Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Minor

Neuroscience, an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the nervous system and its impact on behavior, cognition, and emotion, is a relatively new and rapidly expanding scientific field.  Neuroscientific research describes the normal functioning of the nervous system, examines how the nervous system develops across the life span, and investigates the consequences of and potential interventions for neurological dysfunction due to abnormal development, disease, or injury. However, the implications of neuroscience stretch well beyond this scope and provide both a cornerstone and important tools for understanding all human behavior.

The neuroscience minor integrates biology, philosophy, and psychology. Students will be required to take courses in each of these disciplines. Additional courses in computer science and pharmacy, as well as in psychology, biology, and philosophy, will be listed for those students who are interested in expanding their neuroscience studies beyond the requirements. This minor is advantageous for students applying to medical school, seeking admission to graduate programs in biology, chemistry, psychology, neuroscience, communication disorders, and other scientific disciplines, or competing for jobs in the public sector.

The Neuroscience minor requires 20–21 hours of interdisciplinary coursework, including the following:

Required Courses (20-21 hours)

Biology: 11–12 hours

• BI 210, Genetics—Fundamentals
• BI 220, Cellular and Molecular Biology—Fundamentals
• NS 460 or BI 460,* Cell and Molecular Neurobiology without lab (NS 460) or with lab (BI460)

Philosophy: 3 hours

• PL 346, Philosophy of Mind

Psychology: 6 hours

• PS 235, Biological Bases of Behavior (prerequisite: SW 250)
• PS 412 or PS 413, Advanced Applied Neuroscience or Neuroscience of Drugs

*BI 460 requires BI 230 (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—Fundamentals, 4 credits)  and BI 250 (Biostatistics, 4 credits) as  prerequisites, in addition to BI 210 and BI 220.

Other Courses Related to the Minor but not required:

• PL 349, Philosophy of Biology
• PL 343, Philosophy of Science
• PL 375, Topics in Philosophy: Mental Representation
• PS 385, Cognitive Processes
• PS 441, Abnormal Psychology
• PS 420, History of Psychology
• PS 476, Advanced  Seminar in Psychobiology: Evolutionary Psychology
• BI 420, Animal Behavior
• CS 473, Topics in Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence
• RX 611, Special Topics in Pharmacy: Neuroscience

Please direct any questions you have about the minor to Dr. Tara Lineweaver: 317-940-9848 or tlinewea@butler.edu.