<p>I'm very interested in studying mental disorders (primarily Autism), but I don't really know what major would be best for that. Neuroscience or biology? Or would a major like sociology or psychology be good for a social slant on things? Any thoughts or ideas y'all have on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Depends on what aspect of mental disorders you want to focus on. They’re all decent choices, though psychology may be the one that would have the most material directly applicable.</p>
<p>sociology is out (that is what you take when you just need to boost a gpa), neuroscience / biology first choice…psychology is a distant maybe! if you want to find a cure or help figure out the cause you are going to have to go for the sciences! good, luck ! that is a great cause!</p>
<p>Neuroscience is a strong choice, imo. A lot of research on autism is centered around what goes biologically wrong in the brain. Psychology is also an option - you’d probably study developmental psychology or something.</p>
<p>MD + neurology or psych specialization.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! I was thinking neuroscience and/or psych. Just curious, what would be the best plan for undergrad, if graduate school was to follow?</p>
<p>If you want to do direct clinical work in the field of autism, then major in psychology. You should find a program that offers at least some basic coursework in applied behavior analysis. If the psychology dept. doesn’t offer coursework in that area, then you might find those courses in special ed. If you really want to build the strongest possible background, consider a second major in communication disorders/speech pathology. Since there also are biological aspects that are useful to understand, you can get that perspective via some psychology coursework that focuses on neuroscience.</p>
<p>If you are more interested in research on mental disorders (especially autism), you’ll need to decide whether you should decide whether you interest lies more in a biological or behavioral direction. If it’s biological, then major in neuroscience or in psychology (with a subspecialty track in neuro aspects). If your interest is behavioral, major in psychology (with some coursework in applied behavior analysis). In either case, a bio background will serve you well and pretty much is required if you go the biological route—at least equivalent to the premed requirements for neuroscience.</p>
<p>So would the best option be to get a degree in psych with a concentration in neural and behavioral science? And would I want to be on a pre-med track, or would that not lead to much that wouldn’t otherwise be available? Thanks for all the input :)</p>
<p>Assuming your interest is in autism and other developmental disabilities…
-If you eventually want to do direct clinical work as a psychologist or behavior analyst, get an undergrad degree in psychology. Then go to grad school for a master’s or doctorate in applied behavior analysis in a psychology, behavior analysis, or special ed graduate program. As part of your undergrad program, try to find some courses in applied behavior analysis.
-If you want to do research on behavior topics, then do what I suggested above, except you’ll definitely should plan on getting a doctorate.
-If you want to do research on biological aspects, then major either in neuroscience (either as a standalone neuroscience major, as a subspecialty track in a biology major, or as a subspecialty track in a psychology major, depending on how your school structures its neuroscience program). If your school does not offer a neuroscience major or subspecialty track, then major in either biology or psychology, taking some relevant coursework in the field in which you don’t major. Any strong neuroscience program (whether in psychology or biology) pretty much will require supporting science courses that are the equivalent of the pre-med requirements (general & organic chemistry, calculus, general physics, general biology). You should plan on getting a PhD in neuroscience or psychology.
-If you want to follow a clinical pathway with a biological direction, e.g., going to med school and then doing a residency in psychiatry, child neurology, or behavioral & developmental pediatrics, then you could also follow the neuroscience pathway I suggested above.
-Your best option depends on whether you primarily are interested in behavioral aspects or biological aspects and whether you primarily are interested in clinical practice or in doing research.
-Whether or not you complete premed requirements depends on whether you want to go to med school or to pursue neuroscience research. Pre-med is not a major, it’s a set of course requirements.
-Applied behavior analysis is a specific approach to understanding and chaging behavior. It’s not just “behavioral science”, though it is a scientific field that studies behavior. Unfortunately, many psychology depts. don’t offer coursework in it, even though it’s the primary evidence-based approach for intervention for persons with autism. If your psych dept. doesn’t offer coursework in it, you might have to check the special ed dept. to find these courses.
-Communication disorders is another field that does research and provides clinical services to persons with autism. There is some overlap with certain aspects of applied behavior analysis. You would need a master’s degree to do clinical practice.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you check out the major requirements for these fields at some schools that might interest you and also do some reading on autism.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, Zapfino! Your response is very thorough and helpful 
I’m not certain yet which pathway I should take, but I couldn’t really find anything on what the available pathways were! I think I’ll try different courses that would leave all the options open until I need to declare a major so that I can get an idea of which aspect I want to dedicate my focus. Thanks again!</p>