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Neuroscience - B.S.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience offers a broad-based and hands-on study of the mechanisms of brain function from the cell and molecular level through cognition and behavior. This major is for students interested in medicine, other health professions, research and graduate studies in biology, neuroscience and psychology. The major also prepares students for careers in industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, research administration and policy, science communication, teaching and other science-related businesses.

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Bachelor’s Degree in Neuroscience

Expand your understanding of the nervous system with Kent State’s Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. Immerse yourself in advanced coursework covering a range of topics, from neural mechanisms to cognitive functions. Our program is crafted to enhance your knowledge and skills, preparing you for careers in neuroscience research, clinical practice, and various fields related to brain science.

Program Information for Neuroscience - B.S.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience offers a broad-based and hands-on study of the mechanisms of brain function from the cell and molecular level through cognition and behavior. This major is for students interested in medicine, other health professions, research and graduate studies in biology, neuroscience and psychology. The major also prepares students for careers in industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, research administration and policy, science communication, teaching and other science-related businesses.

The Neuroscience major includes the following optional concentration:

  • The Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry concentration provides the courses necessary for admission to advanced degree programs in healthcare and biomedical science professions.
Admissions for Neuroscience - B.S.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Understand fundamental principles of neuroscience.
  2. Acquire fundamental hands-on research skills necessary for laboratory investigations into central nervous system function.
  3. Understand proper experimental design, data analysis and communication of research results.
  4. Gain greater knowledge and appreciation of the role neuroscience plays in societal issues, such as those related to neurological disorders, mental health, medicine and human and animal behavior.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
BSCI 10120BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4
BSCI 30140CELL BIOLOGY 4
BSCI 30156ELEMENTS OF GENETICS 3
BSCI 40600WRITING IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (WIC) 11
or PSYC 41901 WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC)
or PSYC 41980 RESEARCH WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC)
CHEM 10060GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4
CHEM 10061GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (KBS) 4
CHEM 10062GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
CHEM 10063GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
MATH 11010ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) 3
NEUR 10100SEMINAR IN NEUROSCIENCE 1
NEUR 30100NEUROSCIENCE I 3
NEUR 30200NEUROSCIENCE II 3
NEUR 30300EXPERIMENTAL METHODS IN NEUROSCIENCE 1
PSYC 11762GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
PSYC 21621QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3
PSYC 31574RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3
Neuroscience Electives, choose from the following:14
BSCI 40147
DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY
BSCI 40151
MECHANISMS OF DISEASE: OBESITY AND RELATED METABOLIC DISEASES
BSCI 40152
MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF DISEASE: NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
BSCI 40157
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DRUG ADDICTION
BSCI 40158
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
BSCI 40159
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY (ELR) (WIC)
BSCI 40431
NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
BSCI 40432
ENDOCRINOLOGY
BSCI 40450
BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS
BSCI 40460
ADVANCED HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
BSCI 40462
ADVANCED HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY: READINGS AND CASE STUDIES
BSCI 40515
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
BSCI 40519
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
NEUR 40192
INTERNSHIP IN NEUROSCIENCE (ELR) 2
NEUR 40195
SPECIAL TOPICS IN NEUROSCIENCE
NEUR 40196
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN NEUROSCIENCE 3
PSYC 31634
ANIMAL COGNITION
PSYC 40111
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
PSYC 40383
INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 40446
COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
PSYC 41043
BASIC LEARNING PROCESSES
PSYC 41364
DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR
PSYC 43001
CLINICAL NEUROANATOMY
PSYC 43002
CURRENT TECHNIQUES IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
PSYC 43003
NEURAL MECHANISMS OF LEARNING AND MEMORY
PSYC 47387
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below)8
Kent Core Composition6
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each)9
Additional Requirements or Concentration
Choose from the following:40
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

2

Maximum 6 credit hours of NEUR 40192 may be applied toward major requirements.

3

Maximum 6 credit hours of NEUR 40196 may be applied toward major requirements.

Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring a Concentration

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
Neuroscience Electives, choose from the list in the major13
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines)3
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)24
Minimum Total Credit Hours:40

Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
BSCI 30130HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY 3
or BSCI 40430 ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY
BSCI 30171GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY 4
CHEM 30284INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 4
or CHEM 40245 BIOCHEMICAL FOUNDATIONS OF MEDICINE
CHEM 30475ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I (ELR) 1
CHEM 30476ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II 1
CHEM 30481ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I 3
CHEM 30482ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II 3
MATH 11022TRIGONOMETRY (KMCR) 3
MATH 12002ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS I (KMCR) 5
PHY 13001
PHY 13021
GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS I (KBS)
and GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY I (KBS) (KLAB)
5
or PHY 23101 GENERAL UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I (KBS) (KLAB)
PHY 13002
PHY 13022
GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS II (KBS)
and GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY II (KBS) (KLAB)
5
or PHY 23102 GENERAL UNIVERSITY PHYSICS II (KBS) (KLAB)
SOC 12050INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:40

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.S.

  • Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 8 credit hours of foreign language.
  • The following programs are exempt from this requirement: The Bachelor of Science in Cybercriminology and the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science.2
  • Minimum Elementary I and II of the same language
1

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University; or (3) demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 8 credit hours and two courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

2
The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science exemption exists under another college policy (Three-Plus-One Programs). The Bachelor of Science in Cybercriminology exemption is due to its extensive collaboration with and contribution from the Information Technology program in the College of Applied and Technical Studies, which does not have a foreign language requirement.
Roadmap

Roadmaps

Neuroscience Major (No Concentration)

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
BSCI 10120 BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4
CHEM 10060 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4
CHEM 10062 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
MATH 11010 ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) 3
NEUR 10100 SEMINAR IN NEUROSCIENCE 1
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
BSCI 30140 CELL BIOLOGY 4
CHEM 10061 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (KBS) 4
CHEM 10063 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Three
BSCI 30156 ELEMENTS OF GENETICS 3
NEUR 30100 NEUROSCIENCE I 3
PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3
Foreign Language Requirement 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Four
NEUR 30200 NEUROSCIENCE II 3
NEUR 30300 EXPERIMENTAL METHODS IN NEUROSCIENCE 1
PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3
Foreign Language Requirement 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Five
Neuroscience Electives 9
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
BSCI 40600
or PSYC 41901
or PSYC 41980
WRITING IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (WIC)
or WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC)
or RESEARCH WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC)
1
Neuroscience Electives 9
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Seven
Neuroscience Electives 6
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
Neuroscience Elective 3
General Electives 12
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
BSCI 10120 BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4
CHEM 10060 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4
CHEM 10062 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
MATH 11010 ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) 3
NEUR 10100 SEMINAR IN NEUROSCIENCE 1
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
BSCI 30140 CELL BIOLOGY 4
CHEM 10061 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (KBS) 4
CHEM 10063 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Three
BSCI 30156 ELEMENTS OF GENETICS 3
CHEM 30475 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I (ELR) 1
CHEM 30481 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I 3
NEUR 30100 NEUROSCIENCE I 3
PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Four
CHEM 30476 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II 1
CHEM 30482 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II 3
MATH 11022 TRIGONOMETRY (KMCR) 3
NEUR 30200 NEUROSCIENCE II 3
NEUR 30300 EXPERIMENTAL METHODS IN NEUROSCIENCE 1
PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3
SOC 12050 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
 Credit Hours17
Semester Five
BSCI 30130
or BSCI 40430
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
or ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY
3
BSCI 30171 GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY 4
MATH 12002 ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS I (KMCR) 5
PHY 13001
PHY 13021
or PHY 23101
GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS I (KBS)
and GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY I (KBS) (KLAB)
or GENERAL UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I (KBS) (KLAB)
5
 Credit Hours17
Semester Six
CHEM 30284
or CHEM 40245
INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
or BIOCHEMICAL FOUNDATIONS OF MEDICINE
4
PHY 13002
PHY 13022
or PHY 23102
GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS II (KBS)
and GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY II (KBS) (KLAB)
or GENERAL UNIVERSITY PHYSICS II (KBS) (KLAB)
5
Neuroscience Electives 5
 Credit Hours14
Semester Seven
BSCI 40600
or PSYC 41901
or PSYC 41980
WRITING IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (WIC)
or WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC)
or RESEARCH WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC)
1
Neuroscience Electives 6
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Eight
Neuroscience Elective 3
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours13
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus