神经科学是一个非常庞大的学科，涵盖了非常广泛的种类 of scientists and scientific interests. However, all neuroscientists are interested in the brain and how the brain works. Some neuroscientists are only interested on learning about the basic physiology of the brain and of brain tissue. These neuroscientists may be interested in such questions as: What cellular processes enable neurons to communicate with each other via neurotransmitters? But behavioral neuroscientists are interested in the relationship between the physiological processes that occur in the brain and the behavior of an organism. The Behavioral Neuroscientist is likely to be interested in the answer to the question: What types of altered communication between neurons is responsible for the dramatic changes in behavior and cognition that are observed in people with bipolar depression? This focus on the behavior of the entire organism is what is distinctive about behavioral neuroscience.

Yes.

The facts are that neuroscience or biopsychology concentrations are among the most demanding undergraduate programs offered. There is a significant degree of overlap BN浓度的要求和包含大多数课程的课程之间 pre-med programs. It is very likely that no matter how capable a student you may be you will be challenged at some point in the curricullum. Before you decide to tackle the BN concentration you should discuss your plans with your undergraduate advisor and your BN advisor.

就像每个心理学必须做的那样，每个学生在BN集中必须完成 an empirical research project during their senior year. The topic of this thesis should be related to a topic in behavioral neuroscience and must be approved in advance by the BN advisor. The BN concentration has been designed to equip you with all the skills you should require to complete the thesis. Very often your thesis project may develop from collaborative projects that you began with one of the faculty. Many students presented their thesis at conferences and some have even published their thesis. Here 以下是高年级学生最近完成的部分国课论文项目:

• Children’s Event Related Potentials and their Relationship with Computer Abilities.
• Acute Aluminum Toxicity in Advanced Aged Mice
• 铅暴露对八臂径向迷宫大鼠表现的影响及其可能性 Implications for ADHD in Humans.
• Anxiety and EEG: Using a Brain Atlas to Document Anxiety in the Temporal Lobes.
• 水杨酸钠对成年雄性家鼠性兴奋的影响.
• The Effects of Anandamide on the Ultrasonic Vocalizations of 10 Day-old Infant Mice.
• 药物对注意缺陷障碍个体ERP特征的影响.
• The Effects of Prenatal Cocaine on Physical and Social Development of Infant Mice.
• 抗氧化剂对兴奋毒素诱导的脑损伤恢复的影响:海马 Lesions and Spatial Learning in Mice.

The answer is absolutely yes!

While the concentration requires careful planning and course sequencing, there is ample opportunity to complete all the course requirement for graduation and for the BN concentration in four years. Some students take summer courses to accelerate their 通过专业进步或允许他们在选课期间有更大的灵活性 the regular school year. To insure that you are on track you should consult with your 在春季学期之前的某个时间与教师BN顾问进行交流 of your second year.

本科专业是由心理学系提供的，所以你必须主修 in psychology to obtain the B.S. in BN. However, if you decide to major in another discipline, you may still enroll in BN courses. In fact, just as we encourage students 在BN浓度样本从广泛的选择课程选修课，我们鼓励 other majors to sample from the BN courses.

Yes.

Students in the concentration are encouraged to spend at least one summer either in an internship or conducting research. There is a small summer research program at WC and similar opportunities for our students at other institutions are available. 这些机会通常竞争非常激烈，但回报也可能非常丰厚. 在过去的三年中，学生获得了暑期实习和/或研究 国家心理健康研究所(NIMH)的职位 美国药物滥用研究中心(NIDA)、马里兰大学和南卡罗来纳大学的研究人员.

心理学系的三名教员教授大部分所需的心理学 courses in the BN concentration. These faculty are Dr. Gibson (BN Advisor), Dr. Weil, and Dr. Kochli. You can learn more about them and more about their research interests by visiting the faculty page.

Plenty!

Clinical Neuropsychology, Medicine, Pharmacology, Animal Science & Veterinary Science, Neuroscience, and many others.

Careers in most of the fields listed above require a post-graduate (M.S., Ph.D., Psy.D., or M.D.) degree. However, many many entry level positions in medical and or pharmaceutical research are available to individuals with a B.S. degree. With your liberal arts background you may also be interested in a career as a science journalist!

