Why study Neuroscience : Neurobiology?

Neuroscience, the study of the brain and nervous system, is one of the most exciting and rapidly growing areas of science. Exploring knowledge of the brain and behavior offers a window into understanding human nature and our society. It is explicitly interdisciplinary, spanning a wide range of research topics and methods aimed at understanding basic nervous system function and causes of brain and nervous system diseases.

Career Possibilities

Graduates with a BS in neuroscience from the UC College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) are prepared for a wide range of career options and unlimited opportunities for graduate study. They include:

• Medicine
• Academic research
• Pharmaceutical or biotech research
• Clinical psychology
• Psychology research
• Academic science education
• Developing therapeutics or prosthetics for the brain and nervous system
• Scientific writing
• Law, economics or business with a neuroscience perspective

Major Maps

• Guide: Neuroscience (BS) Neurobiology Curriculum

UC Advantages and Special Opportunities

Students in the UC College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-intensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities. UC's urban, Tristate location offers exciting opportunities for global education, research and service learning, while its student-centered focus includes an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, a nationally recognized Center for Exploratory Studies and a highly successful First Year Experience program that teaches critical skills for first-year students and provides connections with important campus resources.

Special Programs

Undergraduate Research
Neuroscience is a major area of research strength and academic excellence at the University of Cincinnati. Many of our neuroscience faculty are world-recognized bench researchers in cognitive/computational neuroscience, developmental neurobiology, functional brain imaging, motivation and reward, neuroendocrinology, neuroplasticity and regeneration, sensory physiology, and sensation and perception. The neuroscience community at UC also includes leading clinical researchers working on neurological and psychiatric disorders such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, substance abuse, bipolar disorder and obesity. There is research strength, as well, in animal behavior and its physiological mechanisms.

Undergraduate neuroscience research opportunities will be enhanced by the contributions of faculty on two campuses: the medical campus and the west (main) campus. Students will be able to choose from more applied clinically-oriented research to more basic scientific research. This combination provides opportunities not available to neuroscience majors at smaller colleges and universities, and often not capitalized on at larger research universities.

Interdisciplinary Capstone Project
The interdisciplinary core capstone project required of each student is unique in that it requires a collaboration of at least two of the program curricular tracks. The capstone involves a research project under the mentorship of two of the program's faculty whose research and teaching interests lie in different program tracks, or acceptable faculty and labs in other colleges or departments (e.g., the neuroscience graduate program, biomedical engineering). The program director and the laboratory and research experience coordinator will assist each student in finding appropriate mentors for his or her capstone project. The goal of the capstone experience for each student is a poster suitable for presentation at a scientific conference. Selected capstone posters will be posted around the neuroscience (or a related departmental) office.

Admission Requirements

Freshmen applicants, please visit the Admission Requirements page for more information.

Transferring to UC Requirements

Admission to A&S is generally available for any off-campus student who was admissible directly from high school and has cumulative 2.0 GPA and a 2.0 in the most recent institution.

Students who were not admissible directly from high school must have:

• 24 semester (36 quarter) hours earned
• at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a 2.0 at most recent institution
• successfully completed one semester of English composition or its equivalent
• successfully completed one semester of math with a grade of C- or higher that minimally meets on of the following:
  • Mathematical Literacy (MATH 0029)
  • Intermediate Algebra (MATH 0034)
  • Algebra for College (MATH 0039)
  • Students may also take the UC Math Placement exam, but must score an MPT of 420 or higher

University transfer scholarships are available to those who meet specific requirements and ANY admitted A&S transfer student might qualify for an A&S transfer scholarship. Deadlines and eligibility criteria are online via the previous links.

Changing Majors within UC Requirements

Admission to A&S is generally available for University of Cincinnati students enrolled in other colleges if they were admissible directly from high school, have a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a 2.0 in their most recent UC college.

Students who were not admissible directly from high school must have:

• at least a 2.0 GPA in all college-level courses (both at UC and at other institutions)
• successfully completed one semester of English composition or its equivalent
• successfully completed one semester of math with a grade of C- or higher that minimally meets on of the following:
  • Mathematical Literacy (MATH 0029)
  • Intermediate Algebra (MATH 0034)
  • Algebra for College (MATH 0039)
  • Students may also take the UC Math Placement exam, but must score an MPT of 420 or higher

Graduation Requirements

To graduate from the UC College of Arts and Sciences, students must:

• Earn at least 120 credits. This can include transfer credit, AP credit and free electives, but does not include preparatory coursework. Students who have met all other degree requirements must continue earning credit until the total number of their earned hours comes to at least 120.
• Attain a 2.0 grade point average for all courses taken at the University of Cincinnati.
• Be in good academic standing, that is, not on either academic probation or disciplinary probation or suspension.
• Complete the residency requirement by earning at least 30 credits after matriculating into the college.
• Complete all of the requirements of at least one major (see major requirements above).
• Complete the College Core Requirements.
• Submit an application for graduation to the registrar's office by their posted deadline.

Application Deadlines

While midyear admission is possible, fall semester is generally the best time to enter the college, since many course sequences begin in that semester. Applicants to the UC College of Arts and Sciences who are enrolled or who were previously enrolled as degree-seeking students in A&S or in other UC colleges should apply for admission directly to A&S (in French West, 2nd Floor). All other applicants who wish to earn an undergraduate degree from A&S should apply through the Office of Admissions (3rd Floor, University Pavilion).

Accreditation