The Academic Program
The Departments of Psychology and Biology offer a course major and an honors major in Neuroscience. Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field of scientific investigation. The goal of the major is to provide the structure for a rigorous foundation for understanding neuroscience. Each Neuroscience major is advised by the Neuroscience Faculty Administrator.
Prerequisites
To be accepted as a neuroscience major or honors neuroscience major, there are 8 prerequisite courses that students must normally complete or otherwise demonstrate competence in:
BIOL 001: Cellular and Molecular Biology
BIOL 002: Organismal and Population Biology
CHEM 010: General Chemistry
CHEM 022: Organic Chemistry I
MATH 015: Elementary Single-Variable Calculus
STAT 011: Statistical Methods
PSYC 001: Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 025: Research Design and Analysis
Both BIOL 001 and BIOL 002 are required for entry to the major, and as prerequisites for many intermediate and advanced biology courses. However, (1) credit for either of these courses may be replaced by an advanced placement examination with a qualifying score and successful completion of another biology course with a laboratory. This includes BIOL 001, 002 or 010-039.
The requirement for CHEM 010 will be satisfied if the student has placed out of it and completed CHEM 022.
The requirements for MATH 015 and STAT 011 may be satisfied by placement out of these courses, as determined by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics
The requirement for PSYC 001 may be satisfied with a Psychology AP exam score of 5.
Provisional admission to the major (“deferred” status) will normally be granted based on substantial progress in satisfying these entry requirements at the time of application.
Neuroscience Major Requirements
Majors must normally complete at least eight (8) credits beyond the prerequisites. At least five (5) elective credits must normally be from Group A, including at least one foundation course, one seminar, and including at least one course from each of Psychology and Biology. The remaining three (3) elective credits should include the comprehensive requirement (details below); the remainder can be from either Group A or Group B. Note that all seminars have specific prerequisites and grade requirements. Please refer to Departmental course listings for specifics while planning your path through the major.
Neuroscience Honors Major Requirements
The Neuroscience Honors major normally three (3) Honors Seminar preparations in Neuroscience, and an Honors Research Thesis in Neuroscience, while meeting all the requirements of the course major. At least one group A Honors Seminar must be included from each of Biology and Psychology; the third Honors Seminar may be from either group A or group B in either department. Students must follow the guidelines for each department in proposing their Honors preparations. There is no Honors Minor when doing this interdisciplinary Honors Major. Note that all seminars have specific prerequisites and grade requirements. Please refer to Departmental course listings for specifics while planning your path through the Honors major.
Comprehensive Requirement
Neuroscience majors are required to write a thesis paper in their senior year that is normally original empirical work conducted with faculty supervision and often in collaboration with other students. The comprehensive requirement normally involves 1 or 2 credits, but may be completed for 0.5 credits in some circumstances.
The thesis is normally done as part of a Research Practicum Course in Psychology for 1 credit, or as an Honors Thesis (if in honors) for 2 credits. However, limited individual thesis supervision is also available both in the Department of Psychology and in the Department of Biology at the discretion of the prospective faculty advisor.
Honors Neuroscience Thesis
PSYC 180 Honors Thesis (2 credits)
BIOL 180 Honors Thesis
Each Honors student should normally develop a thesis plan in collaboration with their Swarthmore thesis mentor by the end of their junior spring semester.
Additional thesis options
Occasionally, the thesis may be based on a separate research project, such as might occur during a summer (either at Swarthmore or at another institution). Students should consult with the Neuroscience Faculty Administrator concerning this option.
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