Degree Requirements

All students are required to complete overall degree requirements in addition to their major.  Please see Degree Completion Requirements for full details for students entering in the 2024-2025 catalog year. 

Those students who started at Hiram prior to the 2024-2025 academic year will follow the Degree Requirements outlined in your catalog of record.

Major Requirements

To major in neuroscience, a student shall complete at least 43 hours of coursework in the program, and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or higher. Students must complete coursework in several key areas:

  • Four core courses,
  • Two correlative courses in chemistry, and
  • Five courses from one of the three areas of concentration

All students must complete a senior capstone project, and must present their results to the general public. To receive honors in the program, students must complete an independent experimental research project as part of their capstone.

Core Courses

The four core requirements will introduce students to the breadth of subjects studied in neuroscience and will equip them for advanced courses in the curriculum. Every student must pass each of the core courses (16 credit hours) with a grade of C or better.

Correlative Courses

In addition to mastering the basics of neuroscience, it is necessary for all students to gain a basic understanding of general chemistry. Therefore, neuroscience majors must also complete the  correlative courses (8 credit hours) with a grade of C or better.

Areas of Concentration

Students majoring in neuroscience must declare their area of concentration within one of the many domains outlined above by the end of their sophomore year, and must complete a minimum of five courses (15-20 credit hours) within that concentration.

Senior Capstone

Before graduation, each student must complete an approved senior capstone project (course number: NEUR 48000 NEUROSCIENCE CAPSTONE). Each student must present a project proposal to a member of the neuroscience faculty and receive approval by the end of their junior year to receive credit towards the major for their capstone project. Students must have approval before they can carry out their project. Students must present their project at a public seminar. Capstone seminars run in both the fall and spring semesters.

All questions about majoring in neuroscience should be directed to your academic advisor, or Dr. Tom Koehnle, Neuroscience Program Coordinator. Dr. Koehnle can be reached ext. 5316 or KoehnleTJ@hiram.edu.

Core Courses 1
PSYC 10100GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY4
NEUR 22700INTRO TO NEUROSCIENCE4
PSYC 21200SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY IN PSYCH:SM (Methods Course)4
BIOL 32600ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY-W/LAB4
Correlative Courses 1
CHEM 12000GEN I:STRUCTURE/BOND-W/LAB:SM4
CHEM 12100GEN II:INTR CHEM ANLS-W/LAB:SM4
Areas of Concentration15-20
Cellular and Molecular Concentration
Two required courses:
MOLECULAR&CELLULAR BIOL-W/LAB
GENETICS-W/LAB
Three courses from the following list:
BASIC BIOCHEMISTRY-W/LAB
INTERMED BIOCHEMISTRY-W/LAB
CELLULAR & MOLECULAR NEUROBIO
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOL-W/LAB
ADV MOLECULAR BIOL-W/LAB
Cognitive and Behavioral Concentration
Two required courses:
ANIMAL COGNITION
LEARNING THEORY METHOD/APP
Three courses from the following list:
PERSONALITY
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
DRUG USE AND ABUSE
Computational Neuroscience Concentration
Two required courses:
INTRO TO COMPUTER SCI-W/LAB:MM
INTRO TO PROGRAMMING-W/LAB:MM
Two courses from the following list:
DATA STRUCTUR/ALRITHM-W/LAB:MM
COMPUTER ORGANIZATION
DATABASE DESIGN
COMPUTER SIMULATION:SM
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Senior Capstone
NEUR 48000NEUROSCIENCE CAPSTONE4
Total Hours43-48
1

Must be passed with a C or better.

Pathway

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall 12 WeekHours
UCS 10101 FIRST-YEAR ENDURING QUESTIONS 4
CHEM 12000 GEN I:STRUCTURE/BOND-W/LAB:SM 4
PSYC 10100 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 4
 Hours12
Fall 3 Week
Hiram Core Requirement 3
 Hours3
Spring 12 Week
UCS 20201 ADDRESSING URGENT QUESTIONS 4
CHEM 12100 GEN II:INTR CHEM ANLS-W/LAB:SM 4
NEUR 22700 INTRO TO NEUROSCIENCE 4
 Hours12
Spring 3 Week
Hiram Core Requirement 3-4
 Hours3-4
Second Year
Fall 12 Week
Concentration Requirement 4
Hiram Core Requirement 4
Hiram Core Requirement 4
 Hours12
Fall 3 Week
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 3-4
 Hours3-4
Spring 12 Week
Concentration Requirement 4
Hiram Core Requirement 4
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 4
 Hours12
Spring 3 Week
Hiram Core Requirement 3-4
 Hours3-4
Third Year
Fall 12 Week
Concentration Requirement 4
Hiram Core Requirement 4
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 4
 Hours12
Fall 3 Week
Hiram Core Requirement 3-4
 Hours3-4
Spring 12 Week
UCS 30301 URGENT CHALLENGE SEMINAR:TT 4
Concentration Requirement Elective 4
Hiram Core Requirement 4
 Hours12
Spring 3 Week
Concentration Requirement Elective 3-4
 Hours3-4
Fourth Year
Fall 12 Week
Concentration Requirement Elective 4
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 4
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 4
 Hours12
Fall 3 Week
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 3-4
 Hours3-4
Spring 12 Week
NEUR 48000 NEUROSCIENCE CAPSTONE 4
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 4
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 4
 Hours12
Spring 3 Week
Elective, Second Major, Minor Course 3-4
 Hours3-4
 Total Hours120-127