Program Overview

Introduction to the Neuroscience Major

The scientific study of the brain requires the skills of many different disciplines. Thus, this major is interdisciplinary and interdepartmental. The faculty are biologists, psychologists, biochemists, mathematicians, and engineers, all of whom share a fascination with the function of the brain. The brain is studied at many different levels, including the molecular and cellular levels, the level of systems of neurons, and the behavioral level.

Major Requirements

On April 7, 2009, the Undergraduate Council of the Academic Senate, Curriculum Committee certified the Neuroscience, B.S. as a capstone major. The Neuroscience capstone is a project-based culmination to the Neuroscience curriculum. In the Neuroscience major, the capstone requirement is satisfied by either participating in independent research under the guidance of a faculty mentor, through enrolling in a research laboratory course and an extra elective, or participating in neuroscience outreach via DOPA-Team or Project Brainstorm. Completion of one of these capstone options provides students with an in-depth exposure to neuroscience research and provides a culminating capstone experience for Neuroscience majors.

Preparation Coursework for the Major

The courses in BOLD must be completed before beginning the Neuroscience M101/102 core series or switching into the major.

• Life Sciences
  • Life Sciences 7A, 7B, 7C, 7L
• Mathematics
  • Choose one (1) Math series from the following:
    • Life Sciences 30A and 30B OR Mathematics 3A, 3B, 3C OR Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A
• Chemistry
  • Choose one (1) Chemistry series from the following:
    • Chemistry and Biochemistry 14A, 14B, 14BL, 14C, 14CL, 14D OR 20A, 20B, 20L, 30A, 30AL, 30B, 30BL
• Physics
  • Choose one (1) Physics series from the following:
    • Physics 5A, 5B, 5C OR 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL
• Statistics
  • Choose one (1) Statistics course from the following:
    • Statistics 10 OR Statistics 13 OR Life Sciences 40
  • Note: BIOSTAT 100 or PSYCH 100A may be substituted for STATS 10.

Important Notes for Major Preparation Coursework

• Each course must be passed with a grade of C- or higher.
• All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
• Students must complete the major preparation coursework with a minimum 2.0 GPA or better.
• All honors and enhanced variations (e.g., MATH 31AL, 31BH, 32AH, CHEM 14AE, 4BE & 20AH, 20BH, and PHYSICS 1AH, 1BH, 1CH) of a course listed above are also acceptable.
• Students who repeat more than two (2) preparation courses or any preparation course more than once are subject to dismissal from the major.
• As stated in UCLA Letters and Science regulations (UCLA General Catalog Repetition of Courses), students are limited to repeating the same course once.
• Students are encouraged to fulfill the major preparation coursework requirements prior to enrollment in upper division courses for the major.

Upper Division Major Requirements

The following ten (10) courses are required for the Neuroscience major, totaling to approximately 43 upper division units.

Required Core Courses

• Neuroscience M101A: Fall Quarter Only
  • Prerequisites: LIFESCI 7C, CHEM 14C/30A, PHYSICS 5C/1B
• Neuroscience M101B: Winter Quarter Only
  • Prerequisites: NEUROSC M101A with a grade of C- or better
• Neuroscience M101C: Spring Quarter Only
  • Prerequisites: NEUROSC M101A with a grade of C- or better
• Neuroscience 102: Fall Quarter or Summer
  • Prerequisite: LIFESCI 7C
  • Co-requisite: must be taken concurrently with NEUROSC M101A OR summer prior to taking NEUROSC M101A (when offered in summer)
• Chemistry and Biochemistry (CHEM) 153A
  • Prerequisites: CHEM 14D/30B

Major Electives

Complete one elective from each category.

Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience

• Disability Studies M139
• Music Industry M103
• Neuroscience M119L, CM123, 140, 142, M161, M170, C172, M176, C177, 178, 179, M187, 191A
• Physiological Science M106, CM123, C130, C144, 175, M176, M181
• Psychology 110, 112A, 112B, 112C, 112E, 118, 119A, 119B, 119C, 119D, 119E, 119F, 119I, 119J, M119L, 119M, M119O, 119P, 119R, 119S, 119U, M119X, 120A, 120B, 124A, 124B, 124C, 124D, 124K, 127B, 137A, M139, 161, 164, M166
• Psychiatry 174, 176, M182

Systems and Integrative Neuroscience

• Neuroscience M119N, CM123, M135, M145, C151, M176, C177, M187, 191B
• Physics C186
• Physiological Science M106, CM123, C126, C127, C130, M135, 138, C144, M145, 146, 147, 173, M176, 177, M181
• Psychology 112B, 112C, M117J, 119A, 119B, 119I, 119J, 119M, M119N, 119Q, 119S, M119X, 120B, 124C, 137A, 162, 164, M166

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Neuroscience

• Neuroscience M145, 150, C177, 180, 181, 182, 186, M187, 191C
• Physics C186
• Physiological Science M106, 121, C126, C127, M145, 146, 147, 174, 175, M181
• Psychology 119A, 162, M166

Important Notes for Major Electives

• Electives with an asterisk (*) are cross-listed in more than one elective category, but can only satisfy one elective category.
• Please refer to the Class Notes when enrolling in any elective, as they will often include important information regarding enrollment.
• For Psychology electives, Neuroscience majors/minors are not held to completing prerequisites such as PSYCH 10, 100A, or 115.
• NEURBIO M169 can be taken as an elective for the lab methods capstone option.
• If any of the electives listed above are not correctly populating on your DARS, please email to have the course manually substituted.
• If a student is interested in taking a course that is not on the approved list of electives to satisfy a major elective requirement, they must undergo a course petition process.

Major Capstone

Please review the major capstone requirement.

Important Notes for Major Requirements

• All upper division major requirements must be taken for a letter grade, and a minimum 2.0 GPA or better must be maintained.
• No more than 8 courses total may be from any one department.
• PSYCH 115 and PHYSCI 111A cannot be substituted for NEUROSC M101A.
• A student will receive 0 credit units if PSYCH 115 is taken AFTER completing NEUROSC M101A.
• A maximum of 8 units of NEUROSC 198 or 199 may be applied toward the major.
• If a course is multiple-listed, the section of the course you are enrolled in will be the course listing on your record.
• Students in the Neuroscience major will need to complete approximately 17 additional upper division units outside of the upper division major requirements in order to reach the 60 upper division unit minimum required by the UCLA College of Letters and Science.