Discover the Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior Curriculum
The Department of Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior offers two majors:
- Neuroscience
- Cognition and Behavior
Keep scrolling to learn about each of our majors!
Neuroscience Major
The Neuroscience major is an interdisciplinary major within the Department of Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior which emphasizes the interaction of behavior with biological systems including brain pathways, nervous systems and hormonal systems.
Disciplines such as psychology, biology, chemistry, physics, anthropology and philosophy all contribute to a cohesive understanding of neurological functions. The assimilation of disciplines helps students develop intellectual skills in critical thinking and sound reasoning, and requires integration of knowledge from multiple levels of analysis, all of which are important characteristics of a liberal arts education.
Career opportunities include jobs in research, healthcare, academia, government and the private sector.
Cognition and Behavior Major
Cognition and Behavior is an interdisciplinary major within the Department of Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior that encompasses the scientific study of mind, including the relationship between thinking, behavior and the brain.
Disciplines such as neuroscience, psychology, biology, philosophy and computer science all contribute to a cohesive understanding of behavior from a cognitive perspective. The assimilation of disciplines helps students develop intellectual skills in critical thinking and sound reasoning and requires integration of knowledge from multiple levels of analysis, all of which are important characteristics of a liberal arts education. The major provides students with a foundation in hands-on scientific inquiry and laboratory experience combined with interdisciplinary coursework to better understand brain and behavior connections from a variety of perspectives.
The major is designed to help students prepare for admission into graduate or professional school and to provide a foundation for entry into careers including healthcare, academia, government or the private sector.
Declare a Cognition and Behavior Major!
Explore Our Courses!
Read class descriptions on our Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior Courses page! Not all courses offered below will be available every semester. Make sure to check course offerings on the registration portal for each upcoming semester.
Program Requirements
Each student declares their major(s) and minor(s) under a single catalog of record that is identified on the student's degree audit (available on Degree Works).
The program requirements below are based on the current course catalog and may not be applicable if a student is declared in an earlier catalog.
Find all previous course catalogs on our Archived Catalogs of Record page.
Questions about our previous Behavioral Neuroscience program?
Please review the Archived Catalogs of Record or contact us at ncb@sandiego.edu.
69 units
Neuroscience Major
57.5 units
Cognition and Behavior Major
Major unit estimates include preparation for the major course units as well as major requirements.
- Neuroscience Major
- Cognition and Behavior Major
- Learning Outcomes
Neuroscience BS
The Neuroscience Major
Preparation for the Major
NCB 150 | Introduction to Cognition and Behavior | 3 |
or PSYC 101 | Introductory Psychology | |
NCB 210 | Statistics | 3 |
NCB 201 | Introduction to Neuroscience | 3 |
BIOL 240 | Bioenergetics and Systems | 4 |
BIOL 242 | Genomes and Evolution | 4 |
CHEM 151 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
CHEM 152 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
PHYS 136 | General Physics I | 4 |
PHYS 137 | General Physics II | 4 |
MATH 150 | Calculus I | 4 |
Total Units | 37 | |
Major Requirements
A minimum of 31 units of upper-division coursework is required and must be distributed as follows:
Research Methods | 4 | |
NCB 300 & 300L | Behavioral Research Methods and Behavioral Research Methods Lab | |
Neurobiology | 3 | |
NCB 305 | Neurobiology | |
Advances in Neuroscience | 3 | |
NCB 310 | Systems Neuroscience | |
NCB 315 | Topics in Neuroscience | |
Lab-Based Exploration | 4 | |
NCB 380 | Lab-Based Exploration in Neuroscience | |
Behavior and Cognition | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
NCB 330 | Topics in Behavior and Cognition | |
NCB 332 | Learning and Behavior | |
NCB 344 | Animal Behavior | |
NCB 346 | Evolution of Brain and Behavior | |
Neuroscience and Society | 3 | |
NCB 357 | Behavioral Medicine | |
NCB 359 | Behavioral Medicine of Women and Marginalized Communities | |
