Overview

Advising

Participating Faculty

Core of Required Courses

Menu of Electives

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Overview

    Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that employs methods and theories from biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, psychology, philosophy, and other fields to understand the brain, behavior, and the mind.  The study of neuroscience can prepare students for graduate studies or professional work in areas such as pharmacology, nursing, medicine, physical therapy, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral genetics, animal behavior, computer science, rehabilitation psychology, and clinical psychology.   

    Dr. Huda Akil, past President of the Society for Neuroscience, has stated that ”being educated about your brain, and how it works, and how it affects how you think and feel and function and interact with others, is very helpful…. It is a nonjudgmental way of helping people understand more about themselves…. This is a great time for neuroscience.” 

    The interdisciplinary Neuroscience Minor, implemented in Fall 2004, is designed to be compatible with any Bachelors degree major within the College of Letters and Science.  It requires a minimum of 21 credits, drawing from Biology, Computer Science, Philosophy, and Psychology course offerings.  Courses taken MAY double-count, for the chosen major and the Neuroscience minor.  A minimum GPA of 2.00 must be earned in all courses required for the minor.

    Students enrolled in the Neuroscience Minor during Academic Year 2007-8 will be advised by Dr. Margaret Beard of the Biology Department.  A member of UW Oshkosh's teaching staff for several years, Dr. Beard's credentials include the following: PhD degree from University of Michigan; NIH postdoctoral fellow at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; 9 years research work in ocular neurophysiology at the Oregon Health Sciences University and at Columbia University in New York; and 15 years research work in models of Alzheimer's Disease at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in New York.
    Dr. Beard's office is located in Halsey 161.  Neuroscience minors are also welcome at her office hours, which are posted on her office door.

CURRENTLY, we have 21 Neuroscience Minors at UWO!  The breakdown of their majors is: 15 Psychology, 4 Biology, 1 Nursing, and 1 Undeclared/PreMed.

    Required units (crs):  21 minimum.  Note that all courses below have at least one prerequisite that often fulfills General Education requirements (designated by HU, NS, and SS). 

Participating Faculty & Instructional Academic Staff

Margaret Beard PhD, Instructor, Biology, beard@uwosh.edu (Alzheimer's Disease, retina)

Jim Koch PhD, Associate Professor, Psychology, kochj@uwosh.edu (behavioral neurology of eating and drinking)

Alice Kyburg PhD, Associate Professor, Philosophy, kyburg@uwosh.edu (philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence).

Susan McFadden PhD, Professor, Psychology, mcfadden@uwosh.edu (adult development and aging; Alzheimer's and other dementias).

Leigh Ann Mrotek PhD, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology & Health, mrotekl@uwosh.edu (hand-eye coordination).

Frances Rauscher PhD, Professor, Psychology, rauscher@uwosh.edu (music cognition, cognitive development).

Dana Vaughan PhD, Associate Professor, Biology, vaughan@uwosh.edu (models of photoreceptor injury and rescue).

Core (required) Courses (9 cr) Check frequently with department for when each is being offered.

A 3 cr Phil course      Choose ONE: Phil 316 Introduction to Cognitive Science OR Phil 327 Philosophy of Mind.  Prerequisites vary but common to all is Phil 109 Intro to Philosophy (HU).  Note: For Fall 2008, we hope to add Phil 306 Philosophy of Emotion and Phil 315 Philosophy of Science to this menu of 4 courses. Until that change is official, students should choose from 316 or 327, only, or contact advisor Dr. Margaret Beard.

Psych 280                  Cognitive Psychology (3 cr). Prerequisite: Psych 101 Intro to Psychology (SS).

Bio 306                      Neurobiology (3 cr, Spring of ODD numbered years only). Prerequisite: Bio 105 Intro Biology: Unity (NS).  Click here for a list of BIO 105 topics that are heavily emphasized in Neurobiology.

Menu of Electives

Minimum 12 cr from at least 2 departments.
No more than 6 cr can be obtained from options labeled with an asterisk (*).
Check with the offering Depts for the final word on when these courses are to be offered; many are every other year (an unfortunate complication) and this IS subject to change!

Bio 316                      Developmental Biology (3 cr, Spring). Prerequisite: Bio 323 Intro Cell Molec or equivalent.  Recommended: BIO 343 Genetics.

Bio 319                      General Animal Physiology (5 cr, Fall and Spring).  Prerequisite: One year of Chemistry plus Bio 323 Intro Cell Molec. Recommended: BIO 230 Biology of Animals.

Bio 323                       Introductory Cell & Molecular Biology (3 cr, Fall and Spring). Prerequisite: Bio 111 or 112 (Biology or Healthcare Orientation), Bio 105 (Intro Biology: Unity; NS) or equivalent, Chem 105 (Gen Chem I; NS) or equivalent, previous or concurrent enrollment in Chem 106 (Gen Chem II).  Note: as of Fall 2007, instead of Chem 105-106, Chem 101-102 (grades of B or better) can be substituted. Students electing to take Bio 323 solely for the purpose of completing the Neuro minor should see a BioMicro Dept chair for permission to waive the required Bio 111 or 112 course.

Comp Sci 300           Artificial Intelligence (3 cr). Prerequisite: Comp Sci 271 Data Structures, grade of C or better. 

Phil 306                     Philosophy of Emotion (3 cr) if NOT taken as a core course. Prerequisite: One prior Philosophy course or Instructor's consent.

Phil 315                      Philosophy of Science (3 cr) if NOT taken as a core course. Prerequisites: Philosophy 101 or 105 or 109 or Instructor's consent.

Phil 316                      Introduction to Cognitive Science (3 cr) if NOT taken as a core course. Prerequisite: Philosophy 105 or 109 or Psychology 201 or Instructor's consent.