Neuroscience Program

Neuroscience is the interdisciplinary study of the nervous system and its role in regulating physiological and behavioral processes, drawing on fields from psychology and biology to chemistry, physics, and pharmacology. It ranges from the cellular and molecular workings of individual brain cells to how entire circuits and systems shape behavior — making it one of the most dynamic and fast-moving areas of modern science.

Tulane neuroscientists and their students are attempting to answer many critical questions such as:

-How do our brains store information as memory?
-How do the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and Schizophrenia process information?
-How do neuronal circuits interact to control learning and adaptive behavior?
-How do neurons regulate the release of hormones involved in pregnancy, maternity, menopause, stress, and growth?
-What changes in the brain lead to drug addiction?
-How does the regulation of brain microvascular function under physiological conditions and also under pathological states such as stroke and diabetes?
-How does the brain regulate pain?
-What are the genetic and molecular pathways regulating the development of the peripheral nervous and cardiovascular systems?
-What is the neurochemistry of specific viral infections?
-How do attention, judgment, and memory biases help maintain pathological emotional responses to trauma?
-How does synaptic transmission occur at auditory synapses?
-How do our brains process visual and auditory information?
-How do the nervous and immune systems converge to impact brain function, mental health, and neurological disease?
-What are the mechanisms controlling the development and function of neural circuits underlying high cognitive skills such as sensation, learning, and memory?
-What are the implications of cardiovascular health on the nervous system?

Many colleges and universities do not offer a major in Neuroscience. Tulane's Neuroscience major allows students to pursue an interdepartmental curriculum that focuses on the nervous system and its role in regulating physiology and behavior, as well as providing research experiences in this field. The plan of study expands the knowledge base of students beyond that normally attainable in conventional majors and establishes an excellent foundation for future medical and graduate training.

Neuroscience majors pursue research in the University's Neuroscience laboratories as Independent Studies, Honors Theses, and summer employment. These experiences allow students to bring knowledge learned in the classroom into the actual research environment. Tulane undergraduates continue to play a vital role in the federally-funded research programs of Tulane neuroscientists. Their efforts have led to co-authorships on scientific publications and conference presentations.

Tulane has a modern, multipurpose laboratory that is the centerpiece of undergraduate Neuroscience at Tulane. The purpose of the laboratory classroom is to allow students to utilize the most contemporary instrumentation in the field of Neuroscience guided by faculty members who are experts in the application of techniques related to their own research questions. In addition, undergraduates who work in the University's research laboratories have access to all the instrumentation and facilities used by faculty members in their research programs.

Majors work in research laboratories throughout the University, as well as in laboratories at the Tulane medical school. Service Learning allows students to work in hospitals, clinics, schools and other community settings to apply classroom knowledge to real-life experiences.

The majority of students graduating with a B.S. in Neuroscience have gone on to prestigious medical and graduate schools including Tulane University, Yale University, Cornell University, University of California, Baylor University, University of North Carolina. Tulane offers a 4+1 Program in Neuroscience in which students who receive a B.S. degree can obtain their M.S. degree during an additional year of study.

A major in Neuroscience allows a student to pursue an interdepartmental curriculum that focuses on the role of the nervous system in regulating physiological processes. Neuroscience combines many traditional fields of study including Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy, and Physiology. The field of Neuroscience encompasses a broad domain that ranges from the cellular and molecular control of brain cells to the regulation of responses in whole organisms.

Any full-time Newcomb-Tulane College student is eligible to declare Neuroscience as a major, preferably before the beginning of the junior year. Upon declaration of the major, the student will be assigned to a faculty advisor who is a member of the Program Faculty. The advisor will meet regularly with the student to plan and monitor the course curriculum, approve changes in the curriculum, assist in development of research activities, plan post-graduate studies, and certify completion of major requirements for graduation.

The student majoring in Neuroscience fulfills the standard requirements of a premedical curriculum, which is recommended or required for admission to graduate study in Neuroscience or related graduate programs, as well as medical school.

Pre-medical* students are strongly encouraged to talk to the Pre-Health Advisor to learn about the requirements for medical* school. Most of these requirements also are required for the Neuroscience major.

For more information on pre-health tracks, please visit the Tulane Pre-Health Advising Center website.

