The Department of Neuroscience encourages interested undergraduate majors to gain research experience within an active neuroscience laboratory. Most undergraduates who enroll in research for credit are interested in completing an independent project that results in an undergraduate thesis.
All DSAS undergraduates conducting neuroscience research may request neuroscience credit via theEnrollment Request portal.
All students not required to be neuroscience majors, required to be involved in neuroscience research (could be at Pitt, UPMC, CMU, Duquesne, anywhere, as long as the work is related to neuroscience) may be eligible to earn neuroscience credit. Students may earn up to 6 credits in NROCI 1901 - Independent Study and another 6 in NROSCI 1961 - Thesis Research. You are also eligible (with enough data collection) to enroll in NROSCI 1962 - Thesis Writing if you wish. This counts as an intensive writing course and is very impressive to potential graduate or medical school programs.
If you are still in the process of finding a research lab to join, be patient! Securing a spot in a research lab usually takes a bit of time. Tips to get started:
- Identify the specific areas of neuroscience that are of greatest interest to you.
- Pay close attention to the Neuroscience News and Events canvas page for any research opportunities posted.
- Access the Center for Neuroscience website and look for labs that conduct research in your area of interest.
- Attend natural sciences club meetings and talk to fellow students and presenters.
- Visit the Experiential Learning Office located in 200 William Pitt Union.
- Register with Career Services in 224 WPU to access the internship listings.
- Talk with your instructors, classmates, and club members about any research experiences they have had and how they found them.
- Enroll in NROSCI 1049 – Topics in Neuroscience Research as soon as possible to see the types of research going on in our labs and beyond. This will give you an idea of the type of research that interests you.
- Follow the guidelines for emailing principal investigators in the lab (posted on the website page linked above).
COURSES:
NROSCI 1901 – Independent Study (6 credit maximum over undergraduate career). This course is intended as the first research experience in a laboratory. Students typically immerse themselves in the research that is ongoing in the laboratory, attend laboratory meetings, meet frequently with the faculty mentor to discuss research and acquire skills necessary for doing original research in the laboratory. If the student decides to continue research and do a thesis, the student will begin to focus on the hypotheses he wants to investigate and begin designing the requisite experiments. Of course, this is all done in close collaboration with the faculty mentor and is usually an integral part of, or a related tangent, from the mentor’s current research focus.
Students begin their research journey by enrolling in 1 -3 credits (equivalent to 4-5 hours per week per credit during the fall and spring terms). The number of credits depends on the pre-determined commitment you make with a primary investigator. The expectations of the student are noted when you request enrollment.
NROSCI 1961 – Thesis Research (6 credit maximum over career for a total of 12 possible research credits (1901 & 1961) over career. Students enroll in this course if they plan to continue research that culminates in a thesis. Students perform the experiments that will form the basis of the thesis; attend lab meetings and have regular meetings with their faculty mentor. This course is typically taken for at least two terms, although the length depends on the specific project.
NROSCI 1962 – Thesis Writing (1 credit)
If you have collected enough data and your Principal Investigator agrees, you may enroll in NROSCI 1962 -Thesis Writing. This is a one credit course and is the only one in which you are required to write a formal paper to submit to the neuroscience department.
Successful completion will fulfill the writing within the neuroscience major and is one of the criteria for departmental honors in Neuroscience.
ENROLLING:
To enroll in any research-related credits or undergraduate teaching assistant credits, visit the Enrollment Request Portal.
It is a simple (but lengthy) process—you submit the request to enroll in credits as indicated, your PI and/or research mentor will receive an email requesting their approval. Once approved, our faculty will receive your request and determine if your work qualifies for neuro credit. Typically, any wet lab research that involves neuroscience is approved.
If the added credits will put you over 18, you will receive. permission number to enroll. If not, you will be auto enrolled.
CAPSTONE REQUIREMENT:
All Neuroscience majors must complete a capstone requirement to be eligible for graduation. Any accumulation of 4 credits or 240 hours of natural science research will fulfill your capstone requirement. You can add the credits you earn to a future term if the credits will put you over 18 total. Otherwise, you will have to pay per credit for each one.
While you cannot earn pay and credit for the same work, we can use an email from your PI or research mentor in the lab confirming your hours for the capstone.
NROSCI 1962, alone, fulfills the capstone requirement and the writing within the major. To enroll in NROSCI 1962 your PI must sign off that you have collected the major portion of your data. No earned credits are required. The thesis is expected to be completed in one term. The first draft is due well before midterm. The thesis course coordinator will post the expectations to the canvas page at the start of each term.
You may use NROSCI 1901, 1961, and/or 1962 credits to bring your neuro credits to the minimum 14, required for the minor.