Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (BS)
The B.S. in Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience focuses on the genetic, biochemical, and electrophysiological underpinnings of the development, function, plasticity, pathology, and repair of the nervous system.
Our neuroscience majors are designed to provide both breadth and depth to the neuroscience knowledge base of our students, and afford ample opportunities for developing creative and critical thinking skills needed to advance neuroscience (or any other life science field).
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Science and Math Foundations | ||
| PSYC 101 | General Psychology | 3 |
| BIOL 101 | General Biology I | 3 |
| BIOL 111 | General Biology I Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 102 | General Biology II | 3 |
| BIOL 112 | General Biology II Lab | 1 |
| Select one of the following three sets of classes: | 4 | |
| Chemical Structure and Properties and Chemical Structure and Properties Laboratory | ||
| General Chemistry A Lecture/Discussion and General Chemistry Lab A | ||
| Chemical Principles | ||
| Select one of the following three Lecture courses: | 3-4 | |
| Chemical Reactivity I | ||
| Organic Chemistry I Lec/Disc | ||
| Organic Chemistry A Lec/Disc | ||
| Select one of the following Lab courses: | 1 | |
| Chemical Reactivity I Lab | ||
| General Chemistry Lab B | ||
| BIOL 251 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 282 | Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 252 | Cell Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| or BIOL 283 | Genetics Laboratory | |
| MATH 131 | Applied Calculus I | 3 |
| or MATH 161 | Calculus I | |
| Select one of the following three sets of classes: | 4 | |
| College Physics I Lec / Dis and College Physics Laboratory I | ||
| College Physics I with Calculus Lecture/Discussion and College Physics Laboratory I | ||
| General Physics I Lec/Dis and General Physics Laboratory I | ||
| Select one of the following three sets of classes: | 4 | |
| College Physics II Lec/Disc and College Physics Lab II | ||
| College Physics II with Calculus Lecture/Discussion and College Physics Lab II | ||
| General Physics II Lec/Dis and General Physics Laboratory II and Freshman Projects | ||
| BIOL 335 / STAT 335 | Intro to Biostatistics | 3 |
| or PSYC 304 | Statistics | |
| Neuroscience Foundations Courses | ||
| NEUR 101 | Introduction to Neuroscience | 3 |
| BIOL 362 | Neurobiology | 3 |
| PSYC 382 / BIOL 284 | Behavorial and Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience Track | ||
| Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience Specialty Area Courses | ||
| One additional year of Chemistry lectures: | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Chemical Reactivity II | ||
| Organic Chemistry II Lec/Disc | ||
| Organic Chemistry B Lec/Disc | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry B Lecture/Discussion | ||
| Basic Inorganic Chemistry | ||
| Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience Lecture Electives | ||
| Select three of the following: | 7-9 | |
| Seminar in Neuroscience | ||
| Biology of Stem Cells | ||
| Sleep/Circadian Rhythms | ||
| Neurobiology of Feeding in Health and Disease | ||
| Neural Disease, Degeneration, and Regeneration | ||
| Developmental Neurobiology | ||
| Epigenetics | ||
| Molecular Genetics | ||
| Special Topics in Biology (select topics related to neuroscience) | ||
| Principles of Biochemistry | ||
or CHEM 370 | Biochemistry I | |
| Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Psychology-Biology of Perception | ||
| Drugs and Behavior | ||
| Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience Lab Electives | ||
| Select two of the following: | 3-8 | |
| Cell Biology Laboratory | ||
or BIOL 283 | Genetics Laboratory | |
| Laboratory in Neuroscience I | ||
| Introductory Immunology Lec/Lab | ||
| Cell Physiology & Biochemistry Lab | ||
or CHEM 372 | Biochemistry Laboratory I | |
| Bioimaging | ||
| Molecular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Special Topics Laboratory (select topics related to neuroscience) | ||
| Lab in Psychobiology | ||
or PSYC 316 | Lab in Experimental Psychology: Sense & Perception | |
| May include one of the following independent research options: | ||
| Research (with a Molecular/Cellular focus) | ||
| Internship in Biology (with a Molecular/Cellular focus) | ||
| Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience Capstone | ||
| BIOL 376 | Seminar in Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience | 3 |
| or BIOL 358 | Developmental Neurobiology | |
| Total Hours | 68 | |
Undergraduate Research
Neuroscience students have numerous opportunities to conduct scientific research in the labs of our neuroscience-affiliated faculty at Loyola's Lake Shore Campus, in the labs of other faculty on any of Loyola's campuses, or at other institutions in the Chicago area. Depending on the applicability of the research project to the student's Neuroscience Major or Minor, independent research may be able to qualify for course credit as one of the required specialty labs (see below).
Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience Majors Research Credit
Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience (NRMC) majors can earn specialty lab credit for conducting independent research that has a molecular/cellular focus in labs within the biology department or at an appropriate external internship site. Please see the Specialty lab credit for independent research--NRMC document on the Neuroscience program website for a more thorough explanation of earning NRMC credit through one of the 3-credit courses below:
- BIOL 396 Research (relevant research with faculty in Biology)
- BIOL 398 Internship in Biology (relevant research at an external site)
Please contact the NRMC Director for questions about earning credit from molecular/cellular or neuroscience-related research in other departments (e.g., chemistry, psychology).
Suggested Sequence of Courses
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| BIOL 101 | General Biology I | 3 |
| BIOL 111 | General Biology I Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 160 | Chemical Structure and Properties | 3 |
| CHEM 161 | Chemical Structure and Properties Laboratory | 1 |
| PSYC 101 | General Psychology | 3 |
| MATH 131 | Applied Calculus I | 3 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 102 | General Biology II | 3 |
| BIOL 112 | General Biology II Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 180 | Chemical Reactivity I | 3 |
| CHEM 181 | Chemical Reactivity I Lab | 1 |
| NEUR 101 | Introduction to Neuroscience | 3 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHYS 111 | College Physics I Lec / Dis | 3 |
| PHYS 111L | College Physics Laboratory I | 1 |
| BIOL 251 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| CHEM 240 | Chemical Reactivity II | 3 |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHYS 112 | College Physics II Lec/Disc | 3 |
| PHYS 112L | College Physics Lab II | 1 |
| BIOL 282 | Genetics | 3 |
| CHEM 260 | Quantitative Methods in Chemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 252 or BIOL 283 |
Cell Biology Laboratory or Genetics Laboratory |
1 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 362 | Neurobiology | 3 |
| STAT 335 / BIOL 335 or PSYC 304 |
Introduction to Biostatistics or Statistics |
3 |
| Specialty Lecture | 1-3 | |
| Hours | 7 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSYC 382 | Behavorial and Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| Specialty Lecture | 1-3 | |
| Hours | 4 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Specialty Lecture | 3 | |
| Specialty Lab | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 376 or BIOL 358 |
Seminar in Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience or Developmental Neurobiology |
3 |
| Specialty Lab | 2-3 | |
| Hours | 5 | |
| Total Hours | 68 | |
Course Objectives
Because the nervous system is the organ for behavior, neuroscience cuts across traditional fields in the biological and behavioral sciences. Owing to this breadth, we have designed two major tracks for students who wish to focus on neuroscience in their course of study at LUC. Completing either of these options will prepare students well for a variety of careers, including but not limited to medicine and life sciences research, particularly in neuroscience-related fields. Both options require at least two semesters of courses in biology, chemistry, and physics.
Lecture Course Objectives
Both of the majors require three courses in neuroscience fundamentals: NEUR 101 Introduction to Neuroscience, BIOL 362 Neurobiology (which stresses cellular and electrophysiological mechanisms of neural function), and PSYC 382/BIOL 284 Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience (which stresses the neural substrates underlying mental processing and behavior). After completing this sequence, majors can design their own course of study within cognitive/behavioral or molecular/cellular neuroscience. There is some overlap in the list of lecture courses from which students may choose to complete their elective requirements, but there is also great diversity in the topics that are available in each major track.
Lab Course Objectives
Aside from first-year labs in chemistry and biology, and organic chemistry lab for molecular/cellular neuroscience majors, neuroscience majors choose their own lab experiences. Because the nervous system is cellular, computational, and a control center, the range of techniques that are useful is extremely broad, from cellular/molecular to behavioral, and the student can decide which techniques will be most helpful in answering the questions they want to address. Students who are interested in conducting independent neuroscience research have several neuroscience labs from which to choose, and may also seek permission to carry out a neuroscience-relevant project in a lab that is not focused on neuroscience. Independent research is the best preparation for doctoral programs, and is also regarded highly by medical, dental and other life science professional schools. For this reason, getting an independent research position in a lab is competitive.
Seminar Courses
There are three seminar style courses available to neuroscience undergraduates. In these courses, students tackle the primary literature and react to seminars given by neuroscientists on their research. Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience majors are invited to take the 1 credit hour NEUR 300 Seminar in Neuroscience course, providing basic exposure to the primary literature and a wide range of research talks. Both major tracks culminate with a required capstone seminar class, which immerses the students in the primary literature and encourages development of critical thinking and presentation skills.
College of Arts and Sciences Graduation Requirements
All Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to take two Writing Intensive courses (6 credit hours) as well as complete a foreign language requirement at 102-level or higher (3 credit hours) or a language competency test. More information can be found here.
Additional Undergraduate Graduation Requirements
All Undergraduate students are required to complete the University Core, at least one Engaged Learning course, and UNIV 101. SCPS students are not required to take UNIV 101. Nursing students in the Accelerated BSN program are not required to take core or UNIV 101. You can find more information in the University Requirements area.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this program of study, students will be able to:
- functional neuroanatomy at the gross, cellular, and subcellular levels. [Neuroanatomy]
- electrochemical signaling and information processing in the nervous system. [Neurophysiology]
- the general methodological approaches, applications, strengths, and weaknesses of the major laboratory and computational techniques used in the study of the nervous system. [Neuroscience Methods]
- the neural bases of sensory processing and behavior (e.g., movement, appetitive behaviors, biological rhythms). [Sensory/Behavior]
- the neural bases of cognitive and affective aspects of mental life (e.g., memory, attention, executive function, language, emotion). [Cognitive/Affective]
- genetic, environmental, and experiential influences on neural development and neuroplasticity. [Neural Development/Plasticity]
- the relationships between neurological and psychiatric disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, depression), their underlying neuropathology, and common treatments. [Clinical Disorders]
- read, understand, critically evaluate, and draw appropriate conclusions from reports of neuroscientific investigations. [Critical Analysis]
- effectively communicate findings from neuroscience research studies to both scientific and nonscientific audiences in multiple formats. [Scientific Communication]
- formulate scientific questions, construct testable hypotheses, and design scientific investigations that contribute to neuroscience. [Research Design]
- engage in scientific investigations using appropriate neuroscientific laboratory or computational techniques, statistically analyze the data, and interpret the findings. [Laboratory Skills & Inquiry/Statistical Analysis]
- develop awareness of the philosophical, moral, and ethical issues raised by neuroscience and influences of neuroscience on other fields such as medicine, education, and social sciences. [Science & Society]