Neuroscience Studies Minor

Neuroscience Studies Minor
There's an old rule in neuroscience that does not alter with age: use it or lose it. It is a very hopeful principle when applied to critical thought in the reading brain because it implies choice.
- Maryanne Wolf
Like the Neuroscience major at East Carolina University, the Neuroscience Studies minor is also unique to eastern North Carolina.

 

The Program
The Neuroscience Studies minor is an Interdisciplinary Studies program at ECU. The minor complements a variety of majors such as Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, and even those in the humanities and fine arts! You will learn about the field of Neuroscience, ultimately allowing you to apply your knowledge of the nervous system directly to a specific area of study, whether it is within a traditional STEM discipline, humanities, or fine arts. Thus, becoming a Neuroscience Studies minor will give you a competitive edge within your future career by empowering you to relate brain function to behavior and cognition.

  • The program strategically focuses on integrating Neuroscience with the liberal arts: Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Medicine.
  • You further acquire actual research experience through mentored research with participating faculty across 12 departments spanning the main campus, Allied Health Sciences, and Brody School of Medicine. This hands-on approach allows personal development of technical, analytical, and communication skills that are warranted in professional environments (higher education, primary education, health/medicine, government, and business).
  • Having a background in Neuroscience may enhance your career path in many areas of employment:
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Agriculture
    • Engineering
    • Computer Software and Hardware
    • Forensic Science
    • Psychology: Clinical, Counseling, Industrial/Organizational, Health, School
    • School Counseling
    • Optometry
    • Law and Law Enforcement
    • Pharmaceuticals
    • Pharmacy
    • Biotechnology
    • Medicine: General Medicine, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, Nursing
    • Speech Communications / Speech Pathology
    • Public Policy and Government
    • Occupational Health and Therapy
  • East Carolina University’s unique Neuroscience Studies minor exists to help you learn foundational neuroscience concepts and apply them to your major discipline. Let us know your goals and objectives – we are here to facilitate and steer you in the right direction!
Neuroscience Studies Minor Curriculum

This listing of courses is an abbreviated version. For the full listing, please download the current checksheet or refer to the current Undergraduate Catalog at the Registrar’s website.

  • Core: 20 semester hours
    • BIOL 1100 Principles of Biology I
    • BIOL 1101 Principles of Biology Laboratory I
    • CHEM 1160 General Chemistry II
    • CHEM 1161 General Chemistry Laboratory II
    • NEUR 4900 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience*
      • *Substituted with PSYC 4250 Advanced Topics: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
    • NEUR 4901 Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience
    • PSYC 1000 Introductory Psychology or PSYC 1060 – Honors Introduction to Psychology
    • PSYC 3310 Introduction to Neuroscience
  • Neuroscience Research Course*: 2-3 semester hours (choose one)
    • NEUR 2201 Neuroscience Research**
    • PSYC 4312 Laboratory Methods in Behavioral Neuroscience
    • PSYC 4315 Neuroscience: Literature and Laboratory Experience**
      • *Refer to FAQs page or the box below in locating a research mentor
      • Although the minor requires one research course, students are advised to continue carrying out research with their research mentor for as long as they stay at ECU. Thus, several research course options are available and some are repeatable (**) to a certain number of hours.
  • Electives (2-5 semester hours): Offerings include BIOL, CHEM, ITEC, MATH, NEUR, PHIL, and PSYC courses