Neuroscience Major

Requirements for the Major in Neuroscience

1. Neuroscience majors are required to take the following basic science courses.
   1. BIOL 040 PO  and BIOL 041C PO  
   2. CHEM 001A PO , CHEM 001B PO  or CHEM 051 PO  
   3. MATH 030 PO  or higher, or completion of AP Calculus AB or BC with a score of 4 or 5, or IB Calculus with a score of 6 or 7, or CSCI 051P PO  or equivalent or higher.
   4. MATH 058 PO  or MATH 058B PO  or an equivalent statistics course in another department at the Claremont Colleges. Students with AP Statistics and scores of 4 or 5 are advised to take MATH 150 PO .
   5. PSYC 051 PO  
2. Majors are required to take (usually in the sophomore year):
   1. NEUR101A PO - Introduction to Neuroscience with Laboratory .
   2. NEUR101B PO - The Human Brain with Laboratory . 
3. Majors must select two additional science courses in consultation with a faculty advisor in the Neuroscience Department, from the following natural science departments: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics, Physics, and Psychological Science.
4. Majors must take two core neuroscience lab courses:
   1. NEUR118 PO - Neuroimaging with fMRI  
   2. NEUR168 PO - Genes and Behavior with Laboratory  
   3. NEUR178 PO - Neurobiology with Lab  
   4. NEUR102 PO - Neuroethology: Mechanisms of Behavior with Laboratory  
   5. NEUR130 PO - Vertebrate Sensory Systems with Laboratory  
   6. NEUR189A PO - Mathematical Methods and Models in Neuroscience    
5. Majors must select one additional course from the following list of neuroscience electives. (Neuroscience core courses can also be used to satisfy the neuroscience elective requirement. Neuroscience courses at the Claremont Colleges and Study Abroad programs may be substituted with approval of a neuroscience advisor.)
   1. BIOL039L KS - Analyses of Human Motor Skills  
   2. BIOL161 KS - Neuroendocrinology   
   3. NEUR103 PO - Neuropharmacology  
   4. NEUR123 PO - The Stressed Brain  
   5. PSYC 140 PO - The Social Brain  
   6. PSYC180W PO - Seminar in Biological Basis of Psychopathology  
   7. PSYC189A PO - Seminar in Clinical Neuropsychology   
6. Majors are required to complete the following senior activities.
   1. NEUR 190 PO  - Senior seminar in the fall of their senior year
   2. NEUR 191 PO  (a one-semester library thesis), or NEUR 192 PO  (a project-based thesis) or NEUR 194A PO  - NEUR 194B PO  (a two-semester experimental thesis taken in both semesters).

All courses counting toward the major must be taken for a letter grade. With prior approval from the department chair, students may receive credit toward their major for coursework completed at neighboring Claremont Colleges. Students planning on attending graduate school in neuroscience should consult with an advisor in neuroscience regarding course selection. In consultation with a neuroscience faculty member at Pomona, neuroscience majors can choose a curriculum at several study abroad programs, such as University College Dublin, University College London, Danish Institute for Study Abroad, and University of Melbourne that may count toward major requirements. Please refer to the Study Abroad Website for the program descriptions and information on eligibility.