<p>I recently went to an Exploring College options event this past Monday, which included Duke. I really hadn't been looking at Duke prior to two days ago, but the rep really gave me a great sense of the school and I also realized that Duke has a neuroscience (something I was unaware of which is why I hadn't looked at Duke) major.
My major question is: Does anyone know if Duke has a good neuroscience program in which I could gain a lot of research experience to go to grad school with?
Also what are the labs like, and are professors accesible and eager to work with undergrads doing research?</p>
<p>Neuroscience is a fairly new major (I think a few years old) so that’s probably why you didn’t realize Duke offered it. However, previously there were still plenty of neuroscience courses offered in the psychology and biology departments, and professors certainly were conducting neuroscience research far before a few years ago; simply undergrads were forced to technically major in psychology. I know a few neuroscience students and they all seemed to enjoy the program greatly. Research is very easy to get involved in and I know people who did some very interesting stuff during their undergrad years and were accepted to top notch grad programs. </p>
<p>I was a psych minor, actually, and received e-mails about professors looking for undergraduate assistants literally every other week. So, the opportunity is definitely there. I didn’t conduct neuroscience research myself, but was a subject in several psych-related studies (for class credit 
) so I can say that the labs all look top notch. They’re a bit spread out and research is being done in the LSRC, Soc/Psych building, Medical Center, and even the Erwin Building. Depends on what other departments/areas of the university that the PI collaborates with. Professors in the psych department are very accessible and willing to work with you. By all accounts, it’s a great program on the upswing, but perhaps not as well known simply because it’s new and not as well established as some others. Nonetheless, it’s attracting top faculty as of late and there is a ton of research going on, so it will prepare you well for grad school or industry. If you like other aspects of Duke, then I’d definitely encourage you to apply. Good luck!</p>
<p>That all sounds really great! I appreciate the answer bluedog 
I’m rather excited about applying to Duke now haha</p>
<p>It’s really great to know that the profs actually seek out students for research rather than only being the other way around.
Also, would you also happen to know about summer research opportunities? Specifically, is it relatively simple to get stipends or grants for independent research?</p>
<p>From the Duke website:</p>
<p>The undergraduate curriculum in neuroscience is truly a joint, interdisciplinary major that draws faculty and courses from many individual departments, chiefly the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Department of Biology, both of which are in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. There are also important contributions from the Department of Neurobiology in the Duke University School of Medicine and the Biomedical Engineering Department in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. Administrative support for this curriculum is provided by Trinity College and the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.</p>
<p>Seems like the first batch of undergraduates ( 33 students) graduated in May 2011</p>