1!
What is neuroscience?
Neuroscience!is!the!scientific!study!of!the!nervous!system!and!its!involvement!in!mental!processes!
and!behavior.!!Neuroscience!is!an!interdisciplinary!field!of!study!that!employs!the!methods,!
perspectives,!and!knowledge!base!of!biology,!psychology,!chemistry,!physics,!medicine,!and!other!
fields!to!gain!a!better!understanding!of!how!the!nervous!system!functions!and!controls!behavior.!!!
Why major in neuroscience?
Majoring!in!neuroscience!provides!interested!undergraduate!students!with!the!opportunity!to!
explore!a!fascinating!and!challenging!area!of!study!while!preparing!for!a!variety!of!career!options.!!In!
addition,!many!of!our!life!experiences,!from!the!need!to!wear!corrective!lenses!in!childhood!to!
memory!loss!in!old!age,!are!explored!as!part!of!the!neuroscience!curriculum.!
What career options exist for neuroscience majors?
Career!options!for!neuroscience!majors!include!biomedical!research,!health-care,!teaching,!
administration,!product!development!and!distribution,!government!service,!pharmaceutical!sales,!
and!other!areas.!!Many!neuroscience!majors!pursue!graduate!study!in!neuroscience,!psychology,!
neurophysiology,!neuropsychology,!neuropharmacology,!biotechnology,!and!related!areas.!!Other!
neuroscience!majors!enter!training!programs!for!medicine,!osteopathy,!clinical!psychology,!
physician’s!assistant,!nursing,!optometry,!physical!therapy,!and!healthcare!administration.!!Some!
individuals!with!unique!skills!(such!as!artistic!or!writing!ability)!or!interests!(legal!issues!related!to!
neuroscience!and!psychology)!may!pursue!non-traditional!career!options!such!as!medical!
illustration,!scientific!writing!for!the!general!public,!law,!or!public!policy.!!Yet!others!will!enter!
positions!where!a!strong!liberal!arts!emphasis!at!the!undergraduate!level!is!more!important!than!the!
specific!major!and!where!advanced!education!and!training!is!not!necessary!(e.g.!direct!care!provider!
for!children!with!autism).!
The!types!of!career!placements!include!academia!(research,!teaching,!and/or!administration!in!a!
college!or!university),!health!professions!(psychology,!medicine,!osteopathy,!physical!therapy,!etc),!
corporate!institutions!(research,!administration,!and!product!development!or!sales),!and!nonprofit!
institutions!(research,!administration,!service,!federal!and!state!government,!government-sponsored!
programs,!public!relations,!and!fund-raising).!!!
What degree is necessary for the different types of careers?
Professor!at!a!college!or!university:!!Ph.D.!(Doctor!of!Philosophy)!
Professional!services:!!M.D.!(Doctor!of!Medicine),!D.O.!(Doctor!of!Osteopathy),!O.D.!(Doctor!of!
Optometry),!Ph.D.!
Research!scientist:!!Ph.D.!or!professional!degree!
NEUROSCIENCE ADVISEMENT GUIDE
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCH
OLOGY AND
NEUROSCIENCE (Catalog Year: 2022-2023)
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Is the neuroscience major appropriate for those who want to enter the healthcare field?
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What do researchers in neuroscience do?
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What is the training to be a neuroscientist?
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Are there research opportunities available for undergraduates?
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What is the neuroscience community like at Baylor University?
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4!
What is the “Pre-Neuroscience” designation? How do I become a Neuroscience major?
Pre-Neuroscience (B.S. Degree)
All!students!are!admitted!as!“Pre-Neuroscience!majors.”!Students!are!automatically!promoted!to!
neuroscience!majors!when!they!have!completed!the!following!requirements.!
Students!enrolling!at!Baylor!as!freshmen:!
A. Completed!the!following!PSY/NSC!courses:
1. Grade of C or better in NSC!1101!(Students!who!complete!another!New
Student!Experience!course can!substitute!that!course!for!NSC!1101.)
2. Grade of C or better in NSC 1106, PSY!1305 and MTH 1321
B. Earned!a!B!or!better!in!NSC!1306.!With!permission!of!the!chair!or!chair’s!designate,
followed!by!Dean’s!approval,!students!who!fail!to!earn!a!B!may!repeat!the!course
one time.
C. Have!a!minimum!overall!GPA!of!2.75!in!no!fewer!than!40!hours!attempted!at!Baylor
University.