*Note: Pre-dental and Pre-veterinary students also are encouraged to talk to the Pre-professional Advisor

1. Download this fillable declaration form and email it to Stefanie de Abreu at sdeabreu@tulane.edu, to receive your newly assigned major advisor.
2. You should have this course audit form when you meet with your advisor.
3. Contact your newly assigned major advisor via email to set up an advising appointment.
4. Meet with your neuroscience advisor to discuss your plan for completing the major. During this meeting, you and your advisor should discuss the requirements for the major, the availability of courses (e.g., some courses are only taught during specific semesters, some courses have specific pre-requisites, etc.), and your plans for postgraduate study and your career. Your advisor should sign the completed course audit form and the major declaration form.
5. The signed course audit and the major declaration forms should be emailed to Stefanie de Abreu. We will sign the major declaration form and make copies of both the declaration form and your course audit form which will be added to a file created especially for you!
6. Turn in the major declaration form (signed by both your neuroscience advisor and the neuroscience office) to your Newcomb-Tulane advisor.
7. Once you declare your Neuroscience major, you will be added to our CANVAS page for Neuroscience Majors. Here you will find valuable information about ways to fulfill the major requirements, forms for signing up for independent study and internships, and many career preparation materials. 
8. Stay in contact with your neuroscience advisor, meeting him/her at least once per year to help insure the success of your program of study.

Helpful Hints

• Read the information from the neuroscience major web page carefully.
• The major declaration form is attached above, just hit the link. It is also available at the Undergraduate Advising Center.
• If you have any questions about this process, please contact Stefanie de Abreu.

A student who plans to study abroad for a semester or year should identify possible neuroscience courses in their study abroad programs. After these courses have been identified, the student should contact the neuroscience major director Dr. Jack Horne, to confirm that the courses will fulfill requirements for the neuroscience major. Dr. Horne maintains a fairly comprehensive list of courses that have been reviewed previously for several study abroad programs. If students find additional courses that they would like to take abroad, a detailed syllabus will be needed for the course to be reviewed by the curriculum committee. 

All course approvals should be done BEFORE the student leaves for the semester abroad. Students are advised to keep copies of Dr. Horne's email stating that the course has been approved, and also a syllabus from each course taken abroad to verify the course's content. Students also should get pre-approval for courses taken to fulfill other non-neuroscience requirements by contacting the appropriate Tulane departments.

After the student returns from abroad and has completed the previously approved course, the student and Dr. Horne will fill out a Course Equivalency Form to be processed and approved by Academic Advising and the Registrar.

Tulane also has several summer programs with courses taught by our own faculty. Students are encouraged to consider these programs as well. Information can be obtained from Tulane's Office of Study Abroad. 

An honors thesis is a year-long research project completed during the senior year. Neuroscience majors are not required to do an honors thesis. Successful completion of an honors thesis qualifies the student to graduate with departmental and university honors. For specific information about the requirements for graduating with Honors, contact the Office of Academic Enrichment, 105/106 Hébert Hall, 504-314-2806.

An empirical research project is required for an Honors Thesis in Neuroscience. An empirical research project includes the design, implementation, analysis, and write-up of an original experiment that tests a specific scientific hypothesis. Non-laboratory projects, such as papers based solely on library research, clinical internships, or community service activities, do not meet the standards of an Honors Thesis in Neuroscience. Completion of an Honors Thesis in Neuroscience requires two full semesters, typically conducted during the senior year. A student should only attempt an Honor Thesis in Neuroscience under the guidance of a faculty member with whom Independent Study has been pursued during one or more previous semesters.

Note: No student may receive academic credit for research activities if that student receives a salary or stipend for those activities. This policy applies to research conducted during the academic year and during the summer.

No later than the spring of your junior year, you should select a Neuroscience faculty member to serve as your thesis director. You might begin by approaching one of your instructors, or your Neuroscience major advisor. You also should review the list of Neuroscience research faculty, to learn about the research interests of the Neuroscience faculty members.

Students should be aware that space in faculty laboratories is limited. Thus, students are strongly encouraged to contact the faculty member well before the end of the spring semester of their junior year. Once the faculty member has agreed to serve as the thesis director, make plans with him or her to carry out preliminary work for the thesis during the spring or summer before the senior year.

