The brain is an important organ, one of the most complex and studied in the human body. There is perhaps a bit of bias, as it is your brain reading these words, but the study of neuroscience is popular and difficult for good reasons, with many students wanting to pursue it either in preparation for careers in research or as a launchpad to medical school and beyond.ÌýOne of the questions we get asked often is whether or not particular colleges have a specific neuroscience major. In this article, we’re going to review Top Fifty colleges which do offer distinct neuroscience majors, and how best you can prepare yourself to apply for a spot in these programs. These are quite popular, and therefore competitive. Not quite so much as computer science perhaps, but often in the most competitive majors to get into in a university. Let’s see what options are out there!
Neuroscience Majors at Top Fifty Colleges
Some colleges have a specialization in neuroscience within their broader biology program, but here we are only going through those schools which offer a discrete neuroscience major. We’re listing schools alphabetically, for ease of searching.
They offer a BS in neuroscience through their Department of Psychology; compared to the other degree tracks in the department it has a much higher focus on research and hands-on work, and has much broader prerequisites in the physical sciences. Students may apply for an honors program within the department in their junior year; this requires submitting a research project proposal.
BU offers an interdisciplinary major in neuroscience, hosted in their College of Arts and Sciences. This only offers BA degrees; students may choose an area within neuroscience they wish to specialize in. The program also offers a separate joint major with the Philosophy Department: neuroscience and philosophy. Students may earn honors in neuroscience by taking part in a yearlong research project guided by a faculty mentor; all students are encouraged to take part in research.
Brandeis has a set neuroscience department, with dedicated research labs for the program. The course of study is very flexible, with two required courses and a wide array of electives. Students wishing to graduate with honors must generally do two full years of research. It is possible to earn credit for neuroscience courses taken while studying abroad.
Technically, students at Brown do not need to major in anything. Those who wish, however, may select a course of study and earn a degree in it, and neuroscience is one of those options. You may choose between neuroscience and computational neuroscience; both of these have a research requirement. Students must do the equivalent of at least one semester of independent study or research. Students who want honors must present the results of their research.
Administered by the Department of Psychology, they offer an interdisciplinary degree shared by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science. Students in either of the two colleges may major in neuroscience, and students in another college may add neuroscience as a secondary major. Your home college changes your general education requirements.
Operated out of their Department of Psychology, with cooperation from the Biology Department, this major focuses on preparing students for advanced degrees. Students have required coursework in both biology and psychology as part of this major. There is an option to earn a dual degree with Trinity College in Dublin as part of this program. Research is encouraged, but not mandatory.
Dartmouth’s neuroscience major is offered by the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Students interested are encouraged to begin planning their course of study by the end of their first year. Students in the major must take part in a culminating experience; this can be research but does not have to be. Other options included advanced seminar work, though graduating with honors requires writing a research thesis.
Duke’s degree is offered through their joint Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. Students may earn either a BA or a BS in the field. The AB degree has one additional course required, but the BS requires all students complete research as part of their degree. There is a teaching lab attached to the department which students are encouraged to take advantage of.
This version is broader than some other neurology programs, and takes a more interdisciplinary approach to the subject. The major does not require research, but does encourage it. There are specific study abroad options within the major where you may take related coursework from partner universities over the summer. The course is offered through Emory; students coming in through Oxford will need to ensure they are on track to join the major.
Harvard doesn’t call its courses of study majors, but that doesn’t change what they are, and they have quite a good one in neuroscience. They offer three different tracks for students to pursue, and an option for students to graduate with honors. Students are encouraged to find a lab and pursue research on campus. Students in the major are required to complete an original thesis to graduate.
Based in their Biology Department, this major has particular focus on research, with an aim at preparing students for advanced degrees. All students enter Georgetown as biology majors; you may choose a different major within the department in your second year. Students may complete a capstone research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor in their senior year.
This event is hosted in the College of Arts and Sciences, but students also take courses from faculty within the College of Medicine, especially upper level and elective coursework. The program itself is explicitly designed to prepare students to prepare an advanced degree, and there are significant research opportunities provided to students through the program. Students may further specialize within the program.
MIT offers the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; neuroscience by any other name. This course of study has a broad base of programming and neurolinguistics as a core feature, far more of a focus on that than some other programs. You can complete a thesis as part of the program but do not have to; doing some coursework in research is required however.
Part of the College of Arts and Sciences, Neurology is its own department, though students will still take plenty of courses in biology. Students also choose an allied field, one which can be related to neuroscience, and must take advanced courses in this as well as part of their degree. The goal of this program is to prepare all students for advanced graduate degrees, including research access.