Follow these links to learn more about the field of neuroscience:

• Neuroscience on the Internet
• Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN)
• Society for Neuroscience

Follow this link for more information about WC and the admission process.

Students need to have an understanding of basic biological and chemical science in order to have greater context for evaluating psychological phenomena. Students must take all of the following courses:

• BIO 111 and 112. General Biology
  An introduction to living systems. Topics studied include biomolecules, cell structure 功能，新陈代谢，遗传学，分子生物学，生命多样性，生理学 of plants and animals, evolution, and ecology. Lectures on selected topics will be 辅以基于问题的学习机会以及当前的讨论 events and selected papers from recent scientific literature. The laboratory complements 讲座并提供了实验的介绍和实验的交流 results. Students also conduct an independent research project. Opportunities to attend research presentations and visit outside research facilities are provided.
• CHE 120 and 140. Chemical Principles of Organic Molecules AND Reactions of Organic Molecules
  提供化学结构和反应性基本原理的基础 of organic molecules. Key topics in CHE 120 include atomic and molecular structure, 分子内和分子间力，有机官能团，热化学， acid/base equilibria, kinetics, and basic organic reaction mechanisms. Key topics 在ch140中包括有机分子的反应性，包括脂肪族和芳香族 hydrocarbons, their halogenated derivatives, and molecules containing heteroatoms such as oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, alone or those incorporated in biologically relevant molecules.

Students must complete the six core courses required for every psychology concentration. These courses cover an introduction to general psychological concepts, methodological practices in behavioral sciences, and evaluation of inferential statistics

• PSY 111 and 112. General Psychology
  对行为和思想的科学研究的介绍，包括所有方面 of human experience. Topics include the anatomical and functional organization of the nervous system, consciousness, learning, memory, development, emotion, social interactions, psychopathology, and society and culture. This course surveys the methods and major findings of the various fields of psychology. PSY 111 introduces the student 心理学的认知，神经学和生物学方面 basic research methodologies. PSY 112 covers the clinical/counseling, developmental, personality, and social aspects of psychology.
• PSY 209. Statistics and Research Design I
  Consideration of sampling theory, the design of experiments, and the analysis and 数据的呈现强调相关性、t检验、卡方检验和分析 of variance. A significant portion of the course is devoted to instruction in SPSS, a computer based statistical package.
• PSY 309. Statistics and Research Design II
  A survey of appropriate research designs employed in psychological research. Emphasis 是否会对推理统计如回归、方差分析等进行适当的分析 a priori and post hoc test of significance. 
• PSY 399. Junior Seminar
  这需要2学分的课程，通常在大三的第二学期完成 year, teaches foundational skills essential to psychology as a professions, such as ethics certification, writing in the discipline, and proposal development. By taking this seminar, students will have the opportunity to clarify achievement goals and develop academic and career plans.
• PSY SCE. Psychology Senior Capstone Experience
  Students majoring in psychology satisfy degree requirements by completing either an empirical research project or a theoretical review paper. 

Students must complete both of the following laboratory courses:

• PSY 210. Biopsychology
  An in-depth study of the chemistry and pharmacology of the nervous system. Laboratory 练习将强调在药理学研究中使用实验动物模型. 药物对中枢神经系统和外周神经系统的作用 nervous system will be explored. Laboratory exercises emphasize the use of behavioral measures used by pharmaceutical researchers to assess dose effects, drug tolerance, withdrawal, and drug interactions. 
• PSY 410. Neuroscience Research Methods
  本课程推荐给准备神经科学研究生学习的学生 or medicine and combines seminar and lab work. The topics discussed in the seminar vary from year to year (e.g., Psychopharmacology of Mood Disorders, Animal Models of Mental Illness, Traumatic Brain Injury, Cognitive & Neurological Assessment) and may be repeated with permission of the concentration advisor. During the final portion of the course, students design and conduct a pilot research project. The project should be a means for the student to hone skills (e.g., perfect a specific surgical procedure) or apply specific research techniques (e.g., neural tract-tracing, histochemistry, clinical neurological assessment, animal behavioral assessments, or topographic EEG mapping) available to students in the department laboratories for his or her senior thesis project.