1. Students transferring from another institution may select Pre-NSC as a major.
Transfer students must complete the above requirements within their first 30 hours
attempted at Baylor University. Application for a Change of Major should be made
with the student’s academic advisor
2. Students transferring from another major at Baylor cannot select Pre-NSC as a
major. Rather, students desiring to change their major to BS NSC must have
completed requirements listed in “A” above, must have an overall GPA of 3.30, and
must do so
before 45 hours are attempted at Baylor University. Upon successful
application, such students will be admitted directly to the BS NSC major.
Application for a Change of Major should be made through the student’s academic
advisor
Students failing to meet the promotion criteria cannot continue in the major7!H'%!:*44!
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All students will be evaluated at the conclusion of the summer, fall, or spring term in which 40
hours is surpassed. Students failing to meet these requirements for promotion at that time will be
ineligible to continue in the BS NSC major.
Transferring to BS NSC
5!
What are the Neuroscience Degree Requirements?
Thirty-two!semester!hours!including!the!following:!
A. NSC!1306-1106!(Introduction!to!Neuroscience!and!Lab)!and!2306!(Research
Methods!in!Neuroscience).
B. Eight!hours!from!the!following:
NSC!3311-3111!(Cognition!and!Lab)
NSC!3320-3120!(Learning!and!Behavior!and!Lab)
NSC!3323-3123!(Sensation!and!Perception!and!Lab)
C. Six!hours!from!the!following:
NSC!3311!(Cognition)
NSC!3320!(Learning!and!Behavior)
NSC!3323!(Sensation!and!Perception)
NSC!3370!(Affective!Neuroscience)
NSC!3375!(Sleep)
NSC!4312!(Behavioral!Medicine)
NSC!4317!(Neuroscience!Literature)
NSC!4371!(Advanced!Research!in!Neuroscience)
NSC!4V96!(Special!Topics!in!Neuroscience).
NOTE:!Course!cannot!count!for!both!B!and!C!requirements.!Only!3!hours!of 4V96
may count toward the 6 required in this category.
D. Advanced!Neuroscience!(11!hours):
NSC!4319-4119!(Clinical!Neuroscience!and!Lab)
NSC!4330-4130!(Advanced!Principles!of!Neural!Science!and!Lab)
NSC!4356!(Neuropharmacology).
E. A!grade!of!“C”!or!better!is!required!in!all!psychology!and/or!neuroscience
courses used!for!the!major.
F. Students!are!strongly!encouraged!to!enroll!in!NSC!1101!(New!Student
Experience) during!their!first!semester!on!campus.
Required!courses!in!other!fields:!A!grade!of!“C”!or!better!is!required!in!each!course.!
A. PSY!1305!(Psychological!Science)!and!4400!(Advanced!Statistics!I)
B. BIO!1305-1105!and!1306-1106!(Modern!Concepts!in!Biosciences!I!and!II!and!
Lab)
C. CHE!1301-1101!and!1302-1102!(Basic!Principles!in!Modern!Chemistry!I!and!II!
and Lab)
D. MTH!1321!(Calculus!I)
E. STA!2381!(Introduction!to!Statistical!Methods)
F. PHY!1408!and!1409!(General!Physics!for!Natural!Behavioral!Sciences!I!and!II);!or
1420!and!1430!(General!Physics!I!and!II;!requires!Calculus!II!{MTH!1322})
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What about the requirement for advanced hours?
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What are the additional requirements specified by the University in order to graduate?
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Where do I go for advisement?
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4. Pre-health students who are majoring in Neuroscience should pursue additional
advisement from the Pre-health advising office located in the Baylor University
Science Bldg., Room B.111 (710-3659)
7!
Are there any special recommendations about completing the requirements for the
major?
Yes.!Here!are!some!specific!suggestions:!!
1. Introduction!to!Psychology!(PSY!1305)!and!Introduction!to!Neuroscience!(NSC!1306
and!1106)!should!be!taken!very!early,!preferably!in!your!freshman!year.
2. You!should!take!Research!Methods!(NSC!2306)!in!your!sophomore!year.
3. Introduction!to!Neuroscience!(NSC!1306/1106)!is!the!prerequisite!for!most!upper-
level!neuroscience!courses,!along!with!Calculus!(MTH!1321).
4. Plan!your!schedule!carefully!so!that!you!are!not!overburdened!with!too!many
laboratory!courses!in!the!same!semester.!The!Advanced!Neuroscience!hours!(NSC
4319-4119,!4330-4130,!and!4356)!are!some!of!the!most!challenging,!so!be!sure!to
plan!accordingly.!Advanced!Principles!of!Neural!Science!and!Lab!(4330-4130)
serves as!a!capstone!course!for!the!major;!you’ll!want!to!take!it!as!a!senior.