Students should sign up for Honors Thesis credit, NSCI 4990 in the fall, and NSCI 5000 in the spring, of the senior year. You should go to the Office of Academic Enrichment (105 Hébert Hall) to pick up the guidelines and schedule well in advance of your registration for an honors thesis. Students who are doing an Honor's Thesis will need to fill out the Tulane Honor's Thesis and Neuroscience Honor's Thesis forms. The Honors Thesis Registration form needs to be filled out by the student and research faculty advisor (must be a Brain Institute faculty member ) and, once completed, should be emailed to Stefanie de Abreu. For additional information, look at the honors thesis web pages.

Students will need to submit a prospective and first chapter during the first semester and their completed draft to their full committee during the second semester, prior to their oral defense. Details and deadlines can be found on the Honors Program website. Second and third readers are responsible for reading and providing commentary on the final version of the honors thesis,  which is submitted to the full thesis committee prior to the oral defense.  Second and third readers are NOT responsible for editing sections of the honors thesis during preparation of the final version.

A schedule of specific dates can be found on the Honor's Thesis website.

Students must secure prior approval for honors theses from the appropriate ethics committees by the end of the first semester of their senior year. Approval of empirical studies with human subjects or animal subjects must be obtained from the appropriate internal review board. Students should consult with their thesis advisors regarding this process. Review and approval normally requires at least one month. Therefore, it is important that all forms be submitted by the thesis advisor to the appropriate committee NO LATER THAN November 15.

Yes, however, students must adhere to the same guidelines as those given [below] for Independent Study projects.

Independent study projects:

Students who wish to perform an independent study project at another institution must have two faculty sponsors: One at the host institution, and one in the Neuroscience Major. The student must obtain prior approval from the Neuroscience sponsor for the project. The sponsor will communicate with the host institution sponsor to make sure that the work being performed meets our major requirements for independent study projects. Also, the grade for the project will be submitted by the Neuroscience sponsor, in consultation with the host institution sponsor.

At the beginning of the project, your host institution sponsor must submit, by letter or e-mail, a description of the project to your Neuroscience sponsor. It is essential that your Neuroscience sponsor and your host institution sponsor communicate with one another to evaluate your final work; otherwise, an incomplete grade may result.

Students may sign up for Independent study credit as NSCI 4910 or NSCI 4920. Independent study forms are available from the Neuroscience Office, 200 Flower Hall. This form must be completed by the student in consultation with and signed by the faculty member(s) supervising the research. After the completed form is returned to the Neuroscience office, the student will be cleared to add the independent study to his/her schedule.

Research proposals, submitted in late January to the Honors Program office as the “first chapter,” must include an introduction and complete methodology. Before submission to the Honors Program office, the proposal must be approved by a committee comprised of the thesis director, and another faculty member, who will serve as the second reader. The proposal must be approved before the data for the primary study are collected.

Students may sign up for Independent study credit for research in a neuroscience research laboratory as NSCI 4910. Up to six graded (A-F) credits may be earned. After that, if the student wants to continue to do research, s/he should sign up for NSCI 4920, which is S/U graded. To earn credit hours, work must be unpaid. In general, working an average of 3-4 hours/week (a total of approximately 45-75 hours) for the full semester is worth 1 credit, 6-8 hours/week (a total of approximately 90-135 hours) is 2 credits, and 10-12 hours/week (approximately 150-180 hours) is 3 credits of independent study. In order for the research to fulfill one of the three required laboratories for the major, 3 credits must be earned.

Independent study forms are available here as well as from the Neuroscience Office, 200 Flower Hall. This form must be completed by the student in consultation with and signed by the faculty member(s) supervising the research. If you do research in a non-Tulane research laboratory (e.g., LSUHSC), your Tulane Neuroscience major advisor should be the instructor on record. If you work in a Tulane laboratory, your faculty research advisor will be the instructor on record. The deadline to register for Independent Study is the deadline to drop without record  on the academic calendar.  After the completed form is returned to the Neuroscience office, by emailing Stefanie de Abreu (sdeabreu@tulane.edu) the student will be cleared to add the independent study to their schedule. Keep in mind that six credits is the maximum amount of regular graded credit that a student can earn from all independent study courses, even if the work is completed in more than one research laboratory. Please note student completing a NSCI major and PSYN minor may only count one independent study (3 credit hours) towards either the major or the minor but not both. 

