Office: 200 Flower Hall
Phone: (504) 862-3305
Email: brain@tulane.edu, sclark4@tulane.edu
The purpose of the 4+1 M.S. Program in Neuroscience is to provide Tulane students with training at the graduate level for one additional year beyond the baccalaureate degree. The mission of the M.S. program is to prepare students for admission to doctoral programs in the neurosciences, careers in neuroscience-related fields, or for admission to medical or other pre-health (e.g., Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, etc.) schools. Completion of the M.S. Program does not guarantee acceptance to Tulane's Ph.D. programs or medical school. Students accepted to the 4+1 program may follow one of two tracks toward completion of an M.S. in Neuroscience. Both tracks require completion of 30 graduate credits.
For the Thesis Track option, students will take courses relevant to their interests in neuroscience or related fields and complete an empirical master's thesis under the supervision of an advisor who is a member of the Tulane Brain Institute. Because completion of an empirical master's thesis normally requires more than one year, students accepted into the 4+1 program should be active in research as an undergraduate. If additional semester(s) are required beyond the one-year program, the student will be charged additional fees. Each student will be encouraged to develop a master's thesis that is a continuation or extension of his or her undergraduate honors thesis or independent study. The thesis advisor will provide guidance in the selection of courses and in all aspects of the master's thesis. For the Non-Thesis Track option, students will take courses relevant to their interests in neuroscience or related fields but are not required to complete an empirical master's thesis. Credit can be given for research, clinical or other internship work.
Admissions
Tulane students working toward the B.S. in Neuroscience or a related major may apply for admission. To be considered for admission, the student should submit a Tulane graduate application form, an official transcript, and two letters of reference written by full-time members of the Tulane Faculty who have had the student in a science course. For students planning to do the Thesis Track, one of these letters must come from a faculty member who is a member of the Tulane Brain Institute confirming their commitment to supervise the student. Acceptance into the program will be competitive and based on the decision of the 4+1 Neuroscience Program Committee. Successful applicants to the program are suggested to have a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.4.
The deadline for receipt of the COMPLETED APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL SUPPORTING MATERIALS is June 1 to start in the fall semester and October 15 to start in the spring semester. Completed applications received prior to the deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis for students applying to start in the fall and October 15 for students applying to start in the spring.
Required materials to be included in your application:
- Completed Tulane Graduate School application form
- Completed statement of purpose (500 words or less) that describes why you want to complete the program and how it fits into your career goals.
- Undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Unofficial transcripts may be used for review. Formal acceptance can only be issued after official transcripts are furnished.
- Letters of recommendation from two faculty members who taught you in your science courses.
Program Committee:
- Sara Clark - Associate Director
- Beth Wee - Program Director
Contact Porshia Evans in the Neuroscience Program regarding specific admission procedures.
Costs
Tuition and fees for all university schools are determined per fiscal year by the university administration. The most recent tuition and fees table can be found on the Accounts Receivable website.
There are no internal scholarships, assistantships or other types of financial awards available for the 4 + 1 program. Students should contact Tulane Financial Aid for FASFA and/or private loan information.
Curricula
The Thesis Track degree requires 24 credits of course work, plus six credits of research at the graduate level (for a total of 30 credits). The Non-thesis Track degree requires 30 credits of course work at the graduate level, which may include credit for independent study research, clinical or other internship work. Up to 12 credits can be earned prior to the fifth year of study at the 6000 level, but only 6 of these credits can be applied toward both the baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Students who accumulate more than 120 credits prior to earning the baccalaureate degree can apply additional graduate level credits to the M.S., provided these credits are not needed for the baccalaureate degree. Research, Internship, and MS Thesis may be taken for up to 3 credits/semester. No more than 6 credits of Research/Thesis (combined) and 6 credits of Internship can count towards the 30-credit program requirement. The curriculum is flexible and specific to each individual student.
4+1 students are required to take Graduate Neuroscience I, Neuroscience Applied and Trends/Seminar (one or both semesters). These classes make up 8 of the required 30 credits needed to complete the degree. The course plan of study must be developed in consultation with Dr. Sara Clark.
NOTE: Students must earn at least a B in their graduate courses and must have at least a 3.0 overall GPA to graduate. Failure to earn at least a B- means that the grade will count towards your GPA, but the course credit will not count towards the required 30 credits needed to graduate.
Course List for the M.S. Degree in Neuroscience at Tulane University
View a list of graduate courses available to graduate students in neuroscience.
Thesis Committee and Prospectus
Master's thesis research is the central element of the 4+1 Thesis Track. The thesis is an extension of research conducted at the undergraduate level and tied closely to the research advisor’s interest and expertise. A student conducting a thesis in partial fulfillment of the 4+1 degree in Neuroscience will assemble a thesis committee of three faculty members, two of whom must be members of the Tulane Brain Institute. The student will prepare a written thesis prospectus for the committee, not to exceed 5 pages. The prospectus should describe briefly the specific hypotheses, the most relevant literature, the proposed methodology and data analysis, and the expected outcomes and significance of the project. Within one week after submission of the prospectus to committee members, the student will meet with the full committee for comments and guidance. The meeting with the thesis committee should occur prior to October 1 of the 4+1 year of study. Upon completion of the thesis, the committee will read and review the final thesis document and evaluate student performance at a formal thesis defense. The final document submitted to the Science and Engineering Graduate office following the thesis defense is due in April for spring graduation or late July for summer graduation. The exact dates vary from year to year, so be sure to check the dates! The thesis must be defended and submitted in final form to the School of Science and Engineering within two years after entering the master's program. Students who fail to meet the two-year deadline will be recommended for dismissal from the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience. Details about the thesis can be found in the School of Science and Engineering's Thesis Preparation Guidelines. For additional information regarding the thesis, contact Dr. Clark or Dr. Beth Wee.
Duration of Study
Students may enter the program during either the fall or spring semester of any academic year. Students should complete their degree requirements within two academic semesters and must complete all requirements within two years. Additional semesters beyond the first year will incur additional tuition and student fees, per credit hour.