5. As!a!junior!and!a!senior,!it!is!better!to!arrange!your!course!schedule!around
neuroscience!courses!as!it!usually!easier!to!find!available!courses!and!sections
outside!of!neuroscience.!Pre-med!students!also!need!to!consider!scheduling!of
advanced!science!courses!(such!as!Organic!Chemistry),!which!may!have!fewer
sections!available.
6. Seek!Academic!Advisement!every!semester.!Watch!for!advising!or!other!types!of
registration!“Holds”.!You!will!not!be!allowed!to!register!until!you!remove!all!Holds.
7. Register!as!soon!as!you!are!able.!Your!registration!time!and!date!will!be!posted!on
BearWeb!a!few!weeks!before!registration!begins.!If!you!wait!to!register,!the
neuroscience!classes!you!need!might!already!be!filled.!Have!a!plan,!and!have!a
backup!plan.
8. To!gain!admittance!into!a!closed!class,!you!should!get!on!the!electronic!waitlist.!!If
you!are!graduating!senior,!you!may!contact!the!Neuroscience!Department!or!Dr.
Malavanti!to!discuss!your!options.!Although!the!catalog!says!you!may!get!consent!of
the instructor!for!prerequisite!waivers,!those!decisions!are!made!only!by!the
department!chair!or!a!designee!of!the!chair.
What are the procedures for admittance into a closed class?
The!student!must!register!for!the!course!in!BearWeb!and!the!system!will!automatically!put!them!
on!the!electronic!waitlist.!Once!a!student!is!on!this!list,!the!system!will!notify!the!student!by!
Baylor email!if!a!spot!is!open!for!the!course.!The student has exactly 24 hours from the time the
email is sent in which to register for the course.!If!the!student!does!not!register!for!the!course!in!
that!exact!24-hour!time!frame,!their!name!will!be!dropped!from!the!electronic!waiting!list!and!
the!next person!on!the!list!will!be!notified!through!their!Baylor!email.!It!is!important!for!the!
student!to consistently!check!their!Baylor!email!daily!to!see!if!they!have!been!notified!of!an!
opening!in!a course!that!they!are!waitlisted.!If!they!have!been!notified!and!missed!the!24-hour!
window,!the student!must!get!back!on!the!waitlist.
8!
How!do!I!make!sure!I!have!all!the!courses!I!need!to!graduate?!
The!degree!plan!is!how!the!university!determines!your!eligibility!for!graduation.!Therefore,!you!
should!get!a!copy!of!your!degree!audit!every!semester!(you!can!access!it!on!BearWeb!24/7/365)!
to!make!sure!you!are!meeting!all!your!necessary!requirements!for!graduation.!Information!about!
preparing!for!graduation!and!filing!a!graduation!card!are!available!through!the!University’s!
website.!In!addition,!you!should!make!an!appointment!each!semester!with!the!academic!advisor!
for!your!degree!programs!(Neuroscience!Department,!Honors!College,!BIC,!and/or!Pre-Health).!
Ask!questions.!Check!BearWeb!to!determine!who!is!designated!as!your!academic!advisor.!
Ultimately!the!responsibility!to!ensure!you!have!the!completed!all!your!requirements!rests!on!
you,!not!your!advising!team.!!
