School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Neuroscience (B.S.)
Neuroscience is the multidisciplinary study of brain function that draws on recent advances in cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and computer and behavioral and cognitive sciences. It examines the brain's global and nanoscale biochemistry, its complex and extensively networked anatomical structure, and its remarkably adaptive physiology. The field considers neuronal development from early embryology through advanced senescence, and examines the brain's plasticity from the level of single proteins, of individual neurons, up through the level of networks or systems of cells, on up to complete behaving organisms. It studies the regulation and expression of behavior, and the complex interactions of multiple neuronal systems that underlie the emergence of cognitive function. The Neuroscience program at UT Dallas provides students with the opportunity to focus on the brain from a systems-level perspective, drawing on behavioral and cognitive expertise combined with cellular and molecular perspectives. It allows undergraduates extensive interactions with working neuroscientists who use the latest experimental techniques.
The Neuroscience program is designed to prepare students for admission to graduate, medical, or dental school, or for careers in related biomedical research, industry, and allied health science fields. Required courses and guided electives can include the approved pre-medical curriculum and offer an alternative to other traditional pre-health majors. Students who wish to continue their education in the fields of medicine, dentistry or allied professional areas should register with the Health Professions Advisory Committee during their first semester. Students are encouraged to design a personalized degree plan of guided electives with their advisor that combines courses from the neurosciences and related disciplines of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, computer science, psychology, and speech pathology and audiology in a way that will suit their individual interests and goals. Students are also strongly encouraged to gain research experience as part of their undergraduate training in Neuroscience.
Students can complete Core Curriculum and Neuroscience major requirements in a minimum of 85 semester credit hours, leaving 35 elective hours. Students can complete Core Curriculum, Neuroscience major, and Pre-health Professions requirements in a minimum of 111 semester credit hours, leaving 9 remaining elective hours.
Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience Degree Requirements (120 hours)
I. Core Curriculum Requirements1: 42 hours
- Communication (6 hours)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (15 hours)
- Humanities and Fine Arts (6 hours)
- Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (6 hours)
- Science (9 hours)
1 Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from accredited institutions of higher education. The courses listed in parentheses are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.
II. Major Requirements: 63 hours (45 hours beyond Core Curriculum)
Major Preparatory Courses (24 hours)
- All of the following:
- BIOL 2281 Introductory Biology Laboratory2 (also satisfies 3 hours part E of Core Curriculum)
- BIOL 2311 / BIOL 2111 Introduction to Modern Biology I2 with Workshop (also satisfies 3 hours part E of Core Curriculum)
- CHEM 1311 / CHEM 1111 General Chemistry I with Laboratory2 (also satisfies 3 hours part E of Core Curriculum)
- CHEM 1312 / CHEM 1112 General Chemistry II with Laboratory
- MATH 2414 Integral Calculus or MATH 2417 Calculus I2 (also satisfies 3 hours part D of Core Curriculum)
- PSY 2301 Introduction to Psychology2 (also satisfies 3 hours part B of Core Curriculum)
- PSY 2317 Statistics for Psychology2 or STAT 1342 Statistical Decision Making2 (also satisfies 3 hours part D of Core Curriculum)
Major Core Courses (25 hours)
- All of the following:
- NSC 3361 Behavioral Neuroscience
- NSC 4066 Neuroanatomy Workshop
- NSC 4352 Cellular Neuroscience
- NSC 4353 Neuroscience Laboratory Methods2 (also satisfies 3 hours part A of Core Curriculum)
- NSC 4354 Integrative Neuroscience
- NSC 4356 Neurophysiology
- NSC 4363 Neuropharmacology
- NSC 4366 Neuroanatomy
- NSC 4367 Developmental Neurobiology
Major Related Courses (15 hours beyond the Core Curriculum)
- Advanced Guided Electives. 15 semester hours from the following. Consultation with an advisor is required.
- BIOL 3301 Classical and Molecular Genetics
- BIOL 3302 Eukaryotic Molecular and Cell Biology
- BIOL 3361 Biochemistry I
- BIOL 3362 Biochemistry II
- BIOL 3455 Human Anatomy and Physiology w/ Lab I
- BIOL 3456 Human Anatomy and Physiology w/ Lab II
- MATH 2413 Differential Calculus
- NSC 3344 Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing
- NSC 3345 Neural Basis of Communication
- NSC 4351 Medical Neuroscience
- NSC 4355 Advanced Neuroscience Laboratory
- NSC 4357 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
- NSC 4358 Neurobiology of Pain
- NSC 4359 Cognitive Neuroscience
- NSC 4368 Computational Neuroscience
- NSC 4370 Neuroendocrinology
- NSC 4371 Neural Plasticity
- NSC 4373 Sensory Neuroscience
- NSC 4374 Neuroplasticity in Disorders of the Nervous System
- NSC 4375 Honors Seminar
- NSC 4376 Neurobiology of Stress
- NSC 4394 Internship in Neuroscience
- NSC 4397 Honors Thesis
- NSC 4V90 Special Topics in Neuroscience
- NSC 4V98 Directed Research3
- NSC 4V99 Individual Study4
- PSY 4362 Perception
- SPAU 3304 Communication Sciences
2 A required Major course that also fulfills a Core Curriculum requirement. Hours are counted in Core Curriculum.
3 May be repeated for credit, up to 9 hours.
4 May be repeated for credit, up to 6 hours.
III. Elective Requirements: 33 hours
Advanced Electives (6 hours) Breadth Electives; 6 hours of upper-division courses, or lower-division courses that have prerequisites that are outside of Neuroscience).
Free Electives (29 hours) At least 30 hours of lower- or upper-division courses of the student's choice. Students are encouraged to explore areas of concentration in Neuroscience as well as explore interests outside the field. Be aware that at least 51 hours of upper-division credit hours are required for graduation.
Premedical and/or other pre-health professions students (27 hours)
Students seeking to complete Pre-health Professions requirements should take the following as free electives:
- Required pre-medical courses (12 hours)
- Pre-med Advanced Biology requirement (6 hours, select 2 courses)
- Pre-med Physics requirement (8 hours, select 2 courses)
* Algebra-based Physics courses
** Calculus-based Physics courses
Minor in Neuroscience
Students who are not majoring in Neuroscience may minor in Neuroscience by taking 18 semester credit hours selected from the lists of major core courses and major related courses. At least 12 hours must be upper-division Neuroscience core courses. No credit hours may be used to satisfy both major and minor requirements; however, free elective hours or major preparatory classes may be used to satisfy the minor. At least one-third of the hours for a minor must be taken at UT Dallas.
Fast Track Baccalaureate/Master’s Degrees
UT Dallas undergraduate students with strong academic records who intend to pursue a master's degree in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience at UT Dallas may consider an accelerated undergraduate-graduate plan of study. When accepted into the program, students may take up to 12 hours of graduate courses that may be used to complete the baccalaureate degree and also satisfy requirements for the master's degree. Students must maintain a 3.00 grade point average and earn grades of B or better in graduate courses taken. Students must have completed at least 90 semester credit hours toward a baccalaureate degree before beginning Fast Track course work. Students should apply to admissions one semester before they reach 90 hours. To qualify for application, undergraduate students must have completed at least 18-semester credit hours in major core courses at UT Dallas. Apply to the Fast Track program through the Applied Cognition and Neuroscience Program Office. Students should consult with a graduate advisor regarding admissions criteria and plans of study.
