<p>Hey guys, I was looking up the neuroscience undergrad department at UVa, and I looked up "courses" but all the courses were 1 credit pass or fail courses... They have diff course numbers but the title is always "Research in neuroscience." It is already quite unappealing but they even have a major cap of 25 people? (Not trying to be an iconoclast here, just stating the facts)</p>
<p>So does anyone have actual experience in the neuroscience undergrad department? How is it? Is it up to par with other schools of the same tier? Is it "worth" it to have a major in this area? All input is appreciated!!! Thanks !</p>
<p>Most of the courses in the neuroscience major are actually offered by other departments–psychology, biology, and chemistry. Presumably your advisor helps you come up with a good combination based on department recommendations and your own interests. Then the neuroscience research class is added on top. Presumably the major is kept small so that the research class can be a seminar-style affair.</p>
<p>This is a common procedure with interdisciplinary majors, not just at UVA but everywhere. Somebody majoring in, say, comparative literature doesn’t generally take most of his or her major-level classes in a comparative literature department, but rather in departments of Spanish, French, German, or English literature.</p>
<p>I understand that a lot of courses are interdisciplinary, but the reason that neuroscience courses are so unappealing is because that they are pass/fail courses offering only 1 credit, while other majors like BME have way more courses in terms of specificity and offer 3 to 4 credits. </p>
<p>Despite this though, I just found out that most neuroscience undergrad depts aren’t very strong as well, maybe because neuroscience is actually a more graduate-oriented program.</p>
<p>Is there a particular reason you want to major in neuroscience? A good alternative could be cognitive science, although you would still take all your required courses from other departments (psych, anthro, cs)</p>
<p>Yea I skimmed through it, but I think now I have a better idea of what the program entails. A lot of neuroscience through other departments I guess. But the risk is extremely high since they only accept 25 people every year… I guess you have to double major if u want to consider neurobiology/neuroscience as an option.</p>
<p>I have a friend who did ugrad here and now is studying neuroscience in grad school at an ivy. she did cog sci undergrad. You have lots of options.</p>