Courses

Students are required to complete 34 credits of coursework, including 23.5 credits of required courses and 10.5 credits of elective courses. Most of the required courses are taken in the 1st year and the electives and statistics requirement are taken the 2nd year.

Summer Required Courses

0 credits
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Summer Lab Rotation is required for all new incoming students. It provides full-time status.

Fall Required Courses

6 credits | MWF, 10:00am – 12:00pm
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The one-year series of Core Courses in Neuroscience is designed to introduce basic concepts and experimental strategies used to achieve our current awareness of the structure and function of the nervous system.

2 credits | Friday, 1:30pm – 3:30pm
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In this course, students are introduced to ongoing research in the laboratories of the Neuroscience Graduate Faculty and the generation, submission, and revision of grants are discussed. The schedule is on Canvas.

1 credit | Wednesday 9:00am – 9:50am
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In this class, students participate in the discussion and critical analysis of the current research literature. It is designed to complement the core course and is required for all students enrolled in NSCI501 and NSCI503.

2 credits | Wednesday, 4:00pm – 5:40pm
Course Instructors:

This class ties the molecular/cellular/systems neuroscience presented in the core courses to clinically relevant diseases of the nervous system.

1.5 credits | Tuesday, 10:00am – 11:30am ; Thursday, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Course Instructors: Patrick Forcelli & Barry Wolfe

This course gives a practical, and totally non-theoretical, approach to data analysis and experimental design. It is taught by practicing scientists.

0 credits
Course Instructors:

Fall Lab Rotation is required. It provides full-time status with the registration of a minimum of 3 credits.

Spring Required Courses

5 credits | MWF, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Course Instructors:

The one-year series of Core Courses in Neuroscience is designed to introduce basic concepts and experimental strategies used to achieve our current awareness of the structure and function of the nervous system.

1 credit | Wednesday 9:00am – 9:50am
Course Instructors:

In this class, students participate in the discussion and critical analysis of the current research literature. It is designed to complement the core course and is required for all students enrolled in NSCI501 and NSCI503.

2 credits | Wednesday, 4:45 – 6:45pm
Course Instructors:

This class involves discussions between students and faculty about ethical issues in the conduct of biomedical research. It also seeks to provide students with skills important to success as a scientist.

1 credit | Wednesday, 12:30pm – 3:30pm
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Structural and functional human neuroanatomy for understanding normal brain connectivity and alterations in disease states. Schedule and meeting times can be found on Canvas. This course starts in April and ends in May.

0 credits
Course Instructors:

Spring Lab Rotation is required. It provides full-time status with the registration of a minimum of 3 credits.

Recommended Electives

NSCI 502: Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience / In-Depth
2 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Wolfe

NSCI 504: Systems & Cognitive Neuroscience / In-Depth
1 to 4 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors:

NSCI 521: Functional MRI: Theory and Practice
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Van Meter 

NSCI 523: Brain and Language
3 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors: Friedman, Ullman, and Turkeltaub

NSCI 526: Computational Neuroscience
2 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Riesenhuber

NSCI 527: Brain Networks and Cognition
2 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors: Medvedev

NSCI 558: Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration
3 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors: Rebeck

NSCI 559: Topics in Neuroinflammation
2 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructor: Maguire-Zeiss

NSCI 601: Topics in Synaptic Transmission
2 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors: Wolfe

NSCI 920: Teaching Practicum
1 to 3 credits | Fall & Spring Semesters
Course Instructors: Contact Student Directors

BCHB 501: Graduate Biochemistry
4 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Jones

BIOL 359: Dynamical Processes in Biological Physics
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Dzakpasu

MICB 606: Public Policy for Scientists
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Calderone

PHAR 510: Neuropsychopharmacology
2 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors: Kellar

PHAR 528: Modern Methods in Molecular Biology
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Wolfe & Martin

PHAR 584: Introduction to Pharmacology
1 credit | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Wolfe

PHAR 604: Medicinal Plants and Pharmacognosy
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Fugh-Berman

PHAR 611: Pharmacology I – Basic Principles
4 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Pak, Wolfe, & Wroblewski

PBIO 534: Cellular and Molecular Physiology
4 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Sherman

PBIO 547: Molecular Neurophysiology
2 credits | Given on Request
Course Instructors: Vicini

PSYC 501: Lifespan Development: Brain and Cognition
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Lamiell

PSYC 511: Cognition
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Green

PSYC 512: Cognitive Neuroscience
3 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors: Vaidya

TBIO 588: Preparing a Scientific Paper
2 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors: Wellstein

TBIO 595: Tumor Endocrinology
2 credits | Spring Alternate Years
Course Instructors: Clarke

Statistics and Experimental Design Electives

IPN students are expected to have mastery of statistics and experimental design. This is most often accomplished by taking a graduate-level statistics course.

BIST 502: Applied Biostatistics
3 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors: Korostyshevskiy

NSCI 599: Practical Data Analysis and Experimental Design
1.5 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Forcelli & Wolfe

BIST 501: Introductory Biostatistics: Experimental Design & Analysis
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Gana

PSYC 522: Advanced Topics in Regression Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences
3 credits | Fall Semester
Course Instructors: Ryan

PSYC 523: Continuation of PSYC-522
3 credits | Spring Semester
Course Instructors:

Tutorials

Individualized instruction on advanced topics in Neuroscience by faculty in the IPN program. Students need to set up tutorials by contacting the faculty member they want to serve as their tutor, outlining the plan of study, and filling out the appropriate form to register the tutorial with approval from the IPN Curriculum Chair.

NSCI 901: NSCI Tutorial

1 to 4 credits | Fall Semester
Use course code if you’re taking only 1 tutorial in the Fall Semester