If a student wants to do independent study in a non-neuroscience laboratory, they should contact Dr. Sara Clark (sclark4@tulane.edu) about earning SCEN 4910/4920 credit, as per the guidelines outlined above.

Guidelines to contact faculty about doing research

Students who matriculated in Fall, 2022 or later follow the "new" curriculum. One of the new requirements is Experiential Learning, which is credit given to students who complete research, internships, or other relevant experiences that will help them apply their neuroscience knowledge. Once a student is registered for 2-3 credits of Independent Study (NSCI 4910, SCEN 4910, etc) or Internship (SCEN/NSCI 4570, NSCI 4580, NSCI 4590), they may register for Experiential Learning (NSCI 3330) and tag it to the aforementioned course (see link below for form). If the student has identified a different experience for which they would like to earn credit (e.g., minimum of 60 hours of paid internship), they should talk to their Neuroscience major advisor to confirm that it will, indeed, earn such credit. In some cases, the Neuroscience Program curriculum committee will need to review the request. Once approved, the student should submit the Experiential Learning form (signed by their major advisor) to Stefanie de Abreu (sdeabreu@tulane.edu), Flower Hall 200), who will add the student to the zero credit, S/U graded course. The deadline to register for Experiential Learning is the deadline to drop without record  on the academic calendar.  

The following three credit Neuroscience lecture courses may have an optional service learning component which fulfills the second tier service requirement. Courses which require 40 hours of volunteer service are worth 1 credit; courses that require only 20 hours of service are worth zero credit, but still fulfill the service requirement.

• NSCI 4110 Brain and Language
• NSCI 4340 Neurobiology of Disease
• NSCI 4060 Behavioral Endocrinology
• NSCI 4130 Sports Related Brain Injury

In addition, if the student has at least a B average, they may apply to the Center for Public Service Internship Program to complete a Service Learning Internship. The neuroscience service learning internship consists of 70 hours of volunteer service plus participation in a weekly seminar class. If approved by CPS, the student will be added to the internship course, NSCI 4570 Neuroscience Internship, by the Neuroscience Program.

Neuroscience majors who wish to complete a science-related internship that is NOT neuroscience-specific, may complete their second tier service requirement by taking SCEN 4570 Internship. One section of this internship relates to K-12 Education. Another section is for students who choose to do other types of service that are approved by the Center for Public Service. Check with Dr. Sara Clark (sclark4@tulane.edu) for additional details.

Students can complete double majors in Neuroscience and Psychology by completing 18 non-overlapping courses from the curricula of the two majors.  Courses listed in the Neuroscience curriculum of 3 or 4 credits can be included among the 18 non-overlapping courses.  The following exceptions apply.  (1) Laboratories that are one-credit components of lecture courses cannot count as separate courses.  Four-credit courses that include laboratories, 3-credit independent study courses, and seven-credit honors theses can count toward the 18 non-overlapping courses.  (2) Neuroscience co-requisite courses in chemistry, physics, and mathematics do not count towards the list of 18 non-overlapping courses.

A double major should broaden a student's knowledge in both areas of study, therefore, students are encouraged strongly to complete courses in their Psychology major that are outside the field of Neuroscience such as courses in developmental, social, and quantitative psychology.

Students planning to double major in Neuroscience and Psychology must meet with Dr. Taylor Marcus (tmarcus@tulane.edu) to develop their double major curriculum plan.

NOTE: The Neuroscience program does not offer a minor in Neuroscience. Neuroscience majors can complete minors in other fields that offer minors provided that departmental requirements are met.

Steps in Declaring a Double Major in Neuroscience and Psychology:

• Meet with Dr. Wee to design your major course plan and complete the major course audit form and the list of 18 non-overlapping courses.
• Complete the form that identifies your courses in each major and have Dr. Wee sign the form for both Psychology and Neuroscience.
• Send the completed major declaration form to Courtney Groue (cgroue@tulane.edu) to declare your Psychology major.
• Send the completed major declaration form , list of 18 non-overlapping courses, and the planned major course audit form to Stefanie de Abreu (sdeabreu@tulane.edu) to declare your Neuroscience major.
• Neuroscience Office will keep copies of your course plan, list of 18 non-overlapping courses, and declaration form on file.
• Send your completed major declaration form to your Newcomb Tulane academic advisor.

