• Learn in small classes, providing a more personal and effective experience.
• Take advantage of internship and leadership opportunities, network with professors and veterinary professionals, and meet other students through the Neuroscience Club and CVM Promoters.
• Turn classroom knowledge into real-world experience doing innovative research on substance abuse and addictions, eating disorders, sleep and circadian rhythms, vision disorders, spinal cord injuries, emotional states, reproduction, muscle impairments, and heart disease.
• Neuroscience students work and study in state-of-the-art facilities, including the Veterinary and Biomedical Research Building, an innovative research and teaching facility that gives you access to top of the line research equipment.
• Pursue a simultaneous minor in biology, chemistry, foreign language, psychology, or many other options if you wish.

About the program

The bachelor of science in neuroscience covers a broad spectrum of science, encompassing all aspects of the brain and nervous system.

The program is interdisciplinary and interdepartmental, combining the expertise and resources of faculty in the University's College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, and the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.

Joining the program

To certify (or declare) neuroscience as their major, students must complete a minimum of 24 credit hours and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale)at WSU and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the following math and science courses:

Biol 106 AND Biol 107
Chem 105 AND Chem 106 or Chem 116
Math 140 OR Math 171 
Neurosci 301 
Phys 101 OR Phys 201 OR Phys 205
Phys 102 OR Phys 202 OR Phys 206 OR Chem 345

The neuroscience program usually has a cap of 40 certified majors.

Featured courses

Core courses

All neuroscience majors, regardless of specialization options, take the same set of basic core courses; they give you the basic science foundation you'll need if you're going to really dig into neuroscience.

Core courses include:

Introduction to Biology: Organismal Biology
Introduction to Biology: Cell Biology and Genetics
Principles of Chemistry I and II
Organic Chemistry I
Calculus for Life Scientists -or- Calculus I
General Physics I and II
Foundations of Neuroscience
Introduction to Psychology

Major courses

These could differ depending on whether you're in the pre-medical, pre-veterinary, or general neuroscience option, but here's an idea of what a neuroscience program might look like.

Statistics
Biochemistry
Genetics
Neurons, Genes, and Behavior
Animal Behavior
Cellular Neurobiology
Neuroanatomy
Principles of Neurophysiology
Senior Project

Neuroscience students will also take up to nine credits of Neuroscience-related elective.  See the WSU Catalog Catalog for information about Neuroscience electives.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

Because neuroscience combines parts of many traditional fields of study — including biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, mathematics, engineering, and computer science — it is an ideal major to provide the experience and prerequisites needed for veterinary and human medical schools as well as professional schools in other healthcare disciplines.

You also benefit from personal relationships with College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, who advise neuroscience majors individually and teach many neuroscience courses.

Neuroscience students work and study in state-of-the-art facilities, including:

• The WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which is one of the best-equipped in the world
• The Worthman Veterinary Anatomy Teaching Museum, the only teaching museum of its kind, which displays several hundred dried and skeletal preparations of large and small domestic animals, birds, and wild species.
• Faculty research labs working on a wide variety of topics.

Featured courses

In addition to professional prerequisites, you can also take courses that can give you a head-start in professional school. For instance:

Introduction to Psychology
Exploring the Brain
Genetics
Biochemistry
Foundations of Neuroscience
Neurons, Genes, and Behavior
Cellular Neurobiology
Neuroanatomy
Principles of Neurophysiology
Foundations of Medical Physiology
Microbiology
Biopsychological Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs
Gross and Micro Anatomy
Biomedical Ethics
Functional Anatomy of Domestic Animals

The neuroscience pre-veterinary track includes the prerequisites for the WSU School of Veterinary Medicine DVM program.

The Honors/Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program enables qualified students to complete a BS/DVM in seven years instead of eight. Academically qualified students may be admitted provisionally to the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine upon completion of one year in the WSU Honors College.

This seven-year program leads to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree after satisfactory completion of the neuroscience curriculum.

It consists of three years of neuroscience coursework and the four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine professional program. For additional information, contact the Honors College at 509-335-3784 or the College of Veterinary Medicine at 509-335-3063.

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

For neuroscience students

The Honors College, pre-health sciences program, and neuroscience program award many scholarships to students.

For all students at WSU

To be considered for scholarships, you'll need to complete the University's general scholarship application. To ensure eligibility for the widest range of scholarships and need-based financial aid, all students should also complete the FAFSA.

For information or to apply for financial aid and scholarships from WSU, see the Scholarships and Finances section of the WSU website.

WSU’s Neuroscience Club and Ambassadors Program allows students to meet other neuroscience majors, network with current professionals, build leadership skills, arrange field trips, sponsor guest speakers, plan social events, and demonstrate to public school students that Neuroscience is fun.

A bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from WSU uniquely prepares graduates to enter the growing biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, where much research is devoted to neurodegenerative diseases.

The degree can also lead to professional programs such as medical, veterinary, dental, or graduate school.

A major in neurology prepares students for many careers including research/academic careers (professor, neurobiology researcher), professional health careers (medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, etc.), laboratory technician, technical/pharmaceutical/veterinary sales, biotechnology, science journalism, and more.

WSU graduates find employment researching neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, AIDS, dementia, and multiple sclerosis. Other employment areas include laboratory and medical technical specialties, health care specialties, physical therapy, education, scientific or pharmaceutical sales, veterinary technical assistance, technical writing, nutrition, pharmacy, research assistance, scientific illustration, and patent law.

Neuroscience graduates enter many different fields and have varying starting salaries.

The Society for Neuroscience reports that those with a doctorate working in medical schools, higher education, or industry average an annual starting salary of $68,900 to $75,000.

Technical specialties requiring only a bachelor’s degree may earn less initially, but the biotechnical and biomedical industries offer advancement, stock options, and other perks that are unmatched elsewhere.