College of Arts and Sciences

Neuroscience

Program Options

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Neuroscience
• Neuroscience minor

Psychology and Neuroscience department web site

The information on this page pertains to program requirements for students who matriculated in the 2023-2024 academic year.  View requirements for previous catalog years here.

Program Overview

The neuroscience program is nested under the direction of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, while maintaining strong interdisciplinary connections. The program is designed to represent the psychological and biological foundations of this growing field.

Undergraduates preparing for careers in neuroscience or related fields must have a strong scientific foundation in the natural sciences. Students studying neuroscience at Drake University will be exposed to an interdisciplinary environment through coursework in physical and life sciences, close interactions with faculty and the opportunity to participate in research projects. The interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience can be appealing to students in allied fields such as psychology and biology, thus making earning a double major or minor an attractive option.

There are many career paths available to students interested in neuroscience or related fields. Some are interested in attending graduate school to pursue a career in basic or applied research and teaching. Others may want a neuroscience background as a foundation for further training in a health care field, such as medicine, physical therapy, optometry and nursing. Still others may want exposure to neuroscience topics because of an interest in professional writing (newspaper, magazine) about the field or working in a related field such as the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry. In all cases, students should work with their academic advisor to determine what path is best for them.

The neuroscience program at Drake University contains a major (B.S.) and a minor. The B.S. degree in neuroscience requires at least 64 credit hours to complete. Students must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the major (computed across all major courses) to graduate with a B.S. in Neuroscience. The minor requires 24 credits hours.

B.S. Degree Requirements

The curriculum for a B.S. in neuroscience at Drake University is described below. Completion of the program requires completion of the course requirements listed below. Students will work with their advisor to make appropriate course selections when options are available, thus the precise number of credit hours for the major will vary slightly. Core requirements may be transferred by petition.

Notes:

• Students must pass NSCI 001, NSCI 010, and PSY 011 (or its substitutes) with a “C” or better (not a C-) to major in Neuroscience and to enroll in any upper level courses for which these are prerequisites

Neuroscience Minor

 *Independent studies, research seminars, and internships count toward the 24 hours required for the minor but do not fulfill the course requirement of the Advanced Laboratory and Application section.