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Catalog Home : Graduate School Catalog

Neuroscience

Link to a list of faculty for this program.

Contact Information—Neuroscience Program, University of Minnesota,
D-610 Mayo Building, MMC 265, 420 Delaware St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN
55455 (612-626-5898; fax 612-626-6460; neurosci@umn.edu; www.neuroscience.umn.edu).

Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this catalog for Graduate School requirements that apply to all major fields.

Curriculum—Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry. The objects of this inquiry, the brain and nervous system, are sufficiently complex and unique among biological systems to require experimental and analytical approaches that cross the traditional boundaries of molecular and cell biology, behavioral biology, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology, physiology, and psychology. In some instances, neuroscientific inquiry may also encompass computer science, information processing, engineering, physics, and mathematics.

The neuroscience Ph.D. curriculum begins in the summer session with the intensive laboratory course in cellular and molecular neurobiology (NSC 5551), held at the Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories. The core curriculum continues on the Twin Cities campus with NSC 5461, 5561, 5661, and 8211. While taking these courses, students explore research opportunities in the faculty's laboratories (NSC 8334) and thereby select a thesis adviser. Elective courses and at least 12 credits in a minor or supporting program are selected in consultation with the adviser (typical minors include cell biology, physiology, statistics, psychology, and medicine; medicine is primarily for students in the M.D./Ph.D. program). Students with sufficient background and previous course experience may apply for a waiver of specific requirements.

Students are also expected to participate in teaching neuroscience and to attend the weekly colloquium as well as neuroscience seminars and sessions devoted to professional development. Students are strongly encouraged to attend seminars in other areas and departments that may interest them.

Prerequisites for Admission—Applicants to the Ph.D. program must have a bachelor's degree or its foreign equivalent from a recognized college or university. Undergraduate coursework should include instruction in several of the following disciplines: biology, neuroscience, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and psychology. Prior research experience.

Special Application Requirements—Applicants are required to take the GRE General Test. Students whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL and obtain a minimum score of 625 (paper), 263 on the (computer), or 107 (Internet) version of the test; or obtain 6.5 on the IELTS examination. There are no minimum GPA or GRE score requirements.

Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, MELAB).

For an online application or for more information about Graduate School admissions, see the General Information section in this catalog, or visit the Graduate School Web site.

Courses—Refer to Neuroscience (NSC) in University Courses for courses pertaining to the program.

Use of 4xxx Courses—Use of 4xxx courses toward degree requirements is permitted based on director of graduate studies approval.

M.S. Plan A Degree Requirements

The course requirements for a master's are the same as those for a Ph.D. degree. They are described under Curriculum (above).

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

The course requirements for a Ph.D. degree are described under Curriculum above. More detailed information may be found in the Neuroscience Student Handbook.

Language Requirements—None.

Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—A doctoral minor program is developed in consultation with the director of graduate studies for neuroscience. Students are required to take one of the following core courses: Function/structure: NSC 5561—Systems Neuroscience (4 cr) or Cellular/molecular: NSC 5461—Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (4 cr).

In addition, students are required to take elective neuroscience courses for a total minimum of 12 credits (including the core courses).

Faculty

For latest graduate faculty listings, see <www.grad.umn.edu/faculty_rosters/faculty.html>.

Key to membership categories (abbreviations after faculty names).

Regents Professor
Apostolos P. Georgopoulos, SM

Professor
Mustafa N. al'Absi, Behavioral Sciences, Duluth, SM
James Ashe, SM
Karen Hsiao Ashe, Neurology, SM
Alvin J. Beitz, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, SM
David R. Brown, Veterinary Medicine, SM
Dwight A. Burkhardt, Psychology, SM
Marilyn E. Carroll, Psychiatry, SM
H. Brent Clark, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, SM
Bianca M. Conti-Fine, Biochemistry, SM
Richard Di Fabio, Physical Therapy, SM
Janet M. Dubinsky, SM
Timothy J. Ebner, SM
Robert P. Elde, Biological Sciences, SM
Esam E. El-Fakahany, Psychiatry, SM
William Elmquist, Pharmaceutics Research, SM
William C. Engeland, Surgery, SM
S. Hossein Fatemi, Psychiatry, SM
William H. Frey, Pharmacy, SM
Michael K. Georgieff, Pediatrics, SM
Glenn J. Giesler, Jr., SM
Boyd K. Hartman, Psychiatry, SM
Bin He, Biomedical Engineering, SM
Sheng He, Psychology, SM
Christopher N. Honda, Neuroscience, SM
William G. Iacono, Psychology, SM
Paul A. Iaizzo, Anesthesiology, SM
William R. Kennedy, Neurology, SM
Daniel J. Kersten, Psychology, SM
Juergen Konczak, Kinesiology, SM
Alice A. Larson, Veterinary Medicine, SM
Gordon E. Legge, Psychology, SM
Paul C. Letourneau, SM
Allen S. Levine, Psychiatry, SM
Kelvin O. Lim, Psychiatry, SM
Walter C. Low, Neurosurgery, SM
Patrick W. Mantyh, Preventive Sciences, SM
Linda K. McLoon, Ophthalmology, SM
Steven C. McLoon, SM
Karen A. Mesce, Entomology, SM
Robert F. Miller, SM
Eric A. Newman, SM
Michael B. O'Connor, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, SM
Harry T. Orr, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, SM
John W. Osborn, Physiology, SM
Hans G. Othmer, Mathematics, SM
J. Bruce Overmier, Psychology, SM
Jose V. Pardo, Psychiatry, SM
Richard E. Poppele (emeritus), SM
Philip S. Portoghese, Pharmacy, SM
Laura P. Ranum, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, SM
David A. Rottenberg, Neurology, SM
Peter A. Santi, Otolaryngology, SM
Ronald J. Sawchuk, Pharmaceutics, SM
Scott Selleck, Pediatrics, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, SM
Virginia S. Seybold, SM
Donald A. Simone, Oral Sciences, SM
John F. Soechting, SM
Peter W. Sorensen, Fisheries and Wildlife, SM
Stanley A. Thayer, Pharmacology, SM
David D. Thomas, Biochemistry, SM
Kamil Ugurbil, Radiology, SM
Govind T. Vatassery, Psychiatry, SM
Catherine Verfaillie, Medicine, SM
Neal F. Viemeister, Psychology, SM
George L. Wilcox, Pharmacology, SM
W. Gibson Wood, Pharmacology, SM

Associate Professor
John H. Anderson, Otolaryngology, SM
W. Dale Branton, M2
Patricia L. Faris, Psychiatry, SM
Janet L. Fitzakerley, Pharmacology, Duluth, SM
Jurgen F. Fohlmeister, Physiology, SM
Jonathan Gewirtz, Psychology, SM
Paulo Kofuji, SM
Catherine M. Kotz, Food Science and Nutrition, SM
Dezhi Liao, SM
Paul G. Mermelstein, SM
Giuseppe Pellizzer, SM
A. David Redish, SM
Martin W. Wessendorf, SM
Kevin D. Wickman, Pharmacology, SM

Adjunct Associate Professor
Frank H. Burton, Physiology, M2

Assistant Professor
Bagrat Amirikian, M2
Vincent A. Barnett, Physiology, SM
Mathew V. Chafee, SM
Lihsia Chen, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, M2
Carolyn Fairbanks, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, SM
Geoffrey M. Ghose, SM
Michael Koob, Neurology, SM
Naoko Koyano, M2
Lorene Lanier, SM
Arthur C. Leuthold, M2
Scott M. Lewis, Neurology, M2
Angus W. MacDonald III, Psychology, M2
Yasushi Nakagawa, SM
Teresa Nick, SM
Duane Q. Nykamp, Mathematics, SM
John R. Ohlfest, Neurosurgery, SM
Raghavendra B. Rao, Pediatrics, M2
Paul R. Schrater, Psychology, SM
Mark J. Thomas, Neuroscience, Psychology, SM
LiLian Yuan, SM
Lance Zirpel, SM

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