Curriculum

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Introduction

 

Requirements for the attainment of advanced degrees are listed in the University Medical Center bulletin.  This document offers additional information concerning the graduate Program in Neuroscience and is intended to convey the philosophy of our curriculum concerning graduate education.

 

The Program in Neuroscience is an interdepartmental collaboration of faculty from 9 departments at the University Medical Center.  The objectives for the Program in Neuroscience are to educate and train individuals to become independent research investigators, teachers and mentors with a broad understanding of the neurosciences as well as focused training within a subset of the areas of study which comprise neuroscience.  These objectives apply whether the individual’s ultimate career goal is to work in academic, government, industrial or administrative settings.

 

Admission

 

Admission to the graduate Program in Neuroscience requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, a superior academic record, and satisfactory performance on the Graduate Record Examination.  For those applicants whose native language is other than English, satisfactory performance on the TOEFL is also required.  A background in one of the basic sciences (e.g. pharmacy, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, psychology, physics) or mathematics is recommended, but outstanding students in other disciplines will be considered.

 

Supervision

 

Upon entering the Program in Neuroscience, each student will choose, or be assigned a mentor, who will meet with student once per month to review progress and report to Director of the Program on student’s progress and/or problems.  After the student identifies a specific research area and selects a faculty mentor, the mentor will assume primary responsibility for directing the student for the remainder of the student’s graduate training.  The faculty mentor must be both a member of the Graduate Faculty and of the Program in Neuroscience core faculty.  In addition, the student, with the advice of the mentor, will select a faculty committee including members of the Program in Neuroscience and, if needed, faculty from other departments who are also faculty in the Graduate School to advise the student during the research portion of graduate training.

 

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree

 

Course Work

 

The core curriculum for the Ph.D. in Neuroscience comprises a minimum of 55 hours of formal course work.  This requirement is generally fulfilled during the first two years (8 quarters) of the program.  Course requirements may be waived at the recommendation of the director of the course after approval by the Dean of the Graduate School if an equivalent course was taken and passed at another university.

 

Students are required to take a core series of neuroscience coursework including Cellular and Molecular, Physiological, Systems and Integrative, Anatomical, Pharmacological, Pathological, Biochemical and Developmental Neuroscience.  In addition, students will take courses in biostatistics and research design.  Students must take 3 elective or tutorial courses before entering doctoral candidacy.

 

Laboratory Rotations

 

Each student must complete three research rotations. At least two research rotations should be completed prior to final selection of a faculty mentor.  Each rotation should be completed in a different laboratory within the collaborating departments and will last for two quarters.  Generally, these are completed during the first two years of training.  The third rotation is normally considered the student’s first two quarters in the mentor’s laboratory and provides the mentor and student with an opportunity to assess their compatibility.  Approval from the appropriate faculty member must be obtained before the student registers for a rotation.  Completion of a lab rotation is followed by student-presented Neuroscience Seminar.

 

Other Requirements

 

Students are required to complete a formal course in research ethics in their second year of training.  In addition, students are expected to participate in ongoing seminars in research ethics as well as Neuroscience Seminars.  In addition, all students will participate in the Neuroscience Journal Club.   Student performance will be evaluated by attendance and participation with participation being relatively more important for more senior students than for students early in training.

 

During the first two years of training, each student will meet regularly with the initial mentor who will provide a brief progress report to the Director of the Program.

 

Students will attend the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeting each year. The Program will provide funds (airfare, registration fees, subsistence and cost of shared hotel accommodation) for students to attend the SfN meeting each year, beginning with Year 2. Beginning in Year 3, Program funding will require abstract submission.  An alternate meeting may be substituted with approval of the student’s mentor and Program director.

Teaching

 

During dissertation research, each student must participate in at least 2 quarters of teaching as a teaching assistant in one of the collaborating departments.  Typically, this teaching is done in one of the core courses of the collaborating department.

 

Admission to Doctoral Candidacy

 

All students will be required to pass a qualifying examination and prepare an NRSA fellowship proposal prior to becoming a candidate for the doctoral degree.  The prerequisites for these steps are:

 

Qualifying Examination/NRSA Proposal

 

The qualifying examination for doctoral candidacy in the Program in Neuroscience consists of two parts.  The first part is a written examination, normally taken at the end of the second year of training.  This examination will consist of a series of essay questions designed to test the candidate’s breadth of knowledge in neuroscience.  The examination will typically be conducted over several days in order to allow the candidate sufficient time for a thorough response to the questions.  An averaged grade of 80% or better will be required for doctoral candidacy. 

