Course Planning

Planning Your Coursework

The following information and handouts will assist you in your course planning. Please meet with a Neuroscience Academic Advisor if you need academic advising.

Neuroscience Course Planning Handouts 

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Review Your Degree Audit Regularly

Every UCLA student is expected to familiarize themselves with their degree requirements by reviewing their Degree Audit (DARS) on MyUCLA at least once per quarter. Your degree audit is a summary of your progress towards your degree. It lists all degree requirements, including neuroscience courses, you need to complete. Your undergraduate counselor can walk you through your degree audit to help you stay on track with your neuroscience requirements. Students should also meet with a College counselor to make sure they are on track for all other university and College degree requirements (e.g. GEs, foreign language, unit max).

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Preparation for the Major: Staying On Track

At minimum, students should have the following preparation for the major and minor coursework completed before starting the upper division neuroscience core series with NS M101A:

Math 3A, 3B, 3C or 31A, 31B, 32A or LS 30A, 30B

Chem 14A, 14B, 14C or 20A, 20B, 30A

Physics 5A, 5C or 1A, 1B

LIFESCI 7A, 7B, 7C

All other preparation coursework is still required to complete the major! Please see the handouts above.

NOTE: Every student’s program plan will differ depending on course availability, scheduling, personal obligations, timing of the decision to pursue the major, and previous credit received.  We strongly recommend students work with a Neuroscience Academic Advisor and College Counselors to plan their own personal programs.

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Biological Sciences Pathways

UCLA Life Sciences offers a range of majors in the biological sciences, with alternative pathways to meet course requirements for graduate. By the time you receive your degree, all path, listed on the website, will appear the same to future graduate/professional schools or employers – so please choose your curriculum based on your academic preparation: https://lifesciences.ucla.edu/biology-curriculum-options/ 

NOTE: Neuroscience majors are encouraged to follow the early Physics path. 

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Enrolling in Upper Division Neuroscience Courses

Each quarter, the Neuroscience Academic Advisors will send an email explaining how to enroll in upper division neuroscience courses for the major and minor. You can also check the Course Notes under the Schedule of Classes tab on registrar.ucla.edu. Students need to subscribe to the neuroscience mailing list by emailing neurosci@ucla.edu to receive these updates.

The Registrar lists all course offerings on the Schedule of Classes.

Students can check their enrollment time by logging into their MyUCLA account.

Remember, the undergraduate counselor only oversees enrollment for courses offered through the Neuroscience program. Make sure to contact other departments of courses directly if you have an issue enrolling or have questions about course equivalencies.

Biostatistics
51-254A CHS
310-825-5250
rlnaranjo@ph.ucla.edu

Chemistry
4009 Young Hall
310-825-1859
ugrad@chem.ucla.edu

Integrative Biology and Physiology
125 Hershey Hall
310-825-3892
gergel@physci.ucla.edu

Life Sciences
222 Hershey Hall
310-825-6614
lscore@lifesci.ucla.edu

Mathematics
6356 Math Sciences
310-206-1286
ugrad@math.ucla.edu

Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology
128 Hershey Hall
310-825-7109
undergradmcdb@lifesci.ucla.edu

Physics
1-707D PAB
310-206-1447
queval@physics.ucla.edu

Psychology
1531 Franz Hall
310-825-2730
undergraduate@psych.ucla.edu

Statistics
8117 Math Sciences
310-206-3742
MyUCLA Message Center

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Petitions

Students often petition the Neuroscience department for a variety of reasons. Petitions are reviewed by the Neuroscience Undergraduate Counselor and the department chair within three weeks of submission. Please follow the directions listed below.

Automatically Approved Substitutions

For the STATS 10/13 or LIFESCI 40 requirement for students who complete the Math 3A/B/C or 31A/B/32A series: BIOSTATS100A or 110A or PSYCH 100A will be automatically approved petitions. In order to make the substitution, please email a Neuroscience Academic Advisor your student ID number after you have received a grade for the course.

For NEUROSC 101L: PSYCH 116A or 116B is an automatically approved substitution. If the course does not show up on your DARS, please email a Neuroscience Academic Advisor your student ID number after you have received a grade for the course.

Petitions for Life Science, Chemistry (general, organic and biochemistry), Physics, Mathematics or Statistics courses

For coursework from a Community College

First check www.assist.org or www.transferology.com/ for existing articulation agreements. If you find a course, confirm with the UCLA department that the agreement is still accepted. 

If there is no transferable course listed, you must contact the individual office of the course you are trying to complete (see contact information above). For example: You have found a Life Sciences course at a community college near your hometown. You would like to have it count as LIFESCI 7C, but assist.org or transferology.com does not have an agreement listed. Therefore, you contact the Life Sciences office to find out how to proceed (How to Submit a Course Equivalency Request).

Submit the final decision from the department to a Neuroscience Academic Advisor to make the official changes on your DARS.

Coursework from a 4 Year College

Check www.assist.org or www.transferology.com in case there is an agreement listed. If you find a course, confirm with the UCLA department that the agreement is still accepted. 

If there is no transferable course listed, you must contact the individual office of the course you are trying to complete. For example: For example: You have found a Life Sciences course at a community college near your hometown. You would like to have it count as LIFESCI 7C, but assist.org or transferology.com does not have an agreement listed. Therefore, you contact the Life Sciences office to find out how to proceed (How to Submit a Course Equivalency Request).

Submit the final decision to a Neuroscience Academic Advisor to make the official changes on your DARS.

Petitions for Neuroscience Electives

Coursework Completed Outside of UCLA

Please follow these steps:

1. Obtain a current copy of the syllabus and course outline of the class you are trying to substitute.

(If there is a similar course here at UCLA* that is already listed as a Neuroscience elective, also submit the syllabus of the class offered here.)

2. Submit a petition form with your student ID number and contact information detailing which elective category you want it to fulfill (Behavioral & Cognitive, Systems & Integrative, or Molecular, Cell & Developmental) and why you think the courses are equivalent.

3. Submit all of the above materials to a Neuroscience Academic Advisor.

Please note: The class must transfer to UCLA as an upper division course.

*Contact the Psychology department for Psychology courses and then submit the final decision from Psychology to the Neuroscience counselor.

Coursework at UCLA

New classes are added each quarter at UCLA and you may find a course that you would love to take as a Neuroscience Elective. If you submit a petition to use a new course, we may officially incorporate it as an elective, or just approve on an individual basis.

Please follow these steps:

1. Check to make sure the course number is numbered 100 to 199 and that it is related to the brain.

2. Obtain a current copy of the syllabus and course outline of the class you are trying to substitute.

(If there is a similar course here at UCLA that is already listed as a Neuroscience elective, also submit the syllabus of the class offered here.)

3. Submit a petition form with your student ID number and contact information detailing which elective category you want it to fulfill (Behavioral & Cognitive, Systems & Integrative, or Molecular, Cell & Developmental) and why you think the courses are equivalent.

4. Submit all of the above materials to a Neuroscience Academic Advisor.