Students must complete three of the following courses:

• PSY 305. Psychopharmacology
  An in-depth study of the chemistry and pharmacology of the nervous system. Laboratory 练习将强调在药理学研究中使用实验动物模型. 药物对中枢神经系统和外周神经系统的作用 nervous system will be explored. Laboratory exercises emphasize the use of behavioral measures used by pharmaceutical researchers to assess dose effects, drug tolerance, withdrawal, and drug interactions.
• PSY310: Human Neuropsychology
  这门神经科学研究方法课程是基于行为神经学的结合 theory and clinical practice. Brain-behavior relationships in humans and the rehabilitation process involved in recovery of function are covered. In addition to learning about 中风，肿瘤，创伤性脑损伤和其他神经系统疾病，学生 will become familiar with a variety of neuropsychological assessment techniques and apply them to a data-driven team research project.
• PSY313. Learning and Applied Behavior Analysis
  经典、操作和认知相关的理论和实证研究综述 aspects of learning. Emphasis in lectures and the laboratory will be on the use of 这些在应用行为分析学科中的理论贡献.
• PSY 319. Comparative Psychology
  一种研究行为的方法，包括在广泛的多样性中进行比较 among animal species and stresses the interaction between behavioral and cognitive adaptations and the demands of the environment. The emphasis in the lab will be on the methods and skills needed for quantification and analysis of behavioral data in naturalistic and laboratory settings.
• PSY 316. Cognitive Neuroscience
  Cognitive neuroscience investigates the biological bases of higher order cognition and complex human behavior. Topics include the methodologies of cognitive neuroscience 以及认知过程的神经基础，包括感知、注意力、 memory, language, and executive function. The laboratory portion will provide opportunities to demonstrate and experience cognitive and neural phenomena
• PSY 317. Sensation & Perception
  A survey of the methods by which humans detect and process external stimuli and the 从感官信息中产生有意义的感知的大脑通路. 特别关注感官生理学，知觉错觉和缺陷 in each sensory modality, including vision, audition, olfaction, taste, and touch. Laboratory demonstrations and simulations are intended to provide concrete examples and provide a mechanism for exploring each sensory modality.

Students must complete one of the following courses:

• PSY 202. Lifespan Developmental
  本课程将提供一个广泛的概述人类的成长和发展，从婴儿期 to old age. Changes in biological, cognitive, emotional, and social domains will be discussed at each period of the lifespan. Topics will include heredity, learning, emotional development, temperament, attachment, gender development, developmental disorders, peer relationships, families, and aging. Recent research and current issues will be highlighted.
• PSY 221. Social Psychology
  本课程探讨社会心理学的主要主题和理论，如社会心理学 感知，态度，利他行为，攻击性，吸引力，社会认知， as well as applied areas of social psychology and the legal system and the social psychology of health behavior. Special emphasis is placed on original research and recent developments in the field.
• PSY 233. Traditional Psychiatric Disorders
  Evaluation of the etiology of various forms of behavior disorders (anxiety, mood, substance abuse, psychotic), their symptoms, and treatment. These disorders will be considered in relation to clinical theories, research, and practice.
• PSY 234. Medical and Developmental Disorders
  评估的病因，症状，并在行为障碍的治疗 儿童/发育障碍和医学/器质性异常的广泛领域 behavior. Specific topics include disorders of personality, impulse-control, eating, sleep, sex, and neurocognition. Disorders will be considered in relation to clinical theories, research, and practice.
• PSY 333. Psychological Testing
  分析了各种心理学理论的构建、解释和应用 tests and measurement tools. Personality, intelligence, vocational, achievement, and aptitude tests will be evaluated.
• PSY 320. Health Psychology
  An examination of the psychological effects of health behavior, physical effects of psychological experiences, and theories of health behavior. Applies social psychological 对压力相关疾病、安慰剂效应、医患关系等话题的看法 interactions, dying, and the hospital environment. Additionally, covers theories and research on preventive health behavior; adherence to medical treatment; health lifestyles; substance use and abuse; and anxiety and depression in medical illness.