B.S. in Neuroscience – Cell and Molecular Neuroscience

The Neuroscience – Cell and Molecular Neuroscience major at Colorado State University integrates neuroanatomy with the cellular and molecular basis of nervous system function. Its focus is to understand cellular processes in neurons and glia at the molecular level.

It differs from degree programs in biochemistry or biomedical sciences by its specific focus on the nervous system.

Required courses in microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, and advanced cell biology provide an excellent background for students interested in pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research through graduate or professional schools. However, graduates with this concentration should also be well qualified for any positions in academia, government or the private sector where knowledge of cell and molecular processes is required, whether or not it is applied to the nervous system.

Students in the Neuroscience – Cell and Molecular Neuroscience major at Colorado State University with strong research interests and a GPA of 3.250 or above may qualify for early entry into the M.S. degree program in Biochemistry while pursuing the B.S. degree program in Neuroscience.

Early entry requires that students have identified a faculty member willing to mentor them in their laboratory research for the M.S. degree and that they have obtained permission from the Neuroscience program and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to apply to the graduate school for this. Students can apply to the graduate program (allowing them access to courses above those at the 500 level) during the semester that they complete 90 or more credits. Students will be moved from undergraduate to graduate standing the semester after they complete 120 or more credits.

At that time they begin paying graduate tuition and fees and will lose all undergraduate institutional and scholarship aid, but they can qualify for many graduate assistantships and fellowships. Both degrees can be awarded during the same semester but the M.S. degree cannot be awarded before completing the requirements of the B.S. degree.

Potential Occupations

Possible career opportunities for students with a B.S. in Neuroscience include, but are not limited to: research technician, medical or clinical lab technologist, production/quality assurance lab technician, pharmaceutical research worker or salesperson, human resource specialist, neurotoxicology technician, teacher, writer, and research analyst.

Many Neuroscience majors go to professional schools in medicine, veterinary medicine, or health sciences, or into graduate programs encompassing virtually all areas of biomedical sciences and psychology.