Program in Fundamental Neuroscience (PFN)
Program in Fundamental Neuroscience (PFN)

Current Course Offerings

Here you can find a list of core courses and electives being offered for upcoming semesters. This information is provided as a courtesy to aid with advising and course selection and should not replace SIS/Stellic. If there are any discrepancies between the information listed on this page and that in SIS/Stellic, the information in SIS/Stellic should always be considered authoritative. You can find courses using Stellic, SIS Class Search, or Lou's List.

SPRING 2026

CORE COURSES

  • BIOL 3000 Cell Biology  

  • BIOL 3010 Genetics & Molecular Biology

  • PSYC 3160 Cognitive Neuroscience

CORE LABS

  • NESC 4030 The Study of Neuroscience from Molecules to Minds (Formerly NESC 3450, The Study of Neuroscience from Molecules to Minds)

  • NESC 3960 Research in Neuroscience (for NESC declared majors).

    • You may enroll in NESC 3960: Research in Neuroscience once you have been accepted to work in a lab and your project has been approved by Director Jay Hirsh as appropriate for neuroscience research. To request approval please fill out this form. Once approved a section for your Primary Investigator (PI) will be created in SIS if needed.

    • Once your project has been approved, check SIS/Stellic to find the section for your Primary Investigator (PI). If your PI is not listed, you will need to request a section of NESC 3960 by completing this form.

    • Note: Two semesters of NESC 3960: Research in Neuroscience in the same lab are required to fulfill the laboratory requirement. Students engaged in independent research are still encouraged to take one of the designated laboratory courses.

CORE ELECTIVES

Group 1: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

  • NESC 4046 Neural Injury and Disease (this course also counts as second writing)

    • This course explores the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying a variety of neurological disorders, such as Traumatic Brain Injury, Alzheimer's Disease, and more. Research and treatment of these disorders is addressed in historical and current contexts. This course uses primary-literature discussions to develop skills in reading, analyzing, and interpreting scientific data, with additional emphasis on practical scientific writing and oral communication skills.

  • BIOL 3260 Editing Genes and Genomes

  • BIOL 4310 Sensory Neurobiology

  • BIOL 4330 Wiring the Brain

  • BIOL 4660 How Do They Do It? Method and Logic in Biomedical Science

Group 2: Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience

  • PSYC 3420 The Nature–Nurture Debate

  • PSYC 3440 Child Psychopathology

  • PSYC 4100 Neuroscience of Learning, Emotions, and Motivation of Functional Behavior

  • PSYC 4200 Neural Mechanisms of Behavior

  • PSYC 4310 Cognitive Aging

  • PSYC 5270 RM: Computational Neuroscience

  • PSYC 5326 The Neuroscience of Social Relationships

Group 3: Related Science and Quantitative Courses

  • BIOL 3030 Biochemistry

  • BIOL 3040 Developmental and Regenerative Biology

  • BIOL 3240 Introduction to Immunology

  • BIOL 4014 Cellular Origins of Animal Diversity

  • BIOL 4017 Immortal Germ Line

  • BIOL 4070 Developmental Biology Laboratory

  • BIOL 4260 Cellular Mechanisms

  • BIOL 4770 Synthetic Biology

  • BIOL 5070 Practical Aspects of Light Microscopy

  • PSYC 4110 Psycholinguistics

  • PSYC 5323 RM: R in Psychology

  • CHEM 4420 Biological Chemistry II

  • CHEM 4421 Biological Chemistry Laboratory II

  • CHEM 4440 Biochemistry for Pre-Health

RESEARCH

  • NESC 3960 Research in Neuroscience (for NESC declared majors)

    • You may enroll in NESC 3960: Research in Neuroscience once you have been accepted to work in a lab and your project has been approved by Director Jay Hirsh as appropriate for neuroscience research. To request approval please fill out this form. Once approved a section for your Primary Investigator (PI) will be created in SIS if needed.

    • Once your project has been approved, check SIS/Stellic to find the section for your Primary Investigator (PI). If your PI is not listed, you will need to request a section of NESC 3960 by completing this form.

    • Note: Two semesters of NESC 3960: Research in Neuroscience in the same lab are required to fulfill the laboratory requirement. Students engaged in independent research are still encouraged to take one of the designated laboratory courses.

  • NESC 3995 Research in Neuroscience (for undeclared students, non-NESC majors)

    • You may enroll in NESC 3995: Research in Neuroscience once you have been accepted to work in a lab and your project has been approved by Director Jay Hirsh as appropriate for neuroscience research. To request approval please fill out this form. Once approved a section for your Primary Investigator (PI) will be created in SIS if needed.

    • Once your project has been approved, check SIS/Stellic to find the section for your Primary Investigator (PI). If your PI is not listed, you will need to request a section of NESC 3995 by completing this form.

DISTINGUISHED MAJORS PROGRAM

  • NESC 3985 NESC DMP - Current Topics in Neuroscience II

  • NESC 4980 Distinguished Majors Thesis

    • Check SIS/Stellic to find the section for your Primary Investigator (PI). If your PI is not listed, you will need to request a section of NESC 4980 by completing this form.