Undergraduate

Neuroscience is the study of the biology and function of the central nervous system, with a special focus on the brain. The field has emerged during the past two decades as part of the explosive growth of research and interest in the neural sciences. An autonomous major in neuroscience was developed at the University of Pittsburgh in 1983, and is among the largest undergraduate neuroscience programs in the country, with more than 500 students as majors.

The program is designed to provide a challenging sequence of courses in biological sciences, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, in addition to introductory and advanced courses in neuroscience. Students may also receive credit for original research projects conducted in collaboration with faculty members. The relatively small size of the upper-level courses, excellence of teaching, and opportunities for research are especially attractive features of the major. A minor in neuroscience is also available.

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Major Requirements

Majoring in neuroscience can set you on an exciting academic and career path. Find out what requirements are needed for a neuroscience major.

Our Students

Our students are going places! Check out our Neuroscience students' achievements! View news from our alumni and recent graduate placements.

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Minor Requirements

A neuroscience minor fits well with many undergraduate majors at the university. See the requirements for a minor. 

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Research Opportunities

The Department of Neuroscience encourages interested undergraduate majors to gain research experience within an active neuroscience laboratory. 

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Fellowship Opportunities

View undergraduate fellowship opportunities within the Department of Neuroscience and the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Studies.

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Student Information

View student information about student life and career paths within neuroscience. 

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Course Descriptions

Browse undergraduate courses offered on a regular basis in our department. 

Permission Numbers Request

To enroll in Neuroscience Research (NROSCI 1901, 1961, 1962) or Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (NROSCI 1097) credits visit https://neuroscienceforms.pitt.edu/ to submit your request.

Your request is not an immediate enrollment. That is why our deadline is well before the DSAS enrollment deadline. It is routed to the Principal Investigator (PI) and an applicable Research Mentor (RM) you identify when submitting your request. Upon their approval, Neuro faculty will review and approve or reject your request. If approved, you will be automatically enrolled or will receive a permission number if unable to enroll for any reason. If rejected, you will receive an email outlining what next steps to take. This process usually takes several days to complete. We thank you for your patience.

To request a permission number to enroll in any other undergraduate Neuroscience course, please see notes below and then submit your request here.

Closed Class, Requisites Not Met, Department Consent Required, and Career Restriction: Consent to enroll in a course must be obtained from the instructor teaching the course and must be in written, email form to be uploaded within the Qualtrics form. The consent document from the instructor must indicate:

the name and number of the course, 
the PeopleSoft 5 digit Class Number (e.g., Intro to Neuroscience, NROSCI 1000, 10213),
the student’s full name and PeopleSoft #, and the reason for the consent (closed class, prerequisite, etc.)

AP scores and/or transfer pre-requisite courses not yet posted to Pitt record: You will need to upload your AP report or transcript within the Qualtrics form.

Once you have submitted the Qualtrics form it will be reviewed and if approved, a permission number will be generated and emailed to you to use for self-enrollment. All correspondance will come from nroadv@pitt.edu.

We are unable to provide permission to override the waitlist for any reason.