flipped schedule, students are encouraged to complete major prep requirements, CHEM 153A, and non-Neuroscience major elective(s) or upper division units during their 3rd year. Please contact a Neuroscience Advisor if you need assistance with planning for a flipped schedule.
Students typically get involved in research after their first few quarters at UCLA. You may consider contacting professors from courses you’ve taken and whose research interests you. You can also connect with your Teaching Assistants (TA’s) regarding research opportunities. The Undergraduate Research Center – Sciences is another great resource for finding research labs.
If you are interested in conducting neuroscience-related research, please browse through the Neuroscience Faculty List and reach out to any you’d be interested in working with to see if they are recruiting any undergraduates in their research labs.
No, you must have completed at least one quarter of an SRP-99 or departmental 199 in the same neuroscience-related research lab with the same faculty mentor. Therefore, make sure you plan for a quarter of SRP-99 or departmental 199 prior to scheduling NEUROSC 198A/199A.
NEUROSC 198A/B is reserved for students pursuing departmental honors and culminates in the completion of an honors thesis. All students completing the Neuroscience major independent research capstone will present at the annual Neuroscience Poster Day.
The Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program (uNSIDP) Advising Office does not issue PTE numbers. Please monitor enrollment in the course until the beginning of the quarter that it’s offered in case space becomes available. We also recommend having alternate options when planning your schedule.
Yes, you can still enroll in PSYCH electives even if you have not completed the prerequisites. Please check the Enrollment Restrictions and Class Notes sections on the Registrar’s Schedule of Classes to confirm when Neuroscience majors/minors are allowed to enroll. You can also reach out directly to the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office if you have enrollment related inquiries.
UCLA Questions
If you are a Neuroscience major, you are in the College of Letters and Science. Within the College, there are four College Counseling units.
- College Academic Counseling (CAC): A-316 Murphy Hall
- Academic Advancement Program (AAP): 1209 Campbell Hall
- Honors Programs: A-311 Murphy Hall
- Student Athletics: Morgan Center
Since each unit has been created to address the respective needs of its target population, it is very important that you know which advising office you should go to in order to meet with a full-time counselor or process UCLA College petitions and related requests. You can confirm which College Counseling Unit you belong to by checking your DARS.
Students are encouraged to contact their assigned College Counseling Unit for inquiries regarding University and College requirements (e.g., GEs, Writing I/II, foreign language, etc.). College Counselors can also assist with graduation and degree planning, College petitions, unit maximums, academic difficulty, etc.
Students can use the MyUCLA Degree Audit feature to track progress toward the degree. Any time prior to graduation, a student may request a review of degree progress. Official degree checks detail requirements remaining to complete the bachelor’s degree.
There are several factors to consider when deciding whether or not to drop a course. Students should be aware of quarterly drop deadlines and procedures to drop courses (impacted or non-impacted).
Students can drop a course with no fee or transcript notation if dropped by Friday of Week 2 (impacted courses) or Friday of Week 4 (non-impacted courses). After Friday of Week 2, students must submit an Impacted/Retroactive Drop Petition to their College Counseling Unit to drop an impacted course. Approval is not guaranteed, and a transcript notation and $20 fee for late impacted drops and $50 fee for retroactive impacted drops will be incurred if approved. Non-impacted courses can be dropped with no fee and a transcript notation by Friday of Week 7. After Friday of Week 7, students must submit a Restricted Late Drop petition to their College Counseling Unit to drop a non-impacted course. Approval is not guaranteed, and a $35 fee and transcript notation will be incurred if approved. Please be aware that students are restricted to three (3) restricted late drops during their academic career. If you have already dropped three (3) non-impacted classes between Weeks 8-10 and need to drop an additional class, you will need to submit the Impacted/Retroactive Drop Petition. Please be aware that approval is rarely granted. After Friday of Week 10, students must submit an Impacted/Retroactive Drop Petition to their College Counseling Unit to drop a non-impacted course. Approval is not guaranteed, and a $50 fee and transcript notation will be incurred if approved.
Any courses dropped for the Neuroscience major must be repeated. Please be aware of when the course will next be offered.
An Incomplete grade can be assigned when you have been doing work of passing quality, but are unable to complete a small portion of the course requirements (i.e. a lab assignment or term paper) because of an illness or other serious problem. While it is your responsibility to speak to the instructor in order to request an incomplete, it is entirely up to the instructor whether or not to grant your request. If your professor agrees to give you an incomplete, you must finish the remaining coursework during your next completed regular quarter (Fall, Winter, Spring). Failure to resolve the Incomplete grade will automatically result in the grade lapsing to an “F”. It is your responsibility to discuss with the instructor the conditions and time frame for completing the course by the next regular term. Do not re-enroll in the course! If you cannot resolve the Incomplete within the allowed time frame, you must petition the College to request an extension of time. College approval is not guaranteed.
To be eligible for excess units [exceed 19 units in a regular quarter (fall, winter or spring) or exceed 18 units in summer], you must meet ALL of the following conditions:
- Be in good academic standing
- Have a cumulative GPA = 3.0
- Have earned a GPA of = 3.0 in at least 15 units during the last quarter completed.
- If you do not have an established UC GPA (i.e., you are a new student), you are not eligible for excess units until you have established a UC GPA in a regular quarter. Please note that Summer is not considered a regular quarter.
If all of your grades are in for the previous regular quarter and you meet the eligibility requirements above, you will be automatically approved for 22 units in the enrollment system once the regular quarter has begun. Please check your MyUCLA page to see if your units have been granted before submitting a petition.
If this eligibility has not been met, you must submit a petition to your assigned College Counseling Unit.
In considering a double major, you will want to ensure that you can satisfy both majors’ requirements by your Degree Expected Term. It is recommended to meet with advisors from both departmental advising offices to review each major’s requirements. To be eligible to declare a double major, you will need to complete all preparation coursework for both majors in addition to two upper division courses for each major.
Please refer to the Pre-Health Requirements worksheet to see recommended coursework for health professional schools. You will want to contact each school regarding their respective admission requirements. We also encourage students to meet with a Pre-Health advisor through the Career Center.
Please refer to this website regarding UCLA courses that satisfy the English requirement for health professional schools. The Career Center can provide further support regarding this requirement, and College Counselors can assist with fulfilling the Writing I and II requirements.
Become familiar with any (or all) of the resources listed below, as they can enhance your UCLA experience:
Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center
Center for Accessible Education (formerly Office for Students with Disabilities)
Community Programs Office (CPO)
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars
Economic Crisis Response Team (ECRT)
International Education Office
Office of the Dean of Students
Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
RISE Center (Resilience In Your Student Experience)