Neuroscience
Brain function, neural systems, cognition, and behavioral neurobiology.
Who It's For
You are fascinated by the brain and how it creates thoughts, emotions, and behavior. If you enjoy both biology and psychology, are comfortable with lab work and data analysis, and want to understand cognition at a biological level, neuroscience is a perfect intersection. Students who are curious about mental health, perception, or artificial intelligence from a brain-science angle thrive here.
If you are primarily interested in helping people through therapy or counseling, a psychology or social work degree may be more direct. Students who dislike lab science, memorizing neuroanatomy, or statistics may find the curriculum challenging.
How Your High School Classes Connect
How much each subject matters in this degree
Common Coursework
Study atoms, bonding, reactions, stoichiometry, equilibrium, and thermodynamics at the molecular level.
Master derivatives and integrals — the math of rates of change and areas under curves.
Survey life from molecules to ecosystems — cells, genetics, evolution, ecology, and organ systems.
Survey the major topics in psychology — perception, memory, development, personality, and disorders.
Study carbon-based molecules, reaction mechanisms, and how to build simple organic compounds.
Apply statistical methods to biological and health data for experiments and clinical studies.
Map the brain's structures — cortex, cerebellum, brainstem — and trace their neural pathways.
Study how neurons signal using ion channels, neurotransmitters, and synaptic transmission.
Examine how brain circuits produce behaviors like learning, fear, addiction, and sleep.
Investigate how the brain creates perception, attention, memory, and decision-making.
Design brain research experiments using imaging, electrophysiology, and behavioral testing techniques.
Cover mechanics, energy, waves, and thermodynamics through problems and hands-on lab experiments.
Study how drugs and chemicals alter brain function by targeting receptors and neurotransmitter systems.
Common Next Steps
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Is Neuroscience right for you?
Take our free 20-minute assessment to find out if neuroscience matches your personality, interests, and strengths.
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