Neuroscience
MS without thesis: 36.0 semester credits
MS with thesis: 48.0 semester credits
PhD: 96.0 semester credits
About the Programs
To
meet the need for research scientists with broad backgrounds in neuroscience,
the University offers an interdepartmental neuroscience program leading
to MS and PhD degrees. The program provides
a core curriculum of integrated courses related to the neurosciences. In addition, elective courses are aimed at helping students amplify
and add specialization to their educational experience. Upon completing
these programs, students pursue careers in academic, governmental,
or industrial settings.
The MS in Neuroscience Program
The MS program gives students a broad background in neuroscience and the techniques used in neuroscience research. A master’s thesis based on a laboratory research project is a requirement for the degree. Students who wish to continue their graduate training after completing the MS degree requirements may apply to the PhD program, and their credits may be applied to the doctoral program.
The PhD in Neuroscience Program
The PhD program trains individuals to conduct
independent research and to teach in the neurosciences. The program includes
two years of coursework followed by original research leading to a thesis. Laboratory rotations begin in the fall of the first year.
For more information, visit the College of
Medicine's Neuroscience
Program web site.
Admission requirements
Students will be selected on the basis of adequate educational
background and medical experience. A Bachelor’s Degree in the Health Sciences
or related field, with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, is the minimum
requirement for acceptance into the Master’s Degree Program. Prerequisite
course work should include microbiology, anatomy, physiology, mathematics,
English composition, general chemistry, organic and/or biochemistry and
biological science.
All candidates will be required to have a formal interview with the Selection
Committee prior to final acceptance. Deadline for submission of the application
is April 15 of the year in which the students plan to enroll. The applicants
will be notified of the Committee’s decision on a rolling basis.
Candidates for admission must provide the following credentials:
- Completed application form
- Transcript of college academic record
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores
- Three letters of recommendation
- Self-assessment essays:
-
A. Discuss personal goals, conditions, or career aspirations that
motivate you to pursue graduate study at Drexel University.
B. What are your most important accomplishments?
C. What do you expect to achieve through this program?
The application form is available at the Biomedical
Graduate Applications site.
About the Curriculum
Students in both the PhD and MS programs begin their coursework
with a core curriculum. The curriculum consists of
a series of core courses that are shared by all of the biomedical graduate
programs in the medical school, and a series of programmatic courses. All students in the Neuroscience Program must take the core curriculum,
although the possibility exists for students to be excused from a particular
course if they are able to prove that they already have the necessary
knowledge required of the particular course.
During the second year, students select elective courses and begin their
thesis research in consultation with the Advisory-Examination Committee. At the end of the second year, students take a comprehensive examination
to qualify for PhD candidacy.
There are three rotations in the curriculum for which the student
will be assigned a grade. The purpose of these rotations is enable the
student to select the most appropriate Graduate Advisor to supervise the
research project for the student. The Neuroscience Program Director and
Steering Committee will advise each student on the selection of rotations,
as well as on the progress and outcome of rotations. Flexibility will
be afforded in certain situations in which the student may be able to
select an advisor before completing all three rotations, or in situations
wherein it is advisable to terminate a particular rotation early in favor
of another choice.
Courses Repeatable for Credit
As well as taking all required courses, MS and PhD students may re-enroll in courses having the status “repeatable for credit” (such as journal club, seminar and research courses) for the duration of their program in order to meet the total number of credits required for graduation.
MS and PhD Degree Requirements
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| MS Degree Requirements: Non-Thesis Option | 36.0 semester credits | |||
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| Required Courses | ||||
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| ANAT 501S | Neurobiology Topics I | 2.0 | ||
| or | ||||
| PHRM 502S | Current Topics in Pharmacology and Physiology | 1.0 | ||
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| ANAT 602S | Medical Neuroscience | 6.0 | ||
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| IDPT 500S | Scientific Integrity and Ethics | 2.0 | ||
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| IDPT 521S | Molecular Structure and Metabolism | 5.0 | ||
| or | ||||
| IDPT 550S | Biochemistry and Biophysics | 5.0 | ||
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| IDPT 526S | Cells to Systems | 5.0 | ||
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| IDPT 850S | Literature Review Non-Thesis MS | 4.0 | ||
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| NEUR 500S | Statistics for Neuro/Pharm Research | 2.0 | ||
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| NEUR 508S | Graduate Neuroscience I | 2.5 | ||
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| NEUR 609S | Graduate Neuroscience II | 4.0 | ||
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| Advanced Neuroscience Course | One course | |||
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| Students are required to select a minimum of one of the following courses:: | ||||
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| NEUR 511S | Advanced Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience | 1.0 | ||
| NEUR 512S | Advanced Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience | 1.5 | ||
| NEUR 634S | Motor Systems | 4.0 | ||
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| Suggested Electives* | ||||
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| MCBG 506S | Advanced Cell Biology | 2.0 | ||
| PHRM 512S | Graduate Pharmacology | 3.0 | ||
| PHGY 503S | Graduate Physiology | 4.0 | ||
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| *Additional courses from the Biomedical Graduate programs may be taken as electives. Students should check with the College of Medicine's Biomedical Graduate Studies programs. | ||||
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| MS Degree Requirements: Thesis Option | 48.0 semester credits | |||
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| Required Courses | ||||
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| ANAT 501S | Neurobiology Topics I | 2.0 | ||
| or | ||||
| PHRM 502S | Current Topics in Pharmacology and Physiology | 1.0 | ||
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| ANAT 602S | Medical Neuroscience | 6.0 | ||
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| IDPT 500S | Scientific Integrity and Ethics | 2.0 | ||
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| IDPT 521S | Molecular Structure and Metabolism | 5.0 | ||
| or | ||||
| IDPT 550S | Biochemistry and Biophysics | 5.0 | ||
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| IDPT 526S | Cells to Systems | 5.0 | ||
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| IDPT 600S | Thesis Defense | 9.0 | ||
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| NEUR 500S | Statistics for Neuro/Pharm Research | 2.0 | ||
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| NEUR 501S | Neuroscience 1st Lab Rotation | 4.0 | ||
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| NEUR 502S | Neuroscience 2nd Lab Rotation | 4.0 | ||
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| NEUR 503S | Neuroscience 3rd Lab Rotation | 4.0 | ||
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| NEUR 508S | Graduate Neuroscience I | 2.5 | ||
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| NEUR 600S | Neuroscience Thesis Research | 9.0 | ||
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| NEUR 609S | Graduate Neuroscience II | 4.0 | ||
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| Advanced Neuroscience Course | One course | |||
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| Students are required to select a minimum of one of the following courses:: | ||||
|
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| NEUR 511S | Advanced Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience | 1.0 | ||
| NEUR 512S | Advanced Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience | 1.5 | ||
| NEUR 634S | Motor Systems | 4.0 | ||
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| Suggested Electives* | ||||
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| MCBG 506S | Advanced Cell Biology | 2.0 | ||
| PHRM 512S | Graduate Pharmacology | 3.0 | ||
| PHGY 503S | Graduate Physiology | 4.0 | ||
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| *Additional courses from the Biomedical Graduate programs may be taken as electives. Students should check with the College of Medicine's Biomedical Graduate Studies programs. | ||||
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| PhD Degree Requirements | 96.0 semester credits | |||
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| Required Courses | ||||
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During the third year, students
develop a plan for their doctoral research in conjunction with their
thesis advisor. A formal, written thesis proposal is then presented
to the student’s Thesis Advisory Committee. Acceptance of this proposal
after oral examination by the Committee leads to the final stage of
doctoral training. PhD candidates
then spend the majority of their time on thesis research. After concluding
their research, they must submit and publicly defend their thesis
before the Thesis-Examination Committee. PhD students may enroll in courses having the status “repeatable for credit” (such as journal club, seminar and research courses) for the duration of their program in order to meet the degree completion requirement of 96.0 credits. |
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|
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| ANAT 501S | Neurobiology Topics I | 2.0 | ||
| or | ||||
| PHRM 502S | Current Topics in Pharmacology and Physiology | 1.0 | ||
|
||||
| ANAT 602S | Medical Neuroscience | 6.0 | ||
|
||||
| IDPT 500S | Scientific Integrity and Ethics | 2.0 | ||
|
||||
| IDPT 521S | Molecular Structure and Metabolism | 5.0 | ||
| or | ||||
| IDPT 550S | Biochemistry and Biophysics | 5.0 | ||
|
||||
| IDPT 526S | Cells to Systems | 5.0 | ||
|
||||
| IDPT 600S | Thesis Defense | 9.0 | ||
|
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| NEUR 500S | Statistics for Neuro/Pharm Research | 2.0 | ||
|
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| NEUR 508S | Graduate Neuroscience I | 2.5 | ||
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| NEUR 600S | Neuroscience Thesis Research | 27.0 | ||
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| NEUR 609S | Graduate Neuroscience II | 4.0 | ||
|
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|
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| Advanced Neuroscience Course | One course | |||
|
||||
| Students are required to select a minimum of one of the following courses:: | ||||
|
||||
| NEUR 511S | Advanced Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience | 1.0 | ||
| NEUR 512S | Advanced Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience | 1.5 | ||
| NEUR 634S | Motor Systems | 4.0 | ||
|
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|
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| Required Electives* | ||||
|
||||
| MCBG 506S | Advanced Cell Biology | 2.0 | ||
| PHRM 512S | Graduate Pharmacology | 3.0 | ||
| PHGY 503S | Graduate Physiology | 4.0 | ||
|
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| *Additional courses from the Biomedical Graduate programs may be taken as electives. Students should check with the College of Medicine's Biomedical Graduate Studies programs. | ||||
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