In this section

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How the brain works and links between brain and behavior
  • Neurodiversity
  • Lab methods in neuroscience
  • Ethics of neuroscience (privacy, abortion, consciousness, etc.)
  • Human and nonhuman animal responses to the environment
  • Brain and nervous system diseases
  • Intersections of neuroscience with art, philosophy, economics, spirituality, and ethics

WHO YOU COULD BE

  • Researcher
  • Doctor
  • Art/Music Therapist
  • EEG Technician
  • Game Designer

OVERVIEW

How does the brain work? How do animals perceive and process signals like sound, light, and touch? How do different body parts communicate with each other? Why do we sleep?

At Puget Sound, neuroscience is examined not only through research, but also from critical, ethical, and practical perspectives. This interdisciplinary program draws on faculty research at all levels, encompassing topics such as cellular circuits in invertebrates, locomotion analysis and cognitive measurements in humans, and bioethics. Students and faculty members conduct hands-on research, examine how neuroscience influences culture, explore ethical and social implications in the field, and engage in creative community partnerships to make science more accessible.

The program offers a general introductory course in neuroscience,  an interdisciplinary minor and also a Major that may serve to enhance, or complement, any major of a students choice. The minor enables students to develop skills necessary to become successful thinkers and is recognized with a designation on the transcript upon graduation. The Major (BA in Neuroscience) navigates through 5 concentrations - Neuro Arts, Neuro Bioethics, Neuro Economics, Neuroscience Philosophy and Neuro Spirituality. Explore the intersections of neuroscience with a deep dive into its synergy across disciplines.

 

 

Hatchet icon
ALUMNI
Anonymous '18

"Through my internship I gained the ability to be confidently independent, to work efficiently under time constraints, and the ability to problem solve when necessary."

 

SAMPLE COURSES

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Students gain experience in a variety of ways:

  • Chelsea Clark '13 did an internship and presentation at the World Congress of Neurology in Vienna, Austria
  • Student research such as "The Effects of Aging and Behavioral Development on Gene Expression in Bumble Bees" and "Identification of Emotion in Faces Engages the Mirror-Neuron System"
  • Study abroad in Denmark or Budapest where there are academic offerings in neuroscience topics

JOBS

Our alumni work at:

  • University of Washington (researcher/technician)
  • Allen Institute (researcher)
  • Seattle Children's Research Institute
  • Scale Bio Sciences (scientist)
  • Dartmouth-Hitchcock Emergency Medicine (Resident Physician)

CONTINUE STUDYING

Our alumni continue their studies at:

  • University of Utah (Ph.D., neuroscience)
  • New School of Design (Ph.D., cognitive science)
  • University of Colorado Denver (Ph.D., rehabilitative science)
  • Boston University (Ph.D., cognitive and comparative neuroscience)

FACILITIES

""
RESEARCH LABS

Students conduct research in and out of class in neuroscience-related labs.

Makerspace
MAKERSPACE

Students can use the Makerspace in Collins Memorial Library to let their creativity flow.