Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Neuroscience Minor

Neuroscience
Medical School
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Department of Neuroscience, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-626-6474; fax: 612-626-6460)
Email: neurosci@umn.edu
Website: http://www.neuroscience.umn.edu
  • Program Type: Graduate minor related to major
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2019
  • Length of program in credits (master's): 12
  • Length of program in credits (doctoral): 12
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry. The objects of this inquiry, the brain and nervous system, are sufficiently complex and unique among biological systems to require experimental and analytical approaches that cross the traditional boundaries of molecular and cell biology, behavioral biology, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology, physiology, and psychology. In some instances, neuroscientific inquiry may also encompass computer science, information processing, engineering, physics, and mathematics.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
Required Coursework (4 credits)
All students pursuing the minor must take one of the following courses:
NSC 5461 - Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (3.0 cr)
NSC 5561 - Systems Neuroscience (4.0 cr)
Electives (8 credits)
All students pursuing the minor must take at least eight elective credits, selected in consultation with the Neuroscience director of graduate studies.
NSC 5203 - Basic and Clinical Vision Science (3.0 cr)
NSC 5461 - Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (3.0 cr)
NSC 5462 - Neuroscience Principles of Drug Abuse (2.0 cr)
NSC 5561 - Systems Neuroscience (4.0 cr)
NSC 5661 - Behavioral Neuroscience (2.0 cr)
NSC 8026 - Neuro-Immune Interactions (3.0 cr)
NSC 8111 - Quantitative Neuroscience (3.0 cr)
NSC 8208 - Neuropsychopharmacology (3.0 cr)
NSC 8211 - Developmental Neurobiology (2.0-4.0 cr)
NSC 8320 - Readings in Neurobiology (1.0-4.0 cr)
NSC 8411 - Teaching in Neuroscience (1.0 cr)
NSC 8481 - Advanced Neuropharmaceutics (4.0 cr)
NSCI 4101 - Development of the Nervous System: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms (3.0 cr)
NSCI 4105 - Neurobiology Laboratory I (3.0 cr)
NSCI 4167 {Inactive} (1.0-3.0 cr)
NSCI 4201 - Neuroscience of Drug Abuse (3.0 cr)
NSCI 4501 - Neurodegenerative Diseases, Mechanisms to Therapies (3.0 cr)
NSCI 5101 - Neurobiology I: Molecules, Cells, and Systems (3.0 cr)
NSCI 5501 - Neurodegenerative Diseases, Mechanisms to Therapies (3.0 cr)
NSCI 6110 - Neuroscience for Dental Students (2.0 cr)
NSCI 6112 - Medical Neuroscience for Professional Students (5.0 cr)
Program Sub-plans
Students are required to complete one of the following sub-plans.
Students may not complete the program with more than one sub-plan.
Masters
Doctoral
  
