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USC Catalogue 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]

Neuroscience – Graduate Program

Return to: Office of the Provost  

ngp.usc.edu

Director: Pat Levitt, PhD

Application deadline: December 1

Breadth of interests and training are major features of the graduate program in neuroscience. Wide and varied skills in many research areas characterize the faculty of the program. Close contact between faculty and students is considered of major importance in this highly interdisciplinary field.

Training is given in several areas of specialization: behavioral and systems neuroscience, cellular and molecular neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, brain diseases, and neuroscience of aging and development.

Applicants should normally have defined an interest in one or two specializations. A final choice of the specialization will be made during the first year through laboratory rotations.

Admission Requirements

A baccalaureate degree in a field relevant to the student’s graduate goals is required.

Appropriate fields would include neuroscience, biology, chemistry, computer science, linguistics, psychology and many areas of engineering. Undergraduate study should provide evidence of substantive research experience, and proficiency in mathematics, including statistics. Students planning to enter the specialization in computational and mathematical neuroscience should have taken course work in calculus and, where possible, linear algebra and computer programming. Applicants who are accepted with minor deficiencies are expected to correct these during the first year.

Programs

Master’s Degree

Doctoral Degree

Courses

Neuroscience (Graduate)

  • NSCI 521 Hearing and Communication Neuroscience

    Units: 4
    Terms Offered: Sp
    (Enroll in BISC 521 )

  • NSCI 524 Advanced Overview of Neurosciences

    Units: 4
    Terms Offered: Fa
    Study of the nervous system at multiple levels through the analysis of four themes: motor control; emotion, motivation, and decision-making; memory and learning; and vision.
    Prerequisite: BISC 421 .
    Registration Restriction: Open only to master and doctoral students.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 524.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Letter

    Crosslisted as PHBI 524

  • NSCI 525 Advanced Overview of Neurosciences II

    Units: 4
    Terms Offered: Sp
    Sensory and motor systems, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral systems, computational neuroscience.
    Prerequisite: BISC 421 .
    Registration Restriction: Open only to master and doctoral students.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 525.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Letter

  • NSCI 531 Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology

    Units: 4
    Terms Offered: FaSpSm
    Introduces fundamental principles of advanced molecular and cellular neurobiology including proteins and nucleic acids, cell biology of neurons and glia, synaptic transmission and neuronal signaling.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to master and doctoral students.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 531.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Letter

    Crosslisted as INTD-567

  • NSCI 532 Systems and Behavioral Neurobiology

    Units: 3
    Terms Offered: Fa
    Systems and behavioral neurobiology: hierarchical mechanisms controlling behavior, experimental techniques; perceptual (visual, auditory, somatosensory) systems; sensorimotor systems; motivated behavior; learning, memory and adaptation.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to master and doctoral students.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Letter

  • NSCI 533 Cognitive Neuroscience

    Units: 4
    Terms Offered: Sp
    (Enroll in PSYC 540 )

  • NSCI 539 Seminar in Neurobiology

    Units: 1
    Max Units: 4
    Terms Offered: FaSp
    Seminar in Neurobiology.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to master and doctoral students.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 539.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Letter

  • NSCI 540 Advanced Seminars in Neuroscience

    Units: 1
    Max Units: 8.0
    Terms Offered: FaSpSm
    Advanced topic based seminarstyle courses in the diverse areas of Neuroscience.
    Recommended Preparation: NSCI 524 .
    Registration Restriction: Open only graduate students.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Letter

  • NSCI 541 Advanced Seminars in Neuroscience

    Units: 2
    Max Units: 12
    Terms Offered: FaSpSm
    Advanced topic-based, seminar-style courses in the diverse areas of Neuroscience.
    Prerequisite: NSCI 524 .
    Registration Restriction: Open only to master and doctoral students.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 541.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Letter

  • NSCI 596 Internship for Curricular Practical Training

    Units: 1, 2, 3
    Max Units: 03
    Terms Offered: FaSpSm
    Part-time or full-time, practical work experience in the student’s field of study. The internship must be located at an off-campus facility. Students are individually supervised by faculty. May not be taken until the student has completed at least one semester of enrollment in the graduate program with a cumulative 3.0 GPA.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to graduate students
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Credit/No Credit

  • NSCI 599 Special Topics

    Units: 2, 3, 4
    Max Units: 8.0
    Special topics providing background for instruction and research in neuroscience through lectures, discussions, assigned readings and student presentations.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Letter

  • NSCI 790 Research

    Units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
    Terms Offered: FaSpSm
    Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to doctoral students in Neuroscience Graduate and Neuroscience majors.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 790.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: Credit/No Credit

  • NSCI 794a Doctoral Dissertation

    Units: 2
    Credit on acceptance of dissertation.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to doctoral students in Neuroscience Graduate and Neuroscience majors.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 794abcdz.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: In-progress to Credit/No Credit

  • NSCI 794b Doctoral Dissertation

    Units: 2
    Credit on acceptance of dissertation.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to doctoral students in Neuroscience Graduate and Neuroscience majors.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 794abcdz.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: In-progress & Credit/No Credit

  • NSCI 794c Doctoral Dissertation

    Units: 2
    Credit on acceptance of dissertation.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to doctoral students in Neuroscience Graduate and Neuroscience majors.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 794abcdz.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: In-progress & Credit/No Credit

  • NSCI 794d Doctoral Dissertation

    Units: 2
    Credit on acceptance of dissertation.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to doctoral students in Neuroscience Graduate and Neuroscience majors.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 794abcdz.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: In-progress & Credit/No Credit

  • NSCI 794z Doctoral Dissertation

    Units: 0
    Credit on acceptance of dissertation.
    Registration Restriction: Open only to doctoral students in Neuroscience Graduate and Neuroscience majors.
    Duplicates Credit in former NEUR 794abcdz.
    Instruction Mode: Lecture
    Grading Option: In-progress & Credit/No Credit