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.
