Prospective Students

The Department of Neuroscience is one of the oldest neuroscience programs in in the country. Our many years of experience, our talented faculty, and our dedication to teaching, means that we provide a world-class education in the neurosciences. Our faculty are highly engaged and utilize state-of-the-art teaching methods to offer a range of required and elective courses covering all aspects of neurobiology. The faculty also enjoy working directly with advanced undergraduates in the classroom through the many Undergraduate Teaching Assistantships we offer. 

The didactic portion of our program occurs within a setting that is packed with research and internship opportunities, both within the labs of the Neuroscience faculty and in the larger neuroscience community at Pitt, the Center for Neuroscience, which includes the many neuroscientists in departments in the School of Medicine. 

"During the spring term of my freshman year I was placed in a psychology/neuroscience lab, which I was thrilled about, because I hoped to major in Neuroscience. I joined the lab with another student, and quickly got to work.  My partner and I worked very hard to make sure that we understood our mini-project and practiced many times to ensure that we could present it. At the presentation, I realized that I knew a lot more than I had given myself credit for, and I felt a lot more confident in my abilities! My faculty mentor and I worked so well together that she asked if I would be willing to return to the lab. Each term I learn more about our specific topics of interest, risk for depression and child development, than I ever could in a class!"

-Rachel Evans
(Neuroscience and Religious Studies majors, Chemistry minor)

Read Rachel Evans' Paths to Research: From FE-R to MD »

Neuroscience faculty maintain extensive interactions in the classroom with our students. Many contacts occur in the minutes before and after class to answer questions. All faculty hold office hours so that students can continue asking questions outside of class. And faculty make themselves available for private meetings for those students who need more personal help.

All Neuroscience faculty with laboratories engage undergraduates in their research programs. All faculty understand the importance of offering undergraduates substantive research experience, especially their own individual projects anytime this is feasible. Independent research culminating in a senior thesis is the primary means by which our majors fulfill their capstone experience. Throughout this process, faculty serve as mentors and coaches to their students, offering whatever guidance they need for their research, course-work, and future planning. 

Meet Award-Winning Faculty Member Alan Sved »

We find that prospective students enjoy talking to a peer who can better inform them of what the college experience is like at Pitt and how the Neuroscience program aids in their education and achieving their future goals.

For more information about our department, or to schedule a visit or tour, please contact the Dietrich School's recruitment team at artsci@pitt.edu

If you are interested in graduate programs at the Dietrich School, please email asgrad@pitt.edu for more information.