Neuroscience
Welcome to the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Majors and Minor Site
Neuroscience at Loyola
The field of neuroscience has exploded in the last 20 years, owing to striking technological advances fueled by innovation and increased federal funding. Loyola’s interdisciplinary Neuroscience program addresses this rapidly growing field by offering three different tracks of study for neuroscience students:
- The neuroscience focuses on the genetic, biochemical, and electrophysiological underpinnings of the development, function, plasticity, pathology, and repair of the nervous system.
- The neuroscience focuses on the neural substrates of cognitive processes and behavior, utilizing methods from cognitive psychology, behavioral analysis, psychobiology, and computer science to account for empirical data about the brain.
- The neuroscience provides and opportunity for students to broaden their knowledge of neuroscience while concentrating on another area for their major.
Please explore our website to learn more about the program and our research laboratories.
Graduates from Loyola Chicago's Neuroscience Department will demonstrate:
- an understanding of the fundamentals of nervous system function at a molecular, cellular, systems, and behavioral level.
- knowledge of the electrochemical signaling and information processing in the nervous system.
- a general knowledge of neuroanatomy at the gross, cellular, and subcellular levels.
- knowledge of the relationship between neural activity and mental life including memory, thought, creativity, and perception.
- knowledge of the relationship between neural activity and behavior including movement and appetitive behaviors (drinking, eating, sexual behavior).
- knowledge of the relationships between neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Schizophrenia, Depression) and underlying neuropathology.
- a general knowledge of the major techniques used in the study of the nervous system as well as information processing.
Upper-level courses and labs will challenge students to learn about key questions confronting today’s neuroscientists, and exposing them to the bench techniques, and analytical and quantitative methods used to tackle these problems. Essay exams, assigned papers, and oral presentations will promote written and oral communication skills that are critical in neuroscience related professions. Students will also develop an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility, a knowledge of contemporary issues coupled with the ability to understand the impact of neuroscience research on society and animal behavior, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
Career options for students completing the neuroscience majors or minor:
Neuroscience graduates are particularly equipped to pursue careers in neuroscience research, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries (including developing therapeutics or prosthetics for the brain and nervous system), medicine, allied health professions (e.g., optometry, physical therapy, acupuncture, genetic counseling, CT technician, clinical psychology), science education and outreach, and scientific/technical writing.