3320 Neuroscience

Programs Offered:

  1. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience
  2. (Master of Science in Neuroscience obtained en route to the Doctor of Philosophy)

Neuroscience Institute
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 5030
Atlanta, Georgia 30302-5030
404/413-5387
neuroscience.gsu.edu

Walter Wilczynski, Director
Marise Parent, Director of Graduate Studies

The Neuroscience Institute admits students into a program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. A Master of Science is earned en route to the Neuroscience Ph.D. degree. The Neuroscience Institute is affiliated with multiple departments and emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to graduate training. Using state of the art facilities and equipment, Neuroscience Institute faculty are actively engaged in basic research that ranges from molecular, cellular and computational to behavioral. For more specific details about the Neuroscience Institute and for all application materials, please visit the following website: neuroscience.gsu.edu.

Admission Deadlines

Applications are considered for admission in the fall semester. The Application for Graduate Study, application fee, and all supporting materials (transcripts, GRE scores, letters, and Supplementary Form for Graduate Study in Neuroscience) must be received by Jan 5.

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Neuroscience Institute has the following additional requirements:

  1. A strong record of coursework and/or experience in a discipline related to the Neurosciences.
  2. Strong performance on the Graduate Record Examination.
  3. Students with prior laboratory experience relevant to the Neurosciences will be viewed favorably.

Degree Requirements

Master of Science (36 hours)

A Master of Science is earned en route to the Neuroscience Ph.D. degree. A minimum of 36 hours of graduate coursework is required for the Master of Science Degree in Neuroscience. To satisfy the minimum requirements for the degree, the student must complete successfully:

  1. A minimum of 28 hours of graduate classroom coursework, which must include:
    1. Neuroscience core courses (11 hours).
    2. Neuroscience electives (3-4 hours).
    3. Statistics core course (3 hours).
    4. Introduction to Graduate Studies core courses (4 hours).
    5. Topics, Concepts and Seminar courses (7-8 hours).
  2. A minimum of 8 semester hours of research credit. This requirement can be satisfied by enrolling in Neur 8800 Master's Research or the equivalent.
  3. A qualifying exam.

Students admitted for graduate study that have already taken relevant graduate classes or who are in possession of a graduate degree may be accorded advanced standing after an evaluation of previous graduate work.  This evaluation would normally be conducted by the Director of Graduate Studies before entry into the program or at the very latest during the first semester of enrollment.

Doctor of Philosophy (90 hours)

A minimum of 90 hours of graduate credit is required for the Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience. To satisfy the minimum requirements for the degree, the student must complete successfully:

  1. The Master of Science in Neuroscience (36 hours).
  2. A minimum of 54 semester hours of research credit. This requirement can be satisfied by a combination of Neur 9910 Advanced Research, 9999 Dissertation Research (minimum 20 hours) and Neur 9920 Advanced Directed Readings or the equivalent.
  3. A dissertation proposal.
  4. A dissertation.
  5. A final oral presentation, directed primarily to the defense of the dissertation.

Concentration in Neuroethics

Students in the Neuroscience Ph.D. program can earn a concentration in Neurothics. This interdisciplinary field considers how ethical theories inform neuroscientific practice and how neuroscientific discoveries inform ethical theorizing.  Neuroethics PhD students must satisfy all requirements described above for the Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience plus take 12 hours of coursework in Neuroethics to satisfy the concentration, and receive a grade of B or better in each of these courses.