Neuroscience
Program Coordinator: Samuel Beshers
318B Morrill Hall
505 South Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-4971
Fax: (217) 244-3499
E-mail: nsp@life.uiuc.edu
Major: Neuroscience
Degrees Offered: Ph.D.
Medical Scholars Program: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Neuroscience and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through the Medical Scholars Program
Graduate Degree Program
The Neuroscience Program is an interdisciplinary and highly individualized Ph.D. program. Students have varied backgrounds but typically have undergraduate degrees in psychology, biology, electrical engineering, or computer science. The Neuroscience Program guides students to become productive, scholarly neuroscientists with access to careers in academic research, medicine, industry or non-research careers such as law, policy, or journalism. A joint M.D./Ph.D. program is available. The faculty have broad and diverse research interests; areas of particular strength include aging, brain plasticity, cognitive functions, neurogenomics, molecular bases of development and disease, and neuroengineering. Integrative and collaborative studies that bridge two or more labs are encouraged.
Admission
Applications are considered individually by the admissions committee, usually for the fall semester. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required. International applicants are required to have a minimum paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 570 (230 on the computer-based test). Admission and financial aid are considered together.
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements refer to the department's Program for Graduate Study and the Graduate College Handbook.
Doctor of Philosophy
| Required Courses: | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| NEUR 520 section 1(each of first 4 semesters) | 4 |
| NEUR 500 | 2 |
| NEUR 520 Section 2, together with additional workshops on core topics in ethics. | 1 |
| Thesis Hours Required – NEUR 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 0 min |
| Total Hours | 96 |
| Other Requirements:* | |
| All students must complete a minimum of one semester of service as a teaching assistant (one semester @50% or 2 semesters @25% appointment) or the requirement may be met by education outreach activity under the supervision of a Neuroscience Program faculty member. | |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
| Masters Degree Required Before Admission to PhD? | No |
| Qualifying Exam Required | Yes |
| Preliminary Exam Required | Yes |
| Final Exam/Defense Required | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes |
Because of the breadth of the fields in this program, the coursework is tailored to the student's fields of interest as declared by a major and at least two minor areas of concentration from among those listed above. A faculty committee of representatives from the major and minor areas will then meet regularly with the student to plan coursework and research experience. The goal of this plan is to allow maximum flexibility while providing students with close guidance. Courses and laboratory research experience are supplemented by weekly seminars in neuroscience.
Medical Scholars Program
The Medical Scholars Program permits highly qualified students to integrate the study of medicine with study for a graduate degree in a second discipline, including Neuroscience. Students may apply to the Medical Scholars Program prior to beginning graduate school or while in the graduate program. Applicants to the Medical Scholars Program must meet the admissions standards for and be accepted into both the doctoral graduate program and the College of Medicine. Students in the dual degree program must meet the specific requirements for both the medical and graduate degrees. On average, students take eight years to complete both degrees. Further information on this program is available by contacting the Medical Scholars Program, 125 Medical Sciences Building, (217) 333-8146 or at www.med.illinois.edu/msp.
Financial Aid
The Neuroscience Program generally supports all students in good standing with a stipend and tuition and partial fee waivers throughout their tenure in the program. Support may come in the form of fellowships, traineeships, research assistantships, or teaching assistantships according to the student's qualifications.