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· Fall 2020

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NSC 5461 - Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Lectures by team of faculty, problem sets in important physiological concepts, discussion of original research papers. prereq: NSc grad student or instr consent
NSC 5561 - Systems Neuroscience
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Principles of organization of neural systems forming the basis for sensation/movement. Sensory-motor/neural-endocrine integration. Relationships between structure and function in nervous system. Team taught. Lecture, laboratory. prereq: NSc grad student or instr consent
NSC 5203 - Basic and Clinical Vision Science
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Basic and clinical vision science. prereq: instr consent
NSC 5461 - Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Lectures by team of faculty, problem sets in important physiological concepts, discussion of original research papers. prereq: NSc grad student or instr consent
NSC 5462 - Neuroscience Principles of Drug Abuse
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: Phcl 5462/Nsc 5462
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Current research on drugs of abuse, their mechanisms of action, characteristics shared by various agents, and neural systems affected by them. Offered biennially, spring semester of even-numbered years. prereq: instr consent
NSC 5561 - Systems Neuroscience
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Principles of organization of neural systems forming the basis for sensation/movement. Sensory-motor/neural-endocrine integration. Relationships between structure and function in nervous system. Team taught. Lecture, laboratory. prereq: NSc grad student or instr consent
NSC 5661 - Behavioral Neuroscience
Credits: 2.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Neural coding/representation of movement parameters. Neural mechanisms underlying higher order processes such as memorization, memory scanning, and mental rotation. Emphasizes experimental psychological studies in human subjects, single cell recording experiments in subhuman primates, and artificial neural network modeling. prereq: Grad NSc major or grad NSc minor or instr consent
NSC 8026 - Neuro-Immune Interactions
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: MVB 8361/NSc 8026/Psy 8026
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Regulatory systems (neuroendocrine, cytokine, and autonomic nervous systems) linking brain and immune systems in brain-immune axis. Functional effects of bidirectional brain-immune regulation. Course is offered fall of even-numbered years. prereq: 5561, MicB 4131
NSC 8111 - Quantitative Neuroscience
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Principles of experimental design and statistical analysis in neuroscience research. Includes an introduction to computer programming for data analysis using both classic and modern quantitative methods.
NSC 8208 - Neuropsychopharmacology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Methodologies to study relationships between drugs and biochemical, behavioral, and neurophysiological consequences. Functional biogenic amine, peptidergic, other pathways. How manipulations alter neuronal function or behavior. Feedback mechanisms, induction, inhibition. Reinforcement of, tolerance to, or dependence on drugs of abuse: stimulants, hallucinogens, depressants, opiates. Student presentations. prereq: [5212, 6112, PSY 5021, PSY 5061] or instr consent
NSC 8211 - Developmental Neurobiology
Credits: 2.0 -4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
How neuronal types develop. Emphasizes general mechanisms. Experimental data demonstrating mechanisms. prereq: Neuroscience grad student or instr consent
NSC 8320 - Readings in Neurobiology
Credits: 1.0 -4.0 [max 16.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Topics in neurobiology and neurophysiology.
NSC 8411 - Teaching in Neuroscience
Credits: 1.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: S-N or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Grad students serve as primary instructors in 4151 and work with fellow students and faculty mentors to design curriculum, classroom sessions, exams, and course evaluations. prereq: instr approval
NSC 8481 - Advanced Neuropharmaceutics
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: CMB 8481/NSc 8481/Phm 8481
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Delivery of compounds to central nervous system (CNS) to activate proteins in specific brain regions for therapeutic benefit. Pharmaceutical/pharmacological issues specific to direct drug delivery to CNS. prereq: instr consent
NSCI 4101 - Development of the Nervous System: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Nsci 4100/Nsci 8211
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course will extend students? understanding of fundamental concepts of biology and neuroscience through study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie development of the nervous system. Neurodevelopment provides a context in which to study processes active in many biological functions and diseases. Students will learn about each of the major cellular processes involved in development of the nervous system such as cell division and cell migration, and will learn about the function of molecules and signaling pathways active in each process. Human developmental pathologies will be studied as a means to better understand normal developmental processes. Some lectures will focus on current research, and students will be expected to read some scientific literature.
NSCI 4105 - Neurobiology Laboratory I
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Principles, methods, and laboratory exercises for investigating neural mechanisms and examining experimental evidence.
NSCI 4201 - Neuroscience of Drug Abuse
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
The use and abuse of illicit drugs is an ongoing and insidious world problem. Neuroscience research has contributed importantly to understanding drug abuse as a disease of the nervous system. The goal of this course will be to provide a clinical characterization of drug abuse from a human perspective. From there animal models of drug use and addiction will be discussed as a basis for research examining cellular and molecular mechanisms of the effects of drugs on the nervous system. As all drugs of abuse have a common neurobiology, that neurobiology will be examined from a circuit perspective that will include the underlying molecular control. Collectively students should develop a comprehensive view of the problem of drug addiction including prospects for the development of neurobiologically-based therapeutics.
NSCI 4501 - Neurodegenerative Diseases, Mechanisms to Therapies
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
With a rapid increase in population aging in western educated industrialized rich democratic (WEIRD) societies, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease have become an alarming health priority due to the current absence of disease-modifying therapies. The objective of this course is to acquire a fundamental appreciation for the most common degenerative disorders of the nervous system as well as to integrate central notions shared across these diseases and emerging concepts in the field
NSCI 5101 - Neurobiology I: Molecules, Cells, and Systems
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
This course discusses the basic principles of cellular and molecular neurobiology and nervous systems. The main topics include: Organization of simple networks, neural systems and behavior; how the brain develops and the physiology and communication of neurons and glia; the molecular and genetic basis of cell organization; ion channel structure and function; the molecular basis of synaptic receptors; transduction mechanisms and second messengers; intracellular regulation of calcium; neurotransmitter systems, including excitation and inhibition, neuromodulation, system regulation and the cellular basis of learning, memory and cognition. The course is intended for students majoring in neuroscience, but is open to all students with the required prerequisites.
NSCI 5501 - Neurodegenerative Diseases, Mechanisms to Therapies
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Nsci 4501/Nsci 5501
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
With a rapid increase in population aging in western educated industrialized rich democratic (WEIRD) societies, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer?s disease have become an alarming health priority due to the current absence of disease-modifying therapies. The objective of this course is to acquire a fundamental appreciation for the most common degenerative disorders of the nervous system as well as to integrate central notions shared across these diseases and emerging concepts in the field.
NSCI 6110 - Neuroscience for Dental Students
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Structure/function of the human nervous system. Lectures, reading assignments. prereq: Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for: : 5110; Dental student
NSCI 6112 - Medical Neuroscience for Professional Students
Credits: 5.0 [max 5.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Molecular, cellular, and systems neuroscience as related to medicine. Lecture, lab. prereq: BioC 3021, Biol 4004, instr consent; intended for non-medical professional students