Princeton offers neuroscience as an interdisciplinary major, and have a specific center of study for it. Students in the major may take up to two neuroscience courses abroad; you don’t have to, but they do have specific options for this in their study abroad program. Students who are interested in this major must declare it by the end of their sophomore year.
Tulane offers an interdisciplinary neuroscience major through their College of Science and Engineering; it is among the most popular majors at the school, averaging 150 graduates per year. Tulane has an experiential learning requirement; all students must complete research or an internship for credit in order to graduate. Students who complete research may also complete an honors thesis.
The most popular major in the College of Biological Sciences (and the fifth most popular on campus) Davis’ neurobiology degree is a solid introduction to the science of neurology. Students must choose one of four tracks within the major, this influences which electives you can take and which subfield of neuroscience you will study. Undertaking research is encouraged but not required.
They offer a neurobiology major as a BS degree, it is part of its own department in the School of Biological Sciences. Only current biology majors may apply to join this program, and acceptance is not guaranteed; if you don’t get in, you stay as a biology major. There is an enrollment cap; if more students apply than there is room, decisions will be made on the basis of GPA. There is an additional honors program within the major itself which also has limited seats.
UCLA’s neuroscience program is an interdisciplinary major, emphasizing the multiple fields which come together to study the brain. This is specifically a capstone major; students must complete a research thesis, do extra research coursework, or engage in research outside of UCLA. Students may choose where they want to specialize within the field of neuroscience through their choice of electives.
UC San Diego is not quite as well regarded as Berkeley or UCLA, but it is still a remarkably good school, with serious academic offerings. Their neuroscience program is a specialization offered within their Cognitive Science degree. The major does not require you to complete research, though it is recommended. Some students with slightly different interests benefit from other specializations within the cognitive science program.
The neuroscience major at UChicago is interdisciplinary, with faculty drawn from biology, social science, and the physical sciences. You may earn either a BA or a BS in neuroscience. Computational neuroscience is only available as a minor. The primary difference between the BA and BS is that to graduate with a BS, students must complete original research and write a thesis on it. BA students are welcome to do this, but not required to.
Hosted by the College of Literature Science and Arts (LSA), the neuroscience major has a strong focus on biology. Students are encouraged to declare their major early, and may do so even if they haven’t completed all the prerequisite courses yet. Students may complete a research thesis; this is not required, but is mandatory for students looking to graduate with honors.
This is an interdisciplinary major offered by Penn, bringing together Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, and more, with students taking courses from experts in a variety of related fields. The program expressly encourages all students in the major to get involved with research. There isn’t an associated department for the program, but there is still a major specific advisor and coordinator.
Rochester offers one of the oldest neuroscience departments in the country, and students learn from faculty from both the college and the medical school. Students may earn either a BA or a BS degree in Brain Science, or a BS in Neuroscience. There are differences in which courses are required; both are encouraged to complete research, but neither are required to.
USC offers a neuroscience major through their college of Letters, Arts and Science. Students may earn either a BA or a BS in neuroscience, or a BS in computational neuroscience. The BS in neuroscience has more required core coursework, primarily in the physical sciences. There is an Honors Program available to students with a GPA of 3.5 or above; these students complete a research thesis as part of the program though all students are encouraged to complete research.
UT Austin’s neuroscience major is in the College of Natural Sciences, and is the most popular major within that college. Students have four degree options; these all have slightly different degree requirements, but offer the same fundamental introduction to the field. There are departmental specific honors which students can apply to join. There are multiple research labs associated with the department; students are encouraged to take part in research.
This is a relatively new interdisciplinary major offered through UVA’s College of Arts and Sciences, and is one of the fastest growing majors at the school. You may only declare the major as a UVA student in good standing, and must have taken and passed at least one prerequisite course for the major. Advanced students with an interest in research are encouraged to apply to the Distinguished Major Program during their junior year.
This is an interdisciplinary major where students take courses in a number of departments across the school, hosted in the College of Arts & Sciences. The major requires at least two research credits in neuroscience. There is no bar to register as a neuroscience major, and it is specifically designed to fulfill the premed course requirements.
They offer both a BA and a BS degree in the field, which are hosted in their own department. The difference between the two is the BA requiring elective coursework in neuroscience and the humanities, while the BS requires elective coursework in the biological sciences. Both have the same core classes, and access to the same electives. Honors is available in both degrees to students with a GPA of 3.3+ who complete an honors thesis.
WashU offers a BS through their College of Arts and Sciences. Students may attempt to join this major no sooner than their sophomore year; this requires a one-page statement and a minimum GPA of at least 2.0; there are also prerequisite courses you must take before beginning the major. An honors program is open to students with a GPA of at least 3.65 who complete an honors thesis.
