Core Faculty: Rae Silver (Chair), Kara Pham (Departmental Representative), Peter Balsam, Elizabeth Bauer, Maria de la Paz Fernandez, John Glendinning, Russell Romeo, Alex White
The Barnard Neuroscience and Behavior (NSBV) Department, founded in July 2019, offers a “new curriculum” to all students who entered in Fall 2019 and thereafter. Students who entered in Fall 2018 had options that were determined individually by the courses they have taken and their interests. Students who entered in Fall 2017 or earlier follow the “old curriculum” established under the rubric of the Neuroscience Program.
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The New Curriculum
The new NSBV curriculum requires the completion of a minimum of 13 courses (5 core neuroscience courses; 3 introductory courses from cognate disciplines; 3 elective courses; a year-long research seminar counting as 2 courses) and a senior thesis. All NSBV majors must take 5 core neuroscience courses that provide foundational knowledge and laboratory training. No more than 2/5 core neuroscience courses can be taken outside the NSBV Department, including Columbia University or other institutions. For many courses, NSBV majors have multiple options. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of our discipline, students can select introductory and elective courses offered in other departments either at Barnard or Columbia. Furthermore, students have the option of selecting elective courses in one suggested track – cognitive/behavioral, computational, or molecular.
Code | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
Five Core Neuroscience Courses | ||
NSBV BC1001 | INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE | |
NSBV BC2001 | Laboratory in Neuroscience | |
NSBV BC3001 | SYSTEMS AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE | |
BIOL BC3362 | MOLECULAR & CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE | |
NSBV BC2002 | Statistics and Experimental Design | |
Three Introductory Courses from Other Disciplines | ||
One course must be Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology (BIOL BC1502 + lab BIOL BC1503); the other courses (1lect; 1lect+lab) from cognate disciplines (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, or Psychology) | ||
Senior Research Seminar | ||
NSBV BC3593 | Senior Research Seminar: Neuroscience and Behavior | |
NSBV BC3594 | Senior Research Seminar: Neuroscience and Behavior | |
Three Elective Courses |
Approved electives are listed on the department webpage. One elective course must be a 3000-level seminar.
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The Old Curriculum
To elect the NSBV major under the old curriculum, a student must have earned:
- an average grade of B- or better in BIOL BC1500+1501 & 1502+1503
- an average grade of B- or better in CHEM BC2001 & 3230+3328
- B- or better in PSYC BC1001
NSBV majors are required to complete a senior thesis and the courses listed below.
(a) Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience (BIOL BC3362) and Systems & Behavioral Neuroscience (PSYC BC2119) (one with lab)
(b) one statistics course (e.g., Statics, PSYCH BC BC1101)
(c) two elective courses (approved electives are listed on the department webpage)
(d) Senior Research Seminar: Neuroscience and Behavior (NSBV BC3593 and NSBV BC3594)
Majors must choose one of two areas of concentration: Behavioral or Cellular. The Behavioral concentration places greater emphasis on behavioral and systems neuroscience. The Cellular concentration places greater emphasis on cellular and molecular neuroscience. Students who chose the Behavioral concentration must take (a) Psychology of Learning (Lec+lab, PSYCH BC2106 & 2107) and (b) Animal Behavior (BIOL BC2280). Required courses for the Cellular concentration are: (a) Mendelian & Molecular Genetics (BIOL BC2100), (b) Cell Biology (BIOL BC3310), and (c) one lab (see list on the department page).
Fall 2021
Code | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
NSBV BC1001 | INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE | |
NSBV BC2001 | Laboratory in Neuroscience | |
NSBV BC3376 | Psychobiology of Infant Development | |
NSBV BC3381 | Visual Neuroscience: From the Eyeball to the Mind's Eye | |
NSBV BC3387 | Topics in Neuroethics | |
NSBV BC3593 | Senior Research Seminar: Neuroscience and Behavior | |
NSBV BC3382 | Neuroscience Frontiers | |
NSBV BC3099 | INDEPENDENT STUDY |
Spring 2022
Code | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
NSBV BC1001 | INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE | |
NSBV BC2001 | Laboratory in Neuroscience | |
NSBV BC3594 | Senior Research Seminar: Neuroscience and Behavior | |
NSBV BC2002 | Statistics and Experimental Design | |
NSBV BC3001 | SYSTEMS AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE | |
NSBV BC3398 | Psychobiology of Sleep | |
NSBV BC3405 | NEUROSCIENCE OF TRAUMA | |
NSBV BC3099 | INDEPENDENT STUDY |
Past Courses
Code | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
(Courses not offered in 2021-2022 academic year) | ||
NSBV BC3367 | Transformative Landmarks in Neuroscience | |
NSBV BC3383 | Neuropharmacology and Behavior | |
NSBV BC3394 | Neurobiology of Social Behaviors | |
NSBV BC3377 | Adolescent Neurobehavioral Development | |
NSBV BC3392 | Psychobiology of Stress |