About / Neuroscience Program Description

Curriculum / Courses

Overview

In addition to the cellular and molecular neuroscience taught in the ISP Curriculum, the Graduate Program in Neuroscience offers a number of courses (described below) that are designed to ensure that each student achieves a fundamental understanding of the structure and function of the nervous system. In consultation with the Neuroscience Program student advisor (Michele Jacob) and/or the student's research mentor, each student also chooses a minimum of one additional elective course in his/her particular area of interest. All students are also required to participate in a weekly journal club and departmental seminar series as well as monthly oral presentation session held in the early evening, with dinner. Together, these activities help to keep students abreast of recent developments in neuroscience while honing skills in written and oral scientific communication.

A. Required Courses

Systems Neuroscience and Disease (NS212) covers most aspects of systems neurobiology with a special emphasis on neurological disease. The course consists of lectures, neuroanatomy labs, patient presentations, and clinical correlations. It is required of all students.

Journal Club in Neuroscience (NS291/292) is a weekly student-run "journal club" that gives students extensive experience in analyzing literature. A theme is chosen for each two to three week block; within each block, students review specific aspects of the topic, and then discuss current articles that are noteworthy. All students in the program participate each semester throughout their tenure.

Neuroscience Evening Meeting (NS293/294) is a monthly meeting that develops discourse skill through oral presentations by students and postdoctoral fellows. The format promotes presentation of material in a confident manner and provides ample opportunities to think and discuss creatively and analytically. Informal written feedback from attendees is given on scientific content, presentation, slide material, speaking style, and interpretation. All members of the program (students, fellows, and faculty members) participate in this course; all students are required to attend during all years of graduate study and are responsible for one presentation each year.

Neuroscience Seminar Series (NS295/296) consists of weekly seminars from visiting scientists. Following each seminar, second and third year students participate in a discussion group, led by members of the faculty, which focuses on the issues raised by the seminar. Students also write several short summaries of selected seminars, as an exercise in scientific distillation and analytical thought. Participation is required of all second and third year students unless specifically excused by the course director.

Neuroscience Graduate Thesis Research (NS297/298) is the student's graduate research. Credits are determined by whether research is part-time (second year) or full-time (dissertation research in subsequent years). All students begin this course upon entering the laboratory in which they will pursue their thesis project. Students continue to enroll in this course until the completion of their degree.

Ethics for Research Scientists is a discussion course to expose students to proper ethical conduct in scientific research. Discussions center around issues key to research scientists, including fraud, intellectual property, conflict of interest, authorship, animal welfare, and safety. Students have several courses of this type to choose from.

B. Elective Courses

At least one additional course is selected by the student. Elective courses may be from any Sackler School program and are listed and described in the Sackler School catalog. Students may also enroll in courses offered by other schools of Tufts University and/or Boston College, Boston University, and Brandeis University (see the Sackler School course catalog for details).

Students may receive transfer credit for previously taken courses, but credit must be approved by the relevant course director and by the Sackler School Executive Council. Elective courses taught specifically through the Graduate Program in Neuroscience are listed below. Contact the Program Director (Kathy Dunlap) or Administrative Coordinator (Kate Nelson) for details.

Developmental Neuroscience (NS205)
Synapse Neurobiology (NS213)
Neurogenetics (new course)
Molecular Mechanisms of Neurological Disease (new course)
Scientific Writing (NS220)