This is a BS degree offered through their College of Arts & Sciences. The program focuses on preparing students for advanced studies; all students must take a research course in their senior year; students are encouraged to take part in additional research coursework and outside of course involvement. Study abroad is possible, but requires careful planning and does not generally contribute to major requirements.
Neuroscience at Yale is a standalone independent major offered jointly by the Departments of Biology and Psychology. You may earn either a BA or a BS in neuroscience. Both the BA and the BS degrees require students to complete research as a senior capstone; BA degrees in psychological research and BS degrees in biological research, both of course with a focus on neuroscience.
Top Fifty Colleges Without a Set Neuroscience Major
Most colleges have one; it’s among the most popular fields of study for students. Most, however, isn’t the same as all. Here are the top fifty colleges which do not offer one of these majors:
- Cornell: While they offer it as a specialization within the Biology major, it is not a major in its own right.
- Stanford: They offer a neurobiology concentration within their biology major, but there is no standalone program.
- Tufts: They offer a degree in cognitive and brain science, which is almost but not quite the same thing
- University of Florida: They offer neuroscience as a specialization within their psychology major, but no separate degree program for it.
Should You Major in Neuroscience?
Neuroscience is quite clearly a very popular major; almost all top fifty colleges offer some version of it, and it is often one of the most popular majors at these schools. Just because something is popular, however, doesn’t mean it is necessarily the right fit for you and your needs. There are certain careers which benefit highly from a neuroscience degree, while others can, but do not need it. We’ll go through these, to help you understand if neuroscience fits your academic plan.
Neuroscience for Premeds
Students interested in medical school make up a significant fraction of all undergrads who major in neuroscience. This is reflected in many of the programs; most neuroscience majors offer easy access to research for students (which medical schools want to see), and a good number have explicit options for premeds to make sure they complete all required coursework; coursework which often aligns quite well with the requirements of neuroscience.
You do not need to major in neuroscience if you want to go to medical school. Indeed, you don’t even need to major in biology. If you are interested in specializing in something brain-related within medicine then it can be a good foundation, and it does align quite well with the course prerequisites for medical school. Due to the number of pre-meds in neuroscience majors, it can be more difficult to differentiate yourself, but it does offer many opportunities to shine.
Neuroscience for AI Research
There is a lot of interest in neuroscience research, both to better understand how the mind works natively, and for those trying to recreate it digitally, with AI companies increasingly looking to neuroscience to improve their machines. Students interested in this approach will do better to major in computational neuroscience, a field offered by some neuroscience departments (either as a separate major or as a specialization) which covers the math and computer science necessary for these investigations.
Preparing for a Neuroscience Major in High School
Neuroscience majors are very popular, and like all popular majors, are therefore quite competitive. Some colleges actually admit by major, others by college, but even schools which don’t want to admit a broad array of students; Harvard isn’t going to admit an entire freshman class who only wants to study neuroscience. Thus, in high school, you have two priorities:
- Getting a solid background in the necessary fields
- Differentiating yourself for admissions officers
The first step is taking the most advanced math and science coursework you can, and doing well in those courses. You don’t need to take any courses in neuroscience itself; doing well in calculus and biology is far better preparation for the work you will face in college. Taking psychology can be a good idea as well to establish interest, but your focus should be doing as well as you can in core science coursework.
Getting a solid academic background is the baseline; you need to have it to be considered, but having it isn’t enough on its own. The second step is to differentiate yourself somehow, to show your interest in biology and research and the field of neuroscience.
There are many potential ways to do it; here are some our students have done which worked well for them:
- Volunteering at a local hospital
- Doing an intensive summer research program with a college lab; there are many 6-8 week programs where you get to do hands-on lab research, great preparation for a research-intensive major
- Doing your own research projects
- Participating in science competitions, from science fairs to science olympiad
This is not a full list, nor is it prescriptive. You should find ways to get yourself involved in science and research that match your strengths. These are not going to get you admitted automatically, but they will help your application stand out, and showcase your genuine interest in and passion for the field.
Final Thoughts
It makes sense why neuroscience is such a popular major, and why so many top colleges offer students a way to study it. We hope that this article has helped you understand some of the nuances of what different schools offer with their majors, and which may be most suitable to your interests and goals.
If you are looking for help finding the perfect program to match your interests, or preparing to apply to college as a neuroscience major, then ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø can help. Our mentors have a long experience helping students find the right collegiate fit for them; schedule a free consultation with us today to learn more. We’re always happy to hear from you.
