Curriculum

NRSC Student Advisory Committee

A. Overview 

B. Required Credits

The Graduate College requires at least 63 units of graduate work, including major and minor coursework, rotation research (NRSC 700) and dissertation research (NRSC 920). The combination of major and minor coursework must total a minimum of 36 units; at least half of these units must be taken for letter grades. 

• 36 units are required to become eligible for taking the comprehensive exam

• Another 36 additional units are typically required to graduate (after reaching Advanced Candidacy). These can be derived from:
  • NRSC 900 Research (additional research rotation)
  • NRSC 920 Dissertation research
  • NRSC 599/699 Independent study
• A total of 72 units is required for graduation
• Students must take a minimum of 12 units per semester in their first year. After their first year, students must be enrolled in 6 units each semester to meet minimum enrollment requirements.

NRSC students are expected to maintain an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0 (B) and to have no more than a total of 2 grades of C; failure to achieve such a record can result in conversion to non-degree status and dismissal from the program at any time. 

C. Required Courses (Table 1) 

Students must achieve a grade of B or better in each of the core courses; failure to achieve a grade of B or better will result in probation, and possible dismissal from the Program and conversion to non-degree status.

Core curriculum courses are NRSC 588, NRSC 560, two semesters of NRSC 695F, one Statistics course, one Writing and one Ethics course, and three research rotations (see below).

At least three research rotations (NRSC 700) must be completed in three different laboratories (10 weeks each). The first rotation can start earlier during the summer.  A total of 9 units is recommended.  After rotations, students should join a lab or add a 4th rotation.

TABLE 1: CORE COURSEWORK (*  indicates required core courses)

Statistics Courses

At least two units of statistics are required. Students may choose from the list below, or request the NRSC Graduate Advisory Committee to have an equivalent course considered for meeting the requirement.

TABLE 2: Statistic Courses (* request instructor approval for enrollment)

Teaching 

Because teaching is an important element in academic careers in Neuroscience, supervised experience in university-level teaching is considered essential. Each student is therefore required to serve as a Teaching Assistant for at least one semester during the first 3 years. Please contact Kirsten (kirstencg@arizona.edu) to arrange for teaching opportunities.

Registration Information 

Schedule of classes: see UAccess Website

On-line course registration: see UAccess website

D. Neuroscience Elective Courses 

Elective and required courses (Table 3) must add up to a minimum of 36 units (not including dissertation research and independent study). At least half of the 36 units must be taken for a letter grade (not pass/fail). Additional courses of interest that are not listed in Table 3 can be accepted after confirmation with the student's Advisory Committee or the Graduate Advisor. The Graduate College discourages cross-listing of classes, hence some of the courses listed in the table below do not carry the 'NRSC' prefix. Irrespective of the prefix, all these courses will be accepted as Neuroscience electives.

TABLE 3: Coursework for the Neuroscience Electives

Specific courses selected to fulfill the core requirements cannot also be counted as electives.

Students and faculty are welcome to consult with the Graduate Student Advisor to determine whether neuroscience-related courses that are not listed might be acceptable as electives.

E. Minor coursework for Neuroscience students (at least 9 units are required).

Predoctoral students can pursue a minor in any established program, as determined by the guidelines of the respective program. Alternatively, the student may choose a minor in Neuroscience option that offers a flexible curriculum tailored to the student’s interests.

The minor should be selected in consultation with the dissertation advisor and must be approved by the NRSC Graduate Advisory Committee. Contact the NRSC Program Coordinator for a “Statement of Minor” form to submit for review and approval.

Examples of established programs for consideration include but are not limited to:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology & Anatomy
• Entomology and Insect Science
• Immunology, Genetics
• Molecular & Cellular Biology
• Medical Pharmacology
• Physiological Sciences
• Psychology
• Speech & Hearing Sciences

F. Minor in Neuroscience for graduate students in other programs (at least 9 units are required)

The minor in Neuroscience requires:

• Passing one of the core course NRSC 560 OR 588 (4 units)
• 5 additional units in courses that are cross-listed in NRSC. The NRSC Colloquium course NRSC 695f is valid for the minor.

The provided information may be subject to change with reasonable advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee of the Neuroscience GIDP.

Last update 4/2025