Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Is Neurobiology a different major than neuroscience?


Not as far as degrees go, they would be the same. There would be some differences based on neurobiology as a concentration, but that depends on where you are academically:
Undergraduate: If you are at a school that offers a neuroscience degree, you may have the option to focus on the biological “wet” side of the brain. This will involve classes that depend a great deal on cellular biology and genetics, and so you will take many non-neuroscience classes along the way. It will probably look a lot like a general biology degree, but with some changes in your upper division coursework. Compare that to a more general neuroscience degree where you may get a taste of cellular neuroscience, as well as cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, etc, along with more mathy classes like physics or actual math. This can matter a lot if you intend to go to graduate school, as the background you have will carry you into or out of a neuro program.
Graduate: Similar to undergrad, there is only “Neuroscience” as a degree, not its various subfields. However, in a neuroscience program at a school that focuses a lot on neurobiology you will be working on nothing but. Research in your lab and classes will all be about biology, essentially. Other schools may have a more diverse neuroscience focus, and so you could again take your pick when it comes to classes, and whatever lab you’re in would determine if that’s the research you do.
In both cases, the degree will say “Neuroscience” on it, nothing more specific. I should also warn you that graduate neuroscience programs don’t like neuroscience undergraduate majors very much for a number of reasons. If you are interested in becoming a neurobiologist via grad school, a chemistry or biology degree would probably help you get there more than a neuro degree.
 Reference: Kits Arriet

No comments:

Post a Comment