Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Graduate School–Newark
 
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Degree Requirements
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American Studies 050
Behavioral and Neural Sciences 112
Program
Prequalifying Students (First Two Years)
First-Year Program
Second-Year Program
Early Research Project
Advancement to Candidacy
Qualifying Examination
Examination Formats
Doctoral Dissertations
Teaching Requirements
Graduate Courses
UMDNJ Courses
Biology 120
Business and Science 137
Chemistry 160
Creative Writing 200
Criminal Justice 202
Economics 220
English 350 (Includes American Literature 352)
Environmental Science 375
Environmental Geology 380
Global Affairs 478
History 510
Jazz History and Research 561
Liberal Studies 606
Management 620
Mathematical Sciences 645
Nursing 705
Peace and Conflict Studies 735
Physics, Applied 755
Political Science 790
Psychology 830
Public Administration 834
Sustainability: Urban Eco-sustainability Track
Urban Environmental Analysis and Management
Urban Systems 977 (Joint Ph.D. Program with NJIT and UMDNJ)
Women's and Gender Studies 988
Divisions of the University
Camden Newark New Brunswick/Piscataway
Catalogs
  Graduate School–Newark 2012–2014 Programs, Faculty, and Courses Behavioral and Neural Sciences 112 Program  

Program


The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) program provides a multidisciplinary and integrative approach to the study of molecules, neural systems, the brain, behavior, and cognition.

In recent years, molecular, immunological, and neuroanatomical techniques have opened the way to innovative approaches in medicine. Technologies for imaging the human brain, such as fMRI, provide unprecedented opportunities for explaining the basic neuronal mechanisms that underlie adaptive behavior in animals and humans, including speech, language, and cognition. With these new opportunities, however, has come a need to develop new training initiatives, as an understanding of fundamental principles is required to integrate basic and clinical research.

Successful completion of the graduate program culminates in the award of a Ph.D. The faculty of the behavioral and neural sciences graduate program is composed of members of the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, the departments of psychology and biological sciences at Rutgers–Newark, and some faculty members of the nearby New Jersey Institute of Technology.

A student entering the program works closely with a faculty mentor, who follows the student's progress and provides guidance on courses, research rotations, and other issues. Once students have completed their two required research rotations, they pursue their dissertation research. They may proceed through the research phase under the supervision of any faculty member in the program who agrees to take on an advisory function.

The program trains students for scientific research careers in neuroscience and prepares them to take positions in academic, medical, and industrial research. The faculty focuses on training students across the various domains of neuroscience, utilizing the latest research techniques. Students learn to conduct independent research and to present and discuss their findings orally and in writing. They also gain experience in undergraduate and graduate teaching. All students receive stipends in the form of fellowships or research assistantships.

For current information, students can visit the graduate program's website at http://www.bns.rutgers.edu.

Course Requirements

In their first year, all students are required to take both semesters of Foundations of Neuroscience (26:112:565,566) and Critical Thinking in Neuroscience (26:112:651). Statistics in Neuroscience (26:112:509,510) and Research in Neuroscience (26:112:511,512), which also are required, may be taken in either the first or second year.

As students must earn a minimum grade of B in each of these courses, they will have to retake any course in which they failed to meet the minimum grade standard. In addition, students who fail to earn a grade of B or better in the first semester of Foundations of Neuroscience will be placed on probation. To continue in the program, students must earn an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or better over both semesters of Foundations of Neuroscience. An overall grade-point average of 3.0 is required to maintain university-based funding.

 
For additional information, contact RU-info at 732-445-info (4636) or colonel.henry@rutgers.edu.
Comments and corrections to: Campus Information Services.

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