Program Overview

Introduction to the Neuroscience Graduate Program

The Interdepartmental Ph.D Program in Neuroscience at UC Riverside is aimed at providing high-quality graduate training for students who come from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds but share a commitment and an intense interest in nervous system research.

Program Director's Welcome

Welcome to the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of California, Riverside. Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary approach to understanding nervous systems at levels ranging from the molecular and cellular to the behavioral and cognitive. The program aims to provide high-quality graduate training for students who come from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds but share an intense interest in nervous system research. Our goal is to prepare students for high-impact careers in research and teaching, as well as in scientific administration.

Graduate Curriculum

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary approach to understanding nervous systems at levels ranging from the molecular and cellular to the whole organism. The goal of this Program is to prepare students for careers in research, teaching, and/or scientific administration. Students are expected to learn the fundamentals of Neuroscience, starting with a required core sequence, become knowledgeable in a range of research methods as taught in immersive 5-10 week long research rotations, and demonstrate capability in original research.

Research Areas

• Molecular, Cell, and Systems Neuroscience
  • Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Developmental & Plasticity
  • Medical Neuroscience
  • Systems Neuroscience & Behavior

Program Structure

A major part of training in Neuroscience is in supervised laboratory research, the student working with one or more of the Neuroscience faculty.

News and Events

Recent studies and events include:

• How brain myelin damage could lead to seizures in MS
• How a common brain parasite disrupts neural communication
• Brain Awareness Day draws hundreds of visitors to campus

Program Information

The program is housed in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, with the program office located in Bachelor Hall. The program is part of the broader academic offerings of the University of California, Riverside, which includes the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience.