Overview
M.A. and Ph.D. Programs in Neuroscience Offered by Boston University
Boston University's program in Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary program, administered through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, with strong affiliations with the following departments: Anatomy and Neurobiology, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive and Neural Systems, Health Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, and Psychology. The Neuroscience faculty supervises graduate study leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in neuroscience. This program takes advantage of the wide range of neuroscience expertise among many departments at Boston University to provide students with a broad-based multidisciplinary program that is unique in its focus on both experimental and computational approaches to the understanding of neural systems.
The faculty approaches all disciplines of neuroscience, from the molecular and cellular basis of neurobiological processes through the clinical diagnosis of neurological diseases. A broad range of research areas are represented, including cellular and molecular neurobiology, cellular and systems plasticity, structural neurobiology, neurophysiology, sensorimotor integration, learning and memory, cognitive sciences, computational modeling, biomolecular engineering, and neuropharmacology.
In the first two years, students take required courses and complete laboratory rotations. Students are required to complete survey courses that cover the broad areas of knowledge in both experimental and computational neuroscience, and they take elective courses offered through the various participating departments. Students complete qualifying exams at the end of their second year, propose and defend their thesis topics, and engage in full-time research toward their dissertations. After completing the research, a student defends his or her thesis in front of a 5-person committee.
Programs in Neuroscience Benefit from Cutting-Edge Research Facilities
Boston University's Neuroscience faculty members are housed in various areas on the Charles River campus as well as the medical campus. The laboratories comprising the program provide faculty members and students with cutting-edge technology for the experimental investigation of the nervous system using approaches such as molecular neurobiology, neuroanatomy at the microscopic and systems levels, neurophysiology in a broad range of systems and levels of analysis, behavioral and neuropsychological analyses of humans and animals, and cognitive neuroscience, including human brain imaging. In addition, there are many Neuroscience faculty members who pursue understanding of the nervous system through computational analyses, including modeling at a broad range of levels, from biophysical properties of cells and cell systems to neural network models of behavioral and cognitive functions.
Financial Support Is Available for Neuroscience Graduate Students
As of September 2009, the program had 21 students, of whom 8 percent are women and 10 percent are members of underrepresented minority groups. All of these students are funded through fellowships or research assistantships.
Boston has a large concentration of major universities and other institutions; students enjoy a stimulating intellectual life, enhanced by a variety of seminars, colloquiums, and lectures. Boston University is located in proximity to museums, parks, and attractions such as Fenway Park, the Museum of Fine Arts, and downtown Boston. Sandy beaches and the mountains are roughly an hour away.
Boston University's main campus is located along the Charles River and extends more than 45 acres. There are sixteen schools and colleges with a wide range of graduate and professional programs. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has been offering advanced programs leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees since its founding in 1974. The medical campus is located adjacent to Boston Medical Center in the South End of downtown Boston
Application Process for Boston University's Program in Neuroscience
Applications for fall semester admission should be filed by December 15. A personal statement, three letters of recommendation, and GRE scores are required to apply to the program. International students must submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Neuroscience applications are available through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and questions should be directed to the Program in Neuroscience Administrator.
