Current Majors

Faculty

Contact Us

Link to Neuroscience Graduate Program

Link to Neuroscience Graduate Program Seminar Series

Link to Cognitive Sciences Program

Note for applicants Spring 2008: acceptance notices will go out week of 24th March

Objectives of the Major
Neuroscience is the multidisciplinary study of the nervous system. In addition to focusing on basic scientific problems related to psychology, biology, and chemistry, neuroscience also forms the fundamental basis of many medical specialties, including psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery. Increasingly, neuroscientists must be well trained in a variety of scientific disciplines to keep up with the rapid advances in the field. A successful neuroscientist must be trained in fields spanning from molecular neurobiology to cognitive neuroscience. The program in neuroscience at U.Va. is designed to provide majors with the necessary skills to master this highly-multidisciplinary scientific field.
The objectives of the major are:
1. To provide students with a structure for coursework that assures a solid grounding in natural science and an overall familiarity with neuroscience as a discipline.
2. To sponsor events that communicate neuroscience research and activities on grounds, as well as provide students with information on research careers. Such events include special lectures, symposiums and workshops on graduate school and career options.
3. To foster active participation by undergraduate students in Neuroscience Graduate Program laboratories across the grounds by providing opportunities to conduct research in neuroscience laboratories in the College and in the School of Medicine.
Students
The major is designed for students with a strong interest in the biology of the nervous system and a desire to conduct original research with U.Va. neuroscientists (e.g., future graduate and combined MD/Ph.D. students). It is not meant for pre-professional students that have no (or little) interest in research; they would be better served by participating in activities that enhance their chances in getting into medical school. A maximum of 25 students will be selected for the program each year from a pool of applicants. Students will be chosen on the basis of prior academic performance and an essay explaining the student’s interest in neuroscience. The program will provide majors with a background for continued study in graduate and professional schools.