Program Educational Goals
The 4+1 Masters of Science (MS) degree program in Neuroscience allows qualified undergraduate Neuroscience students to earn their MS with an additional year of courses and lab research, culminating in a thesis. The program is designed to train scientists in the biological foundations of behavior, with research foci including learning and memory, development, neural plasticity, social behavior, and animal models of developmental and affective disorders. The program reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the neurosciences and training involves a wide range of modern neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, neuropharmacological, and behavioral techniques.
By the end of the program, graduates will be able to:
1. Demonstrate expertise in select domains of neuroscience and their implications for interdisciplinary research through fluent scientific discussion, writing, and presentation.
2. Think critically and programmatically. Synthesize knowledge into novel scientific insights. Constructively critique scientific theories, hypotheses, experimental procedures, data-analytic approaches, and results. Generate empirically or theoretically grounded hypotheses and experimental designs.
3. Learn and apply the statistical and quantitative methods in service of their own research as well as their ability to critically evaluate research in the literature. This includes descriptive procedures for summarizing data, statistical procedures for performing inferential tests, and development of appropriate data visualizations.
4. Effectively implement rigorous experimental designs. Learn technical skills necessary to collect and manage data. Analyze and report outcomes.
Program Overview:
The Department of Psychology offers a special 4+1 Bachelor + Master of Science in Neuroscience to highly qualified undergraduate students who are extant Neuroscience majors at the University of Delaware. This program allows exceptional students to accelerate their undergraduate studies in Neuroscience to also earn a Master’s Degree in Neuroscience (30 graduate credits) in 5 years of full-time study at the University of Delaware, with a savings of about 50% in expenses and time required for a traditional Master of Science Degree. Students would normally begin working in a research lab at least one year prior to applying. Applications are due in December of the applicant’s senior year. Upon being admited to the program, a student would then complete a graduate summer research internship (6 credits) and thesis proposal; complete a fifth-year curriculum of graduate studies in neuroscience; and submit their Master’s Thesis research and defend it orally.
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