Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Neuroscience
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Neuroscience
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Neuroscience, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the biological basis for brain and neuron function and experimental strategies that led to our current understanding of brain and neuron function.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the key issues, questions, and perspectives that define systems neuroscience.
- Demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret neuro-scientific data.
- Understand multiple experimental methods to measure and manipulate brain activity.
- Demonstrate how to apply the modern scientific method, including designing and executing experiments, and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting meaningful data.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Neuroscience
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Neuroscience must complete:
- A minimum of 23 courses (62-69 credit hours, depending on course selection) to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 10 courses (26-30 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit after matriculation at Rice may be applied towards specific major requirements. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Neuroscience | 62-69 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Neuroscience | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses 1 | ||
| BIOS 201 | INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I | 3 |
| CMOR 220 | INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION | 3 |
| CHEM 121 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | 3 |
| or CHEM 111 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | |
| CHEM 123 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I | 1 |
| or CHEM 113 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I | |
| CHEM 122 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY II | 3 |
| or CHEM 112 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY II | |
| CHEM 124 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II | 1 |
| or CHEM 114 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB II | |
| MATH 101 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I | 3 |
| or MATH 105 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I | |
| MATH 102 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II | 3 |
| or MATH 106 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II | |
| PHYS 125 | GENERAL PHYSICS (WITH LAB) | 4 |
| PHYS 126 | GENERAL PHYSICS II (WITH LAB) | 4 |
| PSYC 203 | INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 or 4 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS FOR BIOSCIENCES | ||
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | ||
| PROBABILITY & STATISTICS FOR ENGINEERS | ||
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS FOR DATA SCIENCE | ||
| Core Requirements | ||
| BIOS 385 | CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF THE NEURON | 3 |
| NEUR 362 / PSYC 362 | COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE: EXPLORING THE LIVING BRAIN | 3 |
| NEUR 380 / PSYC 380 | FUNDAMENTAL NEUROSCIENCE SYSTEMS | 3 |
| NEUR 383 / BIOE 380 / ELEC 380 | INTRODUCTION TO NEUROENGINEERING: MEASURING AND MANIPULATING NEURAL ACTIVITY | 3 |
| Project-Based Laboratory Courses | ||
| BIOS 212 | INTERMEDIATE EXPERIMENTAL CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE | 2 |
| Select a minimum of 2 courses (minimum of 2 credit hours) from the following: | 2-7 | |
| EXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL CELL AND MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FOR NEUROSCIENCE UNDERGRADUATES 2 | ||
| METHODS IN SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| FUNCTIONAL HUMAN NEUROANATOMY | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select a minimum of 4 courses (minimum of 12 credit hours) from the following: | 12-13 | |
| SENSORY NEUROENGINEERING | ||
| BRAINSTEM - TEACHING STEM THROUGH NEUROSCIENCE 3 | ||
| ANIMAL BEHAVIOR | ||
| MOLECULES, MEMORY AND MODEL ANIMALS: METHODS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY | ||
| ADVANCED CELL AND MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | ||
| LEARNING FROM SENSOR DATA | ||
| INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FOR NEUROSCIENCE UNDERGRADUATES 2 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| NEUROLINGUISTICS | ||
| THEORETICAL NEUROSCIENCE: FROM CELLS TO LEARNING SYSTEMS | ||
| NEURAL COMPUTATION | ||
| THE SCIENCES OF THE MIND | ||
| ANIMAL MINDS | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF MIND | ||
| THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN THE SCIENCES OF THE MIND | ||
| MEMORY | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OF LANGUAGE AND MEMORY | ||
| BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Neuroscience | 62-69 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 20-27 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | Permissible substitutions: MATH 111 and MATH 112 may be substituted for MATH 101 or MATH 105; PHYS 101 and PHYS 103 or PHYS 111 may be substituted for PHYS 125; PHYS 102 and PHYS 104 or PHYS 112 may be substituted for PHYS 126. The Neuroscience program has determined that credit awarded for PHYS 141 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS I and credit awarded for PHYS 142 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS II are not eligible for meeting the requirements of the Neuroscience major. |
| 2 | NEUR 310 can be repeated and counted as an elective if a student has chosen NEUR 310 to count as a Project-Based Laboratory Course. It can only be repeated as an elective once for credit towards the major. If taken as a Project-Based Laboratory or as an Elective, NEUR 310 must be taken for at least 3 credit hours. |
| 3 | Students must complete a minimum of three semesters (3 credit hours total) of BIOS 128 to use this course as an Elective Requirement. |
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Neuroscience
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Neuroscience should be aware of the following program restrictions:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Neuroscience may not additionally pursue the BS Degree with a Major in Neuroscience.
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Neuroscience should be aware of the following program transfer credit guidelines:
- No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards specific major requirements after matriculation at Rice.
- Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Neuroscience website: https://neuroscience.rice.edu/
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Neuroscience
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Research in Neuroscience
Research is highly encouraged for all neuroscience programs, and many opportunities are available for independent research at Rice and other institutions of the Texas Medical Center. Students can receive course credit for independent research through the course NEUR 310.
Please Note: Students pursuing the major in Neuroscience may repeat NEUR 310 for credit once as an elective for the major.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Neuroscience website: https://neuroscience.rice.edu/