 

The second requirement for doctoral candidacy in the Program in Neuroscience is the preparation of an NRSA graduate fellowship proposal.  The NRSA proposal will be prepared in consultation with the student’s mentor.  This proposal will be presented orally to the Curriculum Committee and reviewed by two members of the Program in Neuroscience who will provide a critique of the proposal for the student and the Director of the Program.  In order to pass to admission to doctoral candidacy, both referees must approve the proposal for submission.  If one or both referees do not approve the proposal, the student will then have an opportunity to revise and resubmit the proposal.  If no consensus is met, the proposal may be referred to a third referee. 

 

Research and Dissertation

 

After being admitted to candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, students select a mentor from the faculty of the Program in Neuroscience to begin dissertation research within 3 months of passing Qualifying Exam.  In consultation with their mentor, students select a Dissertation Advisory Committee and have the first meeting of this committee with 9 months of passing Qualifying Exam.  This committee must include four faculty members from the Program in Neuroscience as well as the mentor.  In addition, students should choose an external referee from either another UMC department or another accredited university in consultation with their mentor and the Director of the Program. 

 

Within 12 months of passing the Qualifying exam, students should present a dissertation proposal to the committee.  This proposal should be in the format of an NIH NRSA proposal and should include a statement of hypothesis and specific aims, a brief review of relevant literature, preliminary data (if any), experimental design and methods, expected results and limitations of the project.  If appropriate, the student may present the NRSA proposal prepared for the Qualifying Exam.   During the course of their dissertation research, students must provide the dissertation committee with a progress report no less than once every 12 months.  Normally, students complete and defend their dissertation before end of their fifth year of graduate training.

 

When the research outlined in the dissertation proposal has been completed and a dissertation has been written, the candidate will schedule an oral defense of the research.  The oral presentation can be scheduled no sooner than four weeks following receipt of the dissertation by the Dissertation Advisory Committee.  Immediately after the defense, the Dissertation Advisory Committee will meet to determine whether (1) the candidate has fulfilled all the research requirements for the Ph.D. degree, (2) the dissertation is appropriately structured and complete, and (3) the defense of the dissertation is adequate.  The committee may require satisfactory correction of any deficiencies observed in the performance of the candidate.  After the student successfully completes all requirements, members of the Dissertation Advisory Committee will sign the appropriate forms that authorize awarding of the Ph.D. degree.  The Dissertation Advisory Committee may also decide that the candidate should not be awarded the Ph.D. degree.

 

Minor Specialization

 

In addition to a dissertation, the student should also declare a minor (e.g. Molecular Neuroscience, Neuropharmacology, Neurophysiology, Neuroanatomy, Neurochemistry, Neurobehavior).  Students must take 4 electives related to minor before completion of dissertation.  Normally, the first elective is the core course in the subspecialty, such as ANAT 711 (Medical Gross Anatomy), BIOC 710 (Biochemistry), PH 722 (Pharmacology & Therapeutics) or PHYSIO 701 (Medical Physiology).  However, the specific minor courses will be determined in consultation with the Director of the Program and the Director of Graduate Training within the subspecialty Department.

Publication Requirement and Dissertation Format

 

Each doctoral candidate must have submitted at least two peer reviewed, first or senior authored manuscripts for publication in a national/international scientific journal as a requirement for graduation.  Prior to graduation, at least one of these manuscripts must be accepted for publication.

Projected Course Sequence

Note:  Since medical and graduate courses can operate on different credit hour systems and timing, this sequence should be only be viewed as a guide.

