Year 1: Core Curriculum of the Neuroscience Cluster
Fall
- ANA 512. Cellular Neuroscience (6 credits)
- ANA 592. Neuroscience Journal Club (1 credit)
- NSC 503. Neuroscience Student Seminar (1 Credit)
- IND 501. Ethics In Research (1 Credit)
- NSC 590. Lab Rotation (variable credits)
- Elective courses (3-4 Credits)
Spring
- ANA 531. Integrative and Systems Neuroscience (6 credits)
- ANA 592. Neuroscience Journal Club (1 credit)
- NSC 503. Neuroscience Student Seminar (1 Credit)
- NSC 590. Lab Rotation (variable credits)
- Elective courses (3-4 Credits)
Summer
- NSC 590. Lab Rotation
Year 2: Neurobiology & Anatomy Graduate Program
Fall
- HSF-ANA 526. Human Structure and Function (Sept-Dec, 16 Credits)
or
- MBB-ANA 525. Mind, Brain and Behavior (Aug-Oct, 12 Credits)
- ANA 521. Graduate Journal Club (1 Credit) 1
- ANA 522. Graduate Seminar (1 Credit)
- Elective courses (0-4 credits, each)
- ANA 595. PhD Research (variabe credits)
Spring
- ANA 521. Graduate Journal Club (1 credit) 1
- ANA 522. Graduate Seminar (1 credit)
- Elective courses (2-4 credits, each)
- Biostatistics elective (3-4 credits) 2
- ANA 595. PhD Research (variable credits)
Students joining the NBA program must complete a minimum of 20 credits of coursework in year 2, as well as additional credits towards PhD research. Students taking MBB-ANA 525 should plan 0-4 elective credits, while those taking HSF-ANA 526 should plan no elective credits.
QUALIFYING EXAM (PART I), completed by no later than August 1st following the 4th semester of graduate school.
Year 3 & Beyond
Teaching requirement: In the Fall of Year 3, students choose a Teaching Assistantship (3 credits) in one of the courses listed below (typically linked to HSF or MBB):
- ANA 581. Teaching Tutorial in Human Structure and Function
- ANA 583. Teaching Tutorial in Neurobiology
Advanced students in NBA are expected to attend:
- ANA 522. Graduate Seminars (including a presentation of their work each year)
- ANA 521. Journal Club of choice 1
- NBA Seminar series during the year
QUALIFYING EXAM (PART II), completed no later than the end of the 5th semester of graduate school.
Other Requirements & Related Details
1 Journal Club (ANA 521) options in the NBA Graduate Program:
- Multisensory
- Motor control
- Neural precursors
- Signal transduction
- Neuroinflammation
- Cortical Circuitry
- NSC 592 Neuroscience Journal Club
(development of others is encouraged)
2 Statistics Requirement
All students must display proficiency in biostatistics. This requirement may be met by STT 463 Introduction to Biostatistics, BCS 510 Data Analysis, or equivalent. This is best completed in years 1 or 2, depending upon scheduling. In cases where students have completed statistics coursework previously, they may petition the NBA Graduate Education Committee for a waiver.
Qualifying Exam (Part I)
The Part 1 exam determines whether a student is qualified to pursue further studies toward completion of a PhD dissertation. Each student will select a committee of 3 faculty with expertise in the area of their research. Together, they will select at least 50 relevant papers to be read by the student during a ~2 month period. The student will formulate and submit exam questions to the Examination Committee based upon these readings. The Committee will select a subset of these questions, and supplement them with several of its own. For the exam, the student will compose written answers to these questions over a period of several days. (Must be completed no later than August 1st following the 4th semester of graduate studies)
Qualifying Exam (Part II): Thesis Proposal
Written (NIH pre-doc application format) as well as oral presentations, and a defense with the Thesis Committee (Must be completed by the end of the 5th semester of graduate studies).
PhD Dissertation and Defense
After the successful completion of the Part II Qualifying Exam and completion of the thesis research project, students submit a written dissertation of their work for review by the Thesis Committee. Students present their project in a lecture to the community, followed by a closed defense of their research with the Thesis Committee.
Thesis Advisor
Students are expected to select an advisor and laboratory for their PhD dissertation project by the end of October of year 2. The Thesis Advisor must be an appointee in NBA (primary or secondary). Collaborative efforts with faculty outside NBA are encouraged, and co-advisorships are possible with approval by the NBA Graduate Committee.
Thesis Committee
The student and their Thesis Advisor will assemble the committee by the end of year 2. In addition to the Thesis Advisor, three tenure-track faculty must be included, of which two must be NBA faculty and one outside the Department. The Committee will meet at least once per year and provide a written evaluation of the student's progress. An additional member from outside the University is encouraged to join the Committee for the thesis defense (requires special approval by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies).
MD-PhD Students
Students in the MD-PhD program (entering NBA after 2 years of medical school) complete a modified curriculum, as outlined separately (see Requirements for MD-PhD).