Fall Spring
_____ 0 Core: Common Course (Chapel) _____ 0 Core: Common Course (Chapel)
_____ 0 Core: Common Requirement (Creative Arts ) _____ 0 Core: Common Requirement (Creative Arts )
_____ 3 Core: Common Course _____ 3 Core: Common Course
_____ 3-4 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t (* * Foreign Language) _____ 3-4 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t (* * Foreign Language)
_____ 3 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t Cours e _____ 1 Core: Lif et ime Fitness
_____ 3-4
Major (required courses in other fields) _____ 3-4 Major (required courses in other fields)
_____ 3-4 Major Course _____ 3-4 Major Course
Total: 15-18 Total: 13-16
Fall Spring
_____ 0 Core: Common Requirement (Creative Arts ) _____ 0 Core: Common Requirement (Creative Arts )
_____ 3 Core: Common Course _____ 3 Core: Common Course
_____ 3-4 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t (* * Foreign Language) _____ 3 Core: Common Course
_____ 3 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t Cours e _____ 3-4
Major (required courses in other fields)
_____ 3-4
Major (required courses in other fields) _____ 3-4 Major Course
_____ 3-4 Major Course _____ 3-4 Major Course
Total: 15-18 Total: 15-18
Fall Spring
_____ 0 Core: Common Requirement (Creative Arts ) _____ 0 Core: Common Requirement (Creative Arts )
_____ 3 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t Cours e _____ 3 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t Cours e
_____ 3
Major (required courses in other fields) _____ 3 Major (required courses in other fields)
_____ 3-4
Major (required courses in other fields) _____ 3-4 Major (required courses in other fields)
_____ 3-4 Major Course _____ 3-4 Major Course
_____ 3-4 Major Course _____ 3-4 Major Course
Total: 15-18 Total: 15-18
Fall Spring
_____ 3-4 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t Cours e _____ 3-4 Core: Dis t ribution Lis t Cours e
_____ 3-4 Major Course _____ 3-4 Major Course
_____ 3 Major Course _____ 3 Major Course
_____ 3 Elective (see below) _____ 3 Elective (see below)
_____ 3 Elective (see below) _____ 3 Elective (see below)
Total: 15-17 Total: 15-17
− This is a Degree Requirement Guide. It provides a general understanding of how the courses that
fulfill a BS degree may be taken during your time at Baylor. Because every major under the BS
degree will differ, it is important that you refer to your degree audit and catalog for the specific
requirements for your chosen major. In addition, it is imperative that you meet with your assigned
advisor each semester to make sure you are fulfilling all requirements for a timely graduation.
All students must graduate with a minimum of 124 hours, 36 of which must be at the 3000-4000 level.
Degree Requirement Guide - Bachelor of Science
A Suggested Sequence of Required Courses - BS Degrees 2022-2023
F r e s h m a n Y e a r
J u n i o r Y e a r
S o p h o m o r e Y e a r
S e n i o r Y e a r
All students must gr aduate wi th a mi ni mum of 124 hour s,
36 of which must be at the 3000/4000 level.
− Major (required courses in other fields): These are courses that are required for your major, but are not in your
major department. For example, the Biology major will require that you take courses in other areas such as
Chemistry, Math and Physics. The number of courses required in this area will vary depending on your chosen
major. Please refer to your degree audit or catalog for a full listing of courses. Please see your assigned advisor
for a more detailed explanation.
Notes about major requirements:
− Core - Common Course: These are common courses that are part of the general education requirements
for all College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) degrees. All students in A&S must fulfill these requirements.
Those areas within the Core that may require multiple semesters are indicated above. The 1000-level Core
courses should be taken in the freshman or sophomore years and 2000-level Core courses should typically
be taken in the sophomore year or later. Please refer to your degree audit or catalog for a full listing of courses.
Please see your assigned advisor for a more detailed explanation.
− *Core - Creative Arts Experience (CAE): You must attend 12 approved CAE events as part of your
general education requirements. You are encouraged to attend at least 2 approved CAE events per semester
(or 4 within one academic year) in order to fulfill this requirement in a timely manner. Please see your assigned
advisor for more information.
− **Core - Foreign Language: The hours to complete your foreign language requirement may differ depending
on which of the three options you choose from the DL or if you test into a higher level of language from the
beginning. The hours could range from 8-12 hours. Please see your assigned advisor for more information.
− Core - Distribution Lists (DL): This portion of the A&S Core curriculum includes 9 separate
sections with over 200 courses from which to choose. You must complete the specific requirements
of each section. Those areas within the DLs that may require multiple semesters are indicated above.
Please refer to your degree audit or catalog for a full listing of courses. Please see your assigned advisor for a
more detailed explanation. NOTE: Three of the DL sections (Scienctific Method I, II, and Critical Thinking)
are covered by science classes from most BS majors. Please see your advisor to discuss if this will apply to
your chosen major.
− Elective: Because the number of electives that are available with most BS majors can vary significantly, you
will want to discuss the possibility of adding a double major, secondary major, minor(s) or certificate(s) with
your assigned advisor. Otherwise, these elective hours can be any 1000-4000 level course for which you
qualify to register. Please refer to your catalog for a full listing of classes. Please see your assigned advisor
for a more detailed explanation.
− Major Course: These are the courses that are required for your major. Refer to the catalog or
your degree audit for the exact number of hours required for your chosen major(s). The hours for each major
will vary slightly. It will be critical that you work with your assigned academic advisor to understand the
sequencing of these major courses.