NCB 360 | Stress Management | |
NCB 370 | Topics in Neuroscience and Society | |
NCB 372 | Clinical Neuroscience | |
NCB 378 | Human Sexuality | |
PHIL 347 | Neuroethics | |
Capstone Experience | 3 | |
3 units of NCB 496, NCB 498 and/or NCB 499 can be used to fulfill the capstone experience. | ||
NCB 495 | Senior Seminar in Neuroscience | |
NCB 496 | Research Experience | |
NCB 498 | Internship in Neuroscience | |
NCB 499 | Independent Study | |
Electives | 9 | |
Select 9 credits from the above courses, if not already used to fulfill requirements, or from the following list. At least 3 units must be from NCB, and at least 3 units must be from a discipline other than NCB. (Note: Some of these courses have additional prerequisites) | ||
ANTH 310 | Human Evolution | |
ANTH 311 | Monkey Business: Behavior and Ecology of Primates | |
ANTH 315 | Modern Human Variation | |
BIOL 300 | Genetics | |
BIOL 310 | Evolution | |
BIOL 320 | Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates | |
BIOL/CHEM 330 | Techniques in Molecular Biology | |
BIOL 346 | Vertebrate Natural History | |
BIOL 376 | Animal Development | |
BIOL 478 | Vertebrate Physiology | |
BIOL 480 | Cell Physiology | |
BIOL 482 | Molecular Biology | |
BIOL 484 | Immunology | |
CHEM 301 | Organic Chemistry I | |
CHEM 302 | Organic Chemistry II | |
CHEM 331 | Biochemistry I | |
CHEM 427 | Biophysical Chemistry | |
COGS490 | Advances in Cognitive Science | |
EOSC 438 | Animal Behavioral Ecology with Lab | |
EOSC 439 | Animal Behavioral Ecology | |
PHIL 331 | Biomedical Ethics | |
PHIL 413 | Philosophy of Mind | |
PHIL 415 | Philosophy of Natural Science | |
PHYS 340 | Biological Physics | |
PSYC 305 | Advanced Statistics | |
NCB 347 | Behavior Genetics | |
NCB 350 | Sensation and Perception | |
NCB 352 | Music Cognition | |
NCB 494 | Special Topics in Neuroscience | |
Senior Neuroscience Assessment | 0 | |
NCB 492 | Major Field Test (As part of the department’s assessment program, each graduating senior is required to take a major field test in neuroscience and senior exit survey (NCB 492). A student who fails to do so may be restricted from graduating) | |
Total Units | 32 | |
While students are not currently required to participate in research, students who are considering applying to graduate school or medical school are strongly encouraged to volunteer for at least two semester of research experience.
Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
Semester I | Units | |
NCB 150 or PSYC 101 | Introduction to Cognition and Behavior Introductory Psychology | 3 |
CHEM 151 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
MATH 150 | Calculus I | 4 |
Core Curriculum or Electives | 3-6 | |
Semester II | ||
NCB 210 | Statistics | 3 |
BIOL 240 | Bioenergetics and Systems | 4 |
CHEM 152 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
Core Curriculum or Electives | 3-6 | |
Sophomore Year | ||
Semester I | ||
NCB 201 | Introduction to Neuroscience | 3 |
NCB 300 & 300L | Behavioral Research Methods | 4 |
BIOL 242 | Genomes and Evolution | 4 |
PHYS 136 | General Physics I | 4 |
Semester II | ||
NCB 305 | Neurobiology | 3 |
PHYS 137 | General Physics II | 4 |
Core Curriculum or Electives | 9 | |
Junior Year | ||
Semester I | ||
Advances in Neuroscience Major Requirement | 3 | |
Upper-Division Neuroscience Major Requirement | 3 | |
Core Curriculum or Electives | 9 | |
Semester II | ||
Lab-Based Exploration Major Requirement | 4 | |
Upper-Division Neuroscience Major Requirement | 6 | |
Core Curriculum or Electives | 6 | |
Senior Year | ||
Semester I | ||
NCB 495 | Senior Seminar in Neuroscience | 3 |
Upper-Division Neuroscience Major Requirement | 3 | |
Core Curriculum or Electives | 9 | |
Semester II | ||
NCB 492 | Major Field Test | 0 |
Upper-Division Neuroscience Major Requirement | 3 | |
Core Curriculum or Electives | 12 | |
The recommended program of study is intended as a guide to students in planning their college program. It is not expected that students will adhere rigidly to the sequence of suggested courses.
The electives chosen to complete the major requirements should be selected in consultation with your academic advisor with a view to achieving balance among the major areas of neuroscience. Select 9 credits from the above courses, if not already used to fulfill requirements, or from the following list. At least 3 units must be from NCB, and at least 3 units must be from a discipline other than NCB. A maximum of 6 units from NCB 496 (and other experiential units) can be applied toward the units required to complete the major.
Due to the number of shared courses between the Neuroscience major and Psychology majors, students with a Neuroscience major are not eligible to double-major in Psychology.