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Message from the Chair

Headshot of Stephanie White

Stephanie White
Chair, Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program

Welcome to the UCLA Undergraduate Interdepartmental Program for Neuroscience. The Neuroscience major is a multidisciplinary program that leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. We also offer a minor that integrates well with other life science majors or with humanities or social science majors. Both the major and the minor are designed to take advantage of the remarkable expertise in neuroscience at UCLA, one of the world’s leading institutions in neuroscience research. We have over 200 faculty members conducting research on the brain, cognition, perception and neurological disease. These faculty members are housed in nearly 30 academic departments from five schools at UCLA, making our program truly interdepartmental and interdisciplinary.

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the brain and nervous system, whose ultimate goal is to understand higher brain function at a variety of levels. Unlike traditional college and medical school departments, neuroscience integrates a variety of fields including molecular biology, genetics, anatomy, biophysics, computational biology, and cognitive psychology. Through studying the brain in many different ways, neuroscientists hope to unlock the secrets of the organ that makes us uniquely human.

In the Neuroscience major, we invite students into an exploration of the nervous system. Introductory courses provide a broad survey of nervous system construction and activity, while a variety of electives allow students to explore specific aspects of the brain and nervous system in greater detail. Students also have the opportunity to work with individual faculty members to engage directly in neuroscience research; many of our students have contributed significantly and substantially to independent research projects in faculty laboratories.

This website provides a gateway into the Neuroscience Undergraduate Interdepartmental Program. Here prospective students can find out information about admissions and the requirements for the major, and current students can track upcoming events and workshops, course offerings, and requirements for graduation. I welcome you to visit the site and check out our program. Thanks for your interest.