Questions about the double major in CMB and Neuroscience should be directed to Dr. Sara Clark in the Cell and Molecular Biology department.

The Neuroscience program does not offer a minor in Neuroscience. Neuroscience majors can complete minors in other fields that offer minors provided that the departmental requirements are met.

Major in Neuroscience with Minor in Psychology (PSYN)
A minor in Psychology when completed with a major in Neuroscience requires the completion of PSYC 1000 and four additional elective courses in Psychology which do not overlap with course requirements in Neuroscience and are not cross-listed as PSYC/NSCI. Only one 3 credit independent study course (e.g., PSYC 4900) may count as one of the electives towards the minor, and it cannot also count for the major. If a student wants to do a second independent study for 3 credits, then that course may count to fulfill one of the three required laboratory courses for the neuroscience major. To declare the PSYN minor contact Courtney Groue (cgroue@tulane.edu) in the Psychology department.

Neuroscience Major with Cell and Molecular Biology Minor
Students wishing to minor in cell and molecular biology must complete five 3-credit non-neuroscience courses as follows. Three required courses: CELL 3030 - Molecular Biology , CELL 3750 - Cell Biology, & CELL 4010 - Cellular Biochemistry; two additional electives from the following: CELL 3050,3210, 3400, 4110/4111, 4130, 4160, 4200*, 4220, 4250, 4260, 4340, 4440, 4710, 4780. *Note that CELL 4200 may not be used for the CELL minor elective if NSCI 4200 is used as a major elective.

Students pursuing a minor must complete at least 24 credits in their major that do not overlap with the minor requirements. Questions about the minor in CMB should be directed to Dr. Sara Clark.

The Summer Program supports current Tulane Neuroscience majors who have been nominated by their neuroscience research advisor. Nominated students will be invited to apply directly to the program.

Tulane's Neuroscience Summer Research Program offers qualified undergraduate students the opportunity to spend 9 weeks of the summer working in the research laboratories of Tulane neuroscientists.

Students can prepare for graduate school through the following activities:

• Assist Tulane faculty members and their laboratory teams in ongoing research projects in the exciting field of neuroscience
• Develop proficiency in basic research skills that include ethical awareness, experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, and laboratory technique
• Learn communication skills in the oral and written presentation of scientific results
• Present and discuss their projects with other students and faculty members during weekly group sessions
• Design and create a research poster for our culminating poster session

For more information about the program, contact Dr. Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, rsolch@tulane.edu. 

• Graduate Student Guidelines
• Office of Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies
• Qualifying Examination Documents
  • Qualifying Examination Rubrics Form
  • Qualifying Examination Results Form
  • Qualifying Examination Contribution Statement
• Admission to Candidacy
• Approval of Dissertation Prospectus Form
• Final Examination/Defense of Dissertation/Thesis Form
• Guidelines for Preparing Theses and Dissertations
• SSE Forms, Policies, and Procedures
• Unified Code of Graduate Student Academic Conduct
• Tulane University Student Code of Conduct
• Travel Reimbursement Form
• SSE Tuition Scholarship Policy
• SSE Graduate Catalog
• Academic Calendar
• T.A. Guidelines

All Ph.D. application materials must be received by the Neuroscience Graduate Program by January 1st.  Applications are reviewed as they are received; therefore, applicants are encouraged to submit all required materials as early as possible.  Applications arriving after this date will be considered by the admissions committee only if positions remain available.

Students who wish to be admitted to the Neuroscience Doctoral Program should apply online. The program will not consider any student for admission until all the following documents have been uploaded into the online application system:

• Application form (must be submitted online)
• A statement of purpose (must be submitted online)
• Three letters of recommendation (must be submitted online)
• An unofficial copy of all post-secondary academic transcripts (must be submitted online)

Note: All transcripts and other documents and material required for application for admission become the property of the Neuroscience Graduate Program and are not returnable either in original or photocopied form.

Because TOEFL and IELTS are not required, all international students who are accepted into a School of Science and Engineering PhD program must complete an online summer ESL Evaluation Course during the month of July. The 10 hours (2 week) assessment course will determine which students must take additional ESL courses during their first year of graduate studies (no exceptions).