Neuroscience
The departments of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Psychology, and Zoology jointly offer one undergraduate degree in neuroscience. For information on advanced programs in neuroscience, see the Graduate Program in Neuroscience.
Students who are continuing in the B.Sc. program and entering second year and wish to pursue a Neuroscience specialization, and including students who have applied to enter the Faculty of Science and expect to have second- or third-year standing upon admission, must apply using the online coordinated admissions process administered by the Faculty of Science. Students can check the Student Service Centre to see if they are eligible to register as at least a second-year B.Sc. student (and thus able to use the online coordinated admissions process) in June.
Students who are continuing in the B.Sc. program and entering third year and wish to pursue a Neuroscience specialization must apply online through the Neuroscience program website for admission mid-May.
Co-operative Education Program in Neuroscience
Co-operative Education is a process of education which integrates academic study with related and supervised work experience in co-operating employer organizations.
An optional Co-operative Education Program is available for students in the Neuroscience specialization. The Program, which is intended to help prepare interested and qualified students for research careers in industry, university, or government settings, includes at least 16 months of work placement (i.e., at least four work terms) supervised by scientists in industrial, academic or governmental positions. Co-op advisors visit students at their place of work and provide advice on work term reports required of all students in the program. The four work terms are normally taken consecutively beginning in Summer Session after third year and ending in Summer Session after fourth year.
To be eligible, students must be in a Neuroscience specialization, and they must have completed at least one academic term in this program. Admission is by application to the Science Co-op Office. Selection of students is based on academic performance and general suitability to the work environment, as determined by resumé and interview. The total enrolment is subject to the availability of appropriate work placements. The work placements are arranged by mutual agreement between students and employing organizations. Participating students register for NSCI 398, 399, 498, or 499, as appropriate, and pay the Cooperative Education program fee per course as well as Co-operative Education Program Fees.
Graduation in the Co-operative Education Program for Neuroscience requires a student to complete NSCI 398, 399, 498, and 499, in addition to the normal academic requirements. Students may choose appropriate timing for their work terms.
Detailed information on the program can be obtained from the Neuroscience Specialization Advisors or from the Co-operative Education Program.
Specialization
Major (3742): Neuroscience (NSCI)
| First Year | |
|---|---|
| Communication Requirement1 | 6 |
| BIOL 112, 1212 | 6 |
| BIOL 140 or 1802 | 2 |
| CHEM 110 or 111 or 120 or 1213 | 4 |
| CHEM 123 or 1303 | 4 |
| DSCI 100 | 3 |
| MATH 100 or 102 or 104 (or 120 or 180 or 184)4 | 3 |
| PHYS 106 or 117 or 1315 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 31 |
| Second Year | |
| PSYC 277, 278 | 8 |
| NSCI 200, 201 | 6 |
| BIOL 200, 234 | 6 |
| BIOL 201 or BIOC 202 | 3 |
| CHEM 233 | 3 |
| Electives6 | 3 |
| Total Credits7 | 29 |
| Third Year | |
| NSCI 300, 301, 302, 311 | 12 |
| BIOL 371, 372 or PSYC 370, 3718 | 6 |
| Electives6 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Fourth Year | |
| NSCI 4009 | 6 |
| 9 credits from List A (if Behavioural/Cognitive Neuroscience Emphasis) or List B (if Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience Emphasis), and 3 credits from List A (if Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience Emphasis) or List B (if Behavioural/Cognitive Neuroscience Emphasis) | |
| *List A (Behavioural/Cognitive Neuroscience): PSYC 361, PSYC 363, PSYC 365, PSYC 367, PSYC 368, PSYC 409, PSYC 460, PSYC 461, PSYC 462, PSYC 472 | |
| *List B (Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience): BIOL 451, BIOL 458, BIOL 459, BIOL 460, CAPS 421, CAPS 42610 | |
| Electives6 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Credits for Degree | 120 |
| 1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses see Communication Requirement. | |
| 2 Students without one of Biology 11 or Biology 12 must take BIOL 111 before taking BIOL 112 or 121 or 180. Students without Chemistry 12 must take CHEM 100, CHEM 110, or CHEM 111 before taking BIOL 112. | |
| 3 Students who do not have B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM 100. If a student elects to take CHEM 110 or 120, and/or CHEM 130, the student will have an extra 1 or 2 elective credits available to them. | |
| 4 Students taking more than 3 credits of first year MATH should count these extra credits as electives and reduce the total number of elective credits accordingly. MATH 110 may substitute for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed by reducing the total number of elective credits by 3. | |
| 5 Students without Physics 12 must take PHYS 100 before taking PHYS 117 or PHYS 131. | |
| 6 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s: a) Foundational Requirement; b) Laboratory Science Requirement; c) Science Breadth Requirement; d) Science and Arts Requirements; e) Upper-level Requirement; f) General Degree Requirements. | |
| 7 Students considering Honours, must take a minimum of 30 credits per academic year. | |
| 8 For Cellular and Molecular Emphasis, take BIOL 371, 372. For Behavioural and Cognitive Emphasis, take PSYC 370, 371. | |
| 9 Alternatively, under exceptional circumstances and with prior approval of the Director of the neuroscience specialization, this requirement may be substituted for 6 credits from: (a) NSCI 448; and/or (b) courses on Lists A or B. | |
| 10 Students should be aware that CAPS 426 has particularly stringent prerequisites. See the calendar entry for details. | |
B.Sc. Major in Cognitive Systems
The Cognitive Systems (COGS) Major (B.Sc. or B.A.) integrates aspects of psychology, linguistics, computer science and philosophy relevant to examining cognition in human and machine systems. The COGS B.Sc. Major in Brain and Cognition, supervised by the Department of Psychology, emphasizes this interdisciplinary endeavour from the perspective of cognitive- and neuro-psychology.