• Quarter 1 (Summer, 1st year)
• NSCI 701:  Overview of Neuroscience (Formalized version of NSSP Intro to Neuroscience seminar series) (1 hr).
• Quarter 2 (Autumn, 1st year)
• NSCI 702:   Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience [NEW] (4 hrs).
• Elective #1
• PM 740:      Statistical Methods in Research 1 (3 hrs).
• NSCI 720:   Neuroscience Journal Club (2hrs) .
• NSCI 790:   Neuroscience Laboratory Rotation (#1) [NEW](3 hrs).
• Quarter 3 (Winter, 1st year)
• NSCI 703:  Neurophysiology [NEW] (4hrs) .
• NSCI 704:  Developmental Neuroscience [NEW] (4 hrs).
• PM 741:     Statistical Methods in Research 2 (3 hrs).
• NSCI 720:  Neuroscience Journal Club (2hrs) .
• NSCI 790:  Neuroscience Laboratory Rotation (#1) [NEW] (3 hrs).
• Quarter 4 (Spring, 1st year)
• ANAT 615:    Medical Neurobiology (6hrs) .
• NSCI 720:      Neuroscience Journal Club (2hrs).
• NSCI 790:     Neuroscience Laboratory Rotation (#2) [NEW](3 hrs).
• Quarter 5 (Summer, 2nd year)
• NSCI 898:   Neuroscience Laboratory Rotation (#2) (4 hrs)
• Quarter 6 (Autumn, 2nd year)
• NSCI 705:  Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience [NEW] (4hrs)
• PHARM 780: CNS Pharmacology (NSCI 706) (4hrs)
• Minor Course #1 (3-4 hrs).
• NSCI 720:  Neuroscience Journal Club (2hrs)
• NSCI 790 :  Neuroscience Laboratory Rotation (#3)[NEW] (3 hrs).
• Quarter 7 (Winter, 2nd year)
• Minor Course #2 (3-4 hrs).
• Elective #2 (3-4 hrs).
• NSCI 720:  Neuroscience  Journal Club (2hrs)
• NSCI 790:  Neuroscience Labortatory Rotation (#3) [NEW] (3hrs)
• Quarter 8 (Spring, 2nd year)
• PHYSIO 708:      Responsible Conduct of Research (3hrs)
• Minor Course #3 (3-4 hrs).
• Elective #2 (3-4 hrs).
• NSCI 720: Neuroscience Journal Club (2hrs)
• Quarter 9 (Summer, 3rd year):
• Qualifying Exam/NRSA Proposal
• Quarter 10 and beyond:
• Minor Course #4 (3-4 hrs)
• 1 Elective/tutorial per quarter (mandatory Quarters 11 and 12.  Optional thereafter)

 

Neuroscience courses

 

NSCI 701:  Overview of Neuroscience (1 quarter hr., offered in Summer Quarter).  Initial course in Neuroscience sequence.  Presents overview of neurobiology including action potentials, synaptic potentials, neurotransmitters and neuroanatomy.  No prerequisite.  This course is a formalization of the seminar series created for the NSSP.

NSCI 702:  Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (4 quarter hrs, offered in Fall Quarter).  In depth consideration of the cell biology of neurons including ion channels, signal transduction (neurotransmitters, receptors, subcellular messenger systems), synthesis and transport of elements critical to neuronal function.  Prerequisite PSYCH 801 or comparable undergraduate classwork.  [NEW COURSE]

 

NSCI 703: Neurophysiology. Electrical properties of neurons.  Ion homeostasis, membrane potentials, action potentials and synaptic potentials.  Voltage-gated ion channels and signal coding.  Normally taken in same quarter as NSCI 702.  (4 quarter hrs, offered in Winter Quarter).

NSCI 704:  Developmental Neuroscienc.    Anatomical, biochemical and physiological development of the nervous system.  Comparative vertebrate CNS development. Prerequisite NSCI 702, 703 or permisssion of Program in Neuroscience Director.  (4 quarter hrs., offered in Winter Quarter - I.A. Paul, Course Coordinator).

 

NSCI 705:     Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience.  Covers the assembly of neurons into functional circuits and, ultimately, behavioral response.  Will consider ganglionic function, simple organisms such as Aplysia and complex behavioral response (motor function, homeostasis, sexual and maternal behavior) as well as Program in Neuroscience Director.  (4 quarter hrs, offered in Autumn Quarter - J. Shaffery, Course Coordinator).

 

NSCI 706:  Pharmacological Neuroscience  Drug actions at neuronal targets.  Blood-brain barrier and special pharmacokinetics of centrally acting drugs.  Pharmacotherapy of  CNS and neurological disorders.  Prerequisite NSCI 702, 703 and first quarter of Medical Pharmacology.  [Co-listed as CNS Pharmacology (PHARM780)].  (4 quarter hrs, offered in Windter Quarter - I.A. Paul, Course Coordinator).

NSCI 710:  Tutorials in Neuroscience.  Tutorials cover specialized topics in neuroscience in depth in a one-on-one or very small group setting.  Courses consist of intensive, directed reading and discussion to conclude with a review paper and presentation to Program in Neuroscienc. topics include:  Affective Disorders, Schizophrenia, Drugs of Abuse, Alzheimer's Disease, Hypoxia/Ischemic Brain Injury, Alcoholism, Suicidality, ALS and SCA-1.  Neuronal Effects of Stress and others by agreement with individual instructors.   Contact Program in Neuroscience Director to discuss possible topics and tutors.  (4 quarter hrs., offered at least once per year a requested by students - Faculty).

 

NSCI 720:   Neuroscienc Journal Club.  A review of significant issues in neuroscienc including literature review and discussion of recent data and news.  Meets weekly for 2 hrs.  (2 quarter hrs, offered in Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters - Various Faculty).

NSCI 798:   Dissertation Research in Neuroscience.  (1 quarter hour).

