Neuroscience

Minor in Neuroscience

Neuroscience is an established, yet rapidly growing field that explores the molecular, cellular, and systems bases of neural function, as well as the neural basis of behavior and cognition.

The Neuroscience Minor offers students an opportunity to delve more deeply into this exciting and multifaceted discipline, whether to supplement a degree in biology, computer science, or engineering; to expand their understanding of cutting-edge research that regularly appears in the news; or to ready themselves for a neuroscience-based graduate program or career. Students who complete a neuroscience program are also equipped for educational and employment opportunities in research, teaching, medicine, and allied health.

Admissions and prerequisites

Because Anatomy & Physiology I (B BIO 351) requires students to have completed the Introductory Biology series (B BIO 180, 200, and 220), these three introductory classes are prerequisites for the Neuroscience Minor. Upon successful completion of the Introductory Biology series with a grade of 2.0 or higher in each class, students will be allowed to declare the minor.

If you have entered an undergraduate major program, please contact the academic advisor for your major at any time for assistance in adding the Neuroscience minor.

Program requirements

Core requirements - 15 credits

You must take all three of these courses.

  1. B BIO 320 - Behavioral Neuroscience (5 cr,) is offered winter quarters, and possibly some summer quarters. *BBIO 310 no longer counts toward the neuroscience minor. Contact the biology advisor with questions.
  2. B BIO 351 - Principles of Anatomy and Physiology I (5 cr)
  3. B BIO 480 - Neurobiology (5 cr). B BIO 480 can count towards the requirements of the Biology major or the Neuroscience minor, but not both.

Elective requirements  - 10 credits

You must take at least 10 credits of coursework from the following options.

  • B BIO 355 - Behavioral Endocrinology (5 cr)
  • B BIO 385 - Animal Behavior (5 cr)
  • B BIO 390 - Diseases and Disorders of the Nervous System (5 cr)
  • B BIO 394 - Special Topics in Neuroscience (5 cr). May be taken multiple times as long as the topic is different.
  • B BIO 499 - Undergraduate Research in Biology. Research must be neuroscience-oriented and approved by the Neuroscience Curriculum Committee. Research opportunities depend on faculty availability, so you should not plan to use B BIO 499 as an elective for the minor. However, if you are already conducting neuroscience research then you can petition to have the credit count.
  • BIS 270 - Abnormal Psychology (5 cr)
  • BIS 422 - Clinical Psychology (5 cr)

*The neuroscience minor requirements were revised in Autumn 2020 to replace BBIO 310 with BBIO 320. Students who declared the Neuroscience Minor Winter 2021 or thereafter are required to take BBIO320 (rather than BBIO310) for the neuroscience minor core.

Petitions

Neuroscience core or elective coursework that is not included on the above lists is considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have a syllabus or other detailed descriptive material for the class you wish to substitute, you may visit our forms page a to submit a petition.

Before taking a class or submitting a petition, please check in with School of STEM advising at stemadv@uw.edu.