Neuroscience Major

The first-year Neuroscience major cohort will start in Fall 2024. Transfers into the Neuroscience major will not take place until 2025. Senior capstone courses will be offered for the first time during the 2027-2028 academic year. To avoid delaying graduation, current USF students are encouraged to add a Neuroscience minor.

The Neuroscience Major at the University of San Francisco trains students to apply a foundational knowledge of neuroscience to promote social justice, advocate for societal attitudes that embrace neurodiversity and ensure neurological and mental health equity. Students will be equipped to utilize their skills in a wide variety of career trajectories, from healthcare, technology, and public policy to graduate programs in neuroscience.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Discuss the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical approaches in Neuroscience
Investigate basic problems in neuroscience by applying empirical methods, including designing and implementing research protocols and critically evaluating and interpreting data
Examine neuroscientific content in the broader context of the whole person as an individual and member of society
Evaluate the complexity of sociocultural, neurodevelopmental, and neurological diversity, especially as it pertains to mental health and the conditions under which all humans can thrive.
Synthesize and communicate neuroscientific information effectively in a variety of formats

Major Requirements (60 units)

Required Foundational Courses (24 units)

NEUR 1XX - Introduction to Neuroscience I (includes Lab): Cells and Circuits
NEUR 1XX - Introduction to Neuroscience II (includes Lab): Brain Basis of Behavior
NEUR 1XX - Neurodiversity, Health Equity and Research Ethics (counts as Diversity Requirement)
NEUR 2XX - Data Analysis and Research Design for the Neurosciences I: From Bench to Brain Imaging
NEUR 2XX - Data Analysis and Research Design for the Neurosciences II: In the Field and Beyond
BIOL 115 - Human Physiology
BIOL 116 - Human Physiology Lab

Additional Foundational Course (4 units)

Students choose one additional foundation course from the following.

NEUR 1XX - Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
or
CHEM 111 - General Chemistry I
CHEM 112 - Laboratory
MATH 109 - Calculus & Analytic Geom I
or
PHIL 248 - Ethics of Technology
or
PHIL 251 - Mind, Freedom & Knowledge
or
PHYS 100 - Introductory Physics I
PHYS 100L - Laboratory
or
PHYS 110 - General Physics I
PHYS 110L - Laboratory

Breadth Courses (8 units)

NEUR 3XX - Cognitive Neuroscience
NEUR 3XX - Social and Affective Neuroscience
NEUR 3XX - Behavioral Neuroscience
NEUR 3XX - Computational Neuroscience
NEUR 3XX - Neuroscience-informed User Design
NEUR 3XX - Biological Neuroscience: Molecular, Pharmacological and Motor Systems

Community Engaged Learning Requirement (4 units, 100 hours)

NEUR 4XX - Neuroscience Practicum: Industry
NEUR 4XX - Neuroscience Practicum: Research
NEUR 4XX - Neuroscience Practicum: Public Policy, Legal or Ethical Issues

Electives (16 units)

Students choose from the following elective courses.

BSDS 100 - Intro to Data Science with R
CS 107 - Computing, Mobile Apps, & Web
CS 110 - Intro to Computer Science I
CS 283 - UX-Design for Non-Majors
ENGR 102 - Intro to Programming
MATH 110 - Calculus & Analytic Geom II
PHIL 204 - Philosophy of Science
PHIL 230 - Philosophy of Human Person
PSYC 319 - Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 326 - Learning and Memory
PSYC 351 - Human Neuropsychology
Additional Neuroscience Breadth courses may count as electives once the breadth requirement has been
met.

Capstone Requirement (4 units)

NEUR 4XX - Advanced Topics in Neuroscience
NEUR 4XX - Advanced Project in Neuroscience

Curricular Pathways in Neuroscience

Students in the Neuroscience Major have the option to emphasize coursework in Technology or Research.

The following courses are recommended for each pathway:

Research
	Fall	Spring
Year 1	NEUR 101: Introduction to Neuroscience I (Core B2) NEUR 1XX: Introduction to Philosophy of Mind (Core D1) BIOL 105/105L: General Biology I/Lab Written Communication I	NEUR 102: Introduction to Neuroscience II NEUR 103: Neurodiversity, Health Equity and Research Ethics (Cultural Diversity) Written Communication II (Core A2) Public Speaking (Core A1)
Year 2	NEUR 201: Data Analysis and Research Design for the Neurosciences I (Core B1) CHEM 111/112: General Chemistry I/Lab Language I Core	NEUR 202: Data Analysis and Research Design for the Neurosciences II BIOL 115/116: Human Physiology/Lab Language II Core
Year 3	NEUR 3XX: Biological Neuroscience: Molecular, Pharmacological and Motor Systems BSDS 100: Intro to Data Science with R Core Core	NEUR 3XX: Cognitive Neuroscience NEUR 3XX: Social and Affective Neuroscience Core
Year 4	NEUR 4XX: Neuroscience Practicum (CEL) NEUR 4XX: Advanced Topics in Neuroscience (Capstone) PSYC 351: Human Neuropsychology NEUR 5XX: Honors in Neuroscience I: Proposal Development	NEUR 5XX: Honors in Neuroscience II: Data Analysis and Scientific Report PHIL 204: Philosophy of Science

Technology
	Fall	Spring
Year 1	NEUR 101: Introduction to Neuroscience I (Core B2) NEUR 1XX: Introduction to Philosophy of Mind (Core D1 Written Communication I Core	NEUR 102: Introduction to Neuroscience II NEUR 103: Neurodiversity, Health Equity and Research Ethics (Cultural Diversity) Written Communication II (Core A2) Public Speaking (Core A1)
Year 2	NEUR 201: Data Analysis and Research Design for the Neurosciences I (Core B1) MATH 109: Calculus & Analytic Geometry I Language I Core	NEUR 202: Data Analysis and Research Design for the Neurosciences II BIOL 115/116 or BIOL 105/105L Language II Core
Year 3	NEUR 3XX: Computational Neuroscience BSDS 100: Intro to Data Science with R Core Core	NEUR 3XX: Neuroscience-informed User Design CS 110: Intro to Computer Science I
Year 4	NEUR 4XX: Neuroscience Practicum (CEL) PSYC 319: Cognitive Psychology	NEUR 4XX: Advanced Topics in Neuroscience (Capstone) Elective #4