 

Other Courses and Electives

 

NOTE:  This represents only a selected list of coursework that may be applied to the degree requirements within the Program in Neuroscience.

 

NSCI 790:        Laboratory Rotation in Neuroscience.  (8 quarter hours).  This course consists of performing research in the laboratory of a member of the faculty of the Program in Neuroscience.

NSCI 799:           Dissertation and Dissertation Research.

ANAT 711:         Medical Gross Anatomy.  A study of the human body including dissection. (9 quarter hours.) – Core course for Anatomy minor.

 

ANAT 713:          Cell Biology and Histology.  A study of the structure and function of cells, tissues and organs. (6quarter hours.)

 

ANAT 735:          Special Topics in Sensory Systems.  (Hours and credit to be arranged.)

 

ANAT 736:          Special Topics in Motor Systems.(Hours and credit to be arranged.)

ANAT 737:         Special Topics in Cell Biology.(Hours and credit to be arranged.)

ANAT 738:          Special Topics Neural Integration.(Hours and credit to be arranged.)

 

BIOCH 710:       Biochemistry.  Comprehensive course in biochemistry including chemistry of amino acids and proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids; enzymology; metabolism and metabolic regulation; membrane structure and function; physical biochemistry; cellular energy production; hormonal control mechanisms; differentiation; molecular genetics; and protein synthesis. This course extends over two quarters and the entire course must be completed to receive credit. (12 quarter hours, 6-6). – Core course for Biochemistry minor.

PATH 723:         Correlative Neuroanatomy.  A review of neuroanatomy and its clinical application. Registration may be in any quarter provided three successive quarters are completed. Prerequisite: Anatomy 714 or its equivalent.  (3 quarter hours.)

PATH 728:          Neuropathology.  Review of autopsy and surgical material from neurology-neurosurgery. A three month in depth tutorial experience in diagnostic neuropathology.

 

PHARM 722:      Pharmacology and Therapeutics Students are introduced to the principles underlying the use of pharmacological agents in medical practice. Concepts related to drug distribution, drug-receptor interaction and drug metabolism are considered. In addition, the mechanism of action, therapeutic effects, adverse side-effects and common clinical applications of various drugs and drug classes are presented through a combination of lectures and clinical correlations. This course is given during the winter and spring quarters. (12 quarter hours) – Core course for Pharmacology minor.

 

PHARM 725:    Biostatistics and Mathematics for the Life Sciences.  This course describes basic statistical methods and significance tests as well as some more specialized approaches of particular relevance to pharmacology. (3 quarter hours)

PHARM 782:      Drug Abuse.  This course describes drugs that are abused, biological aspects of abuse, patterns of abuse, and theories of drug tolerance and dependence. Offered in the fall quarter of even years. (3 quarter hours)

 

PHARM 786:    Pharmacology of Synaptic Transmission (Autonomic Pharmacology).  The course will focus on the mechanisms of synaptic transmission in autonomic ganglia and at peripheral neuroeffector junctions. Emphasis will be placed on the pre-and post-synaptic processes regulating neurotransmitter at these peripheral synapses. The roles of synaptic proteins, and classical and non-classical transmitters will be explored in detail. As time permits, clinical examples of the effects of failures in peripheral synaptic transmission will be presented. Offered in the winter quarter of odd years. (3 quarter hours)

PHYSIO 701:  Medical Physiology. Study of the functions of the body with special emphasis on the relationships of the different organs to each other. This course extends over two quarters. (12 quarter hours.) – Core course for Physiology minor.

P.M. 740:  Statistical Methods in Research I.  An introduction to basic experimental statistics. Application of statistical techniques such as estimation and confidence limits, tests of significance, correlation and regression, sampling, analysis of variance and covariance to experimental data. Fundamental principles of design. (3 quarter hours)

P.M. 741:  Statistical Methods in Research II.  A continuation of 740. (3 quarter hours)

P.M. 744:  Experimental Designs in Research.  Methods of constructing and analyzing designs for scientific experimentation, Treatment comparisons including orthogonaL and multiple comparisons, complete and incomplete block designs, including balanced and partially balanced designs, confounding, transformation of data, components of error. Prerequisite: Preventive Medicine 740, or permission of the instructor. (4 quarter hours)

P.M. 747: Fundamentals of Biostatistics.  An introduction to biostatistics. Topics include the use of descriptive statistics, probability, the normal distribution, t-tests, chi-squared tests, the F-distribution, nonparametric statistics, regression models, analysis of variance models, estimation and hypothesis testing. (4 quarter hours)

 

With approval of the Director of the Program, courses in any participating Department may be included as electives toward a minor specialty.