Two students stand at lab bench, one is looking through microscope

Neuroscience Minor

The Neuroscience Minor at Davidson

Neuroscience introduces you to a field of science that has experienced an explosion of information and technological innovation and provides you with an opportunity to explore the biological substrate of all our moral and mental faculties.

An understanding of how the brain, the "organ of consciousness," functions and endows human beings with the capacity to know, to feel, and to value, requires a multidisciplinary research effort. In keeping with the liberal arts tradition, the interdisciplinary minor provides you with an opportunity to explore another dimension of our humanity—the biological substrate of all our moral and mental faculties.

As a neuroscience student, you'll have a variety of career paths available to you, including neuroscience research and education, medicine, law, clinical neuropsychology, physical therapy, drug rehabilitation, pharmaceutical or biomedical marketing, journalism, computer science, and K-12 education.

Neuroscience Minor

The Neuroscience interdisciplinary minor is administered by the Neuroscience Advisory Committee. Students should submit a proposal by the end of junior year that specifies the courses they will take to satisfy the minor requirements.

Courses You Might Take

BIO 331 | PSY 303

This course considers the role of the nervous system; sensory and motor mechanism; physiological bases of motivation and emotion; sleep and arousal; and physiological bases of learning, memory, and language. It includes extensive laboratory training, and work with animals is required. Course is cross-listed as BIO 331 and PSY 303.

BIO 261

This is a seminar course examining the research investigating how physical activity influences the brain at multiple levels (molecular, cellular, physiology, behavioral). Emphasis is placed on developing strategies for identifying, reading, analyzing, and discussing a variety of literature on the topic.

PSY 280

This course provides a foundational understanding of human neuropsychology, including the most commonly studied neurobehavioral relationships and conditions. Students review neuropsychological test data, relate patterns in data to brain structure and function, and estimate recovery and rehabilitation patterns.

Related Programs

Interested in Studying Neuroscience at Davidson?