All COGS-designated core courses (COGS 200, 300, 303, 401, and 402) have an emphasis on the collaborative engagement of students in curricular and research projects. The specialization aims for its graduates to possess the background competence necessary to enter graduate research programs in one of the contributing disciplines, or in cognitive science itself.
For information about admission to the COGS (B.Sc.) major streams, see Computer Science and Neuroscience. For information about admission to the COGS (B.A.) major streams, see Linguistics, Philosophy, and Psychology. The web pages for these departments contain information regarding the COGS specialization and admissions to it.
Major Cognitive Systems (1225): Cognition and Brain
| First Year | |
|---|---|
| Communication Requirement1 | 6 |
| CHEM 111 (or 121)2,3 | 4 |
| CPSC 110 (or both of 103 and 107)4, 121 | 8 |
| MATH 1003 or 102 or 104 (or 120 or 180 or 184) | 3 |
| MATH 101 or 103 or 105 (or 121) | 3 |
| PHYS 106 or 117 or 1313,5 | 3 |
| Electives3,6 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Second Year | |
| COGS 200 | 3 |
| LING 1007 | 3 |
| PHIL 220 (or 320)8 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 and 1027 | 6 |
| STAT 200 or 2019 | 3 |
| Electives3,6 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Third and Fourth Years | |
| COGS 300, 303, 401, 402 | 13 |
| Two of PHIL 326, 351, 441, 451, 455 | 6 |
| PSYC 365 | 3 |
| Cognitive Systems module courses numbered 300 or above10,11,12 | 18 |
| Electives3,6 | 20 |
| Total Credits | 60 |
| Credits for Degree | 120 |
| 1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses see Communication Requirement. ENGL 112 and SCIE 113 are recommended. Three credits of the Communication Requirement may be deferred until second year. | |
| 2 Students who do not have B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM 100. | |
| 3 Students attempting the Cognitive Systems specialization should choose electives to obtain prerequisites to appropriate third and fourth-year courses. Note that the B.Sc. requires at least 72 credits of science courses. Students taking more than 6 credits of first year MATH can reduce the number of elective credits required in second or third year accordingly. MATH 110 may substitute for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 3 credits. Students are permitted to move elective credits between years. Students who take courses in MATH, PHYS, or CHEM with more credits than those recommended can count the extra credit as electives. | |
| 4 While CPSC 110 is recommended, both of CPSC 103 and 107 may be taken in its place by using 2 credits of electives. | |
| 5 Students without credit for Physics 12 must complete PHYS 100 in addition. | |
|
6 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s: a)Foundational Requirement; b)Laboratory Science Requirement; c)Science Breadth Requirement; d)Science and Arts Requirements; e)Upper-level Requirement; f)General Degree Requirements |
|
| At least one elective from BIOL (or ASTR or EOSC or GEOS or GEOB) is recommended for the Cognitive Systems specialization. | |
| 7 Students attempting the Cognitive Systems specialization should complete LING 100 and PSYC 101 and 102 as early in their program as possible. Alternatively, PSYC 101 can be taken in first year, and PSYC 102 in second year. | |
| 8 The prerequisite PHIL 220 may be waived for PHIL 320 with the consent of the instructor. | |
| 9 STAT 200 is recommended for students with an interest in further STAT courses. STAT 201 is recommended for students with an interest in the Minor in Data Science. | |
| 10 Cognitive Systems module courses are recommended as electives for each year of study. Modules are sets of recommended courses that are directly relevant to Cognitive Systems. For the list of module courses, see Cognitive Systems. Courses explicitly listed as required cannot also be counted as module courses. | |
| 11 At least 6 credits must be PSYC module courses, and at least 6 credits must be non-PSYC module courses. | |
| 12 BIOL 455 and 458 can also be counted towards this requirement so long as PSYC 304, 360, 370, or 371 have not been taken. | |
