The Specialist program in Neuroscience is a research-intensive program designed to provide students with strong breadth in the major domains of neuroscience. The Systems/Behavioural stream examines the neural mechanisms underlying behaviour and how brain circuits work together to analyze external stimuli, internal biological states, and past experiences in order to coordinate appropriate responses, predominantly through the use of in vivo approaches in behaving subjects (e.g., optogenetics, chemogenetics).
Students may not combine a Neuroscience Specialist program with a Minor or Major program from the Department of Biological Sciences.
Enrolment in the Program is limited. The admission requirements may change each year depending on available spaces and the pool of eligible applicants, and students are cautioned that there is no guarantee of admission; as such, students are strongly advised to plan to enrol in backup programs.
Enrolment takes place in two stages:
Stage 1:
The minimum requirements to be considered for admission are:
1. Completion of 4.0 credits, including BIOA01H3, BIOA02H3, CHMA10H3, [CHMA11H3 or CHMA12H3], PSYA01H3, PSYA02H3, and [PSYA06H3 or STAB22H3 or STAB23H3]
2. A CGPA of 2.75 or higher.
Students will typically apply to Stage 1 at the end of their first year of study. When applying, note that the Subject POSt code for Stage 1 is SCSPE1072. Application for admission will be made to the Office of the Registrar through ACORN, during the Limited Program application periods. For more information on applying to limited enrolment programs, please visit the Office of the Registrar website.
Stage 2:
To complete the program, students must choose one of the three available "Stage 2" streams: the Cognitive Stream, the Cellular/Molecular Stream, or the Systems/Behavioural Stream. Students will typically apply to Stage 2 at the end of their second year of study.
The minimum requirements to be considered for stream admission are:
1. Completion of 10.0 credits including: all Stage 1 course requirements, and all of: BIOB10H3, [MATA29H3 or MATA30H3], NROB60H3, NROB61H3, [PSYB06H3 or (PSYB07H3) or STAB22H3*], PSYB55H3, and PSYB70H3
*Note: Beginning in Fall 2027, STAB22H3 no longer be accepted toward the statistics requirement for Stage 2. If you are intending to join the Neuroscience Specialist in Fall 2027 or beyond, please plan accordingly and complete PSYB06H3.
2. Completion of 1.0 credit in Stream Foundations courses from the following list*:
BIOB11H3 Molecular Aspects of Cellular and Genetic Processes
CSCA20H3 Introduction to Programming
CHMB41H3 Organic Chemistry I
CHMB42H3 Organic Chemistry II
MATA23H3 Linear Algebra
[PHYA10H3 Physics I for the Physical Sciences or PHYA11H3 Physics I for the Life Sciences]
PSYB51H3 Introduction to Perception
PSYC06H3 Advanced Statistical Analysis for Psychology & Neuroscience
(PSYC08H3) Advanced Data Analysis in Psychology
(PSYC09H3) Applied Multiple Regression in Psychology
*Note: Students are advised to exercise caution when selecting these courses since some can be applied to all three streams (BIOB11H3, CHMB41H3, PSYB51H3, PSYC06H3), but others can be applied to only one or two streams.
3. A CGPA of 2.5 or higher.
Students who are not enrolled in the Stage 1 Neuroscience Specialist can still apply to the program at Stage 2. The minimum requirements to be considered for admission via this pathway are: completion of 10.0 credits, including all Scientific Foundations and Neuroscience Foundations courses, and 1.0 credits from Stream Foundations. Students must also have achieved a CGPA of 2.5 or higher across all courses, and a CGPA of 2.75 or higher across the Neuroscience Foundations and Stream Foundations courses.
Application for admission to a Stage 2 stream will be made to the Office of the Registrar through ACORN, during the Limited Program application periods.
Program Requirements
This program requires students to complete 7.0 credits in core courses that are common to all streams. Students will complete a further 6.5 credits, specific to the Systems/Behavioural stream, for a total of 13.5 credits.
CORE (7.0 credits)
1. Scientific Foundations (4.0 credits):
BIOA01H3 Life on Earth: Unifying Principles
BIOA02H3 Life on Earth: Form, Function and Interactions
CHMA10H3 Introductory Chemistry I: Structure and Bonding
[CHMA11H3 Introductory Chemistry II: Reactions and Mechanisms or CHMA12H3 Advanced General Chemistry]
[MATA29H3 Calculus I for the Life Sciences or MATA30H3 Calculus I for Physical Sciences]
PSYA01H3 Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology
PSYA02H3 Introduction to Clinical, Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology
and
0.5 credit from the following:
PSYA06H3 Introduction to Data Analysis for Scientific Literacy*
STAB22H3 Statistics I
STAB23H3 Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences
Notes:
*1. Department of Psychology students are strongly encouraged to choose the PSYA06H3 course option.
2. For students who have completed the retired (PSYB07H3) course, please contact the Undergraduate Program Administrator for guidance.
2. Neuroscience Foundations (3.0 credits):
BIOB10H3 Cell Biology
NROB60H3 Neuroanatomy Laboratory
NROB61H3 Neurophysiology
PSYB06H3 Applied Statistical Analysis for Psychology & Neuroscience
PSYB55H3 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYB70H3 Methods in Psychological Science
SYSTEMS/BEHAVIOURAL STREAM (6.5 credits)
3. Quantitative Logic and Reasoning (1.0 credit):
0.5 credit from the following:
PSYC06H3 Advanced Statistical Analysis for Psychology & Neuroscience
(PSYC08H3) Advanced Data Analysis in Psychology
(PSYC09H3) Applied Multiple Regression in Psychology
and
0.5 credit from the following:
CSCA20H3 Introduction to Programming
PHYA10H3 Physics I for the Physical Sciences
PHYA11H3 Physics I for the Life Sciences
4. Advanced Foundations (2.0 credits)
BIOB11H3 Molecular Aspects of Cellular and Genetic Processes
NROC61H3 Learning and Motivation
and
1.0 credit from the following:
BIOC44H3/(NROC34H3) Neuroethology
NROC64H3 Sensorimotor Systems
NROC69H3 Synaptic Organization & Physiology of the Brain
5. Stream-specific electives (1.0 credit)
1.0 credit from the following:
BIOC14H3 Genes, Environment and Behaviour
CHMB41H3 Organic Chemistry I
CHMB42H3 Organic Chemistry II
NROC36H3 Molecular Neuroscience
PSYC62H3 Drugs and the Brain
6. Breadth in Neuroscience (1.0 credit):
1.0 credit from the following:
CHMB41H3* Organic Chemistry I
NROC36H3* Molecular Neuroscience
NROC69H3* Synaptic Organization & Physiology of the Brain
PSYB51H3 Introduction to Perception
PSYC51H3 Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision
PSYC52H3 Cognitive Neuroscience of Attention
PSYC53H3 Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory
PSYC54H3 Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC57H3 Cognitive Neuroscience of Decision Making
PSYC59H3 Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
*Note: only if not used to complete components 4 or 5 of the requirements
7. Laboratory Course (0.5 credit):
0.5 credit from the following:
NROC60H3 Cellular Neuroscience Laboratory
NROC63H3 Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory (recommended)
NROC90H3 Supervised Study in Neuroscience
NROC93H3 Supervised Study in Neuroscience
PSYC74H3 Human Movement Laboratory
8. Capstone Courses (1.0 credit):
1.0 credit from the following, of which at least 0.5 credit must be from BIO or NRO:
BIOD06H3 Advanced Topics in Neural Basis of Motor Control
BIOD07H3 Advanced Topics and Methods in Neural Circuit Analysis
BIOD08H3/(NROD08H3) Theoretical Neuroscience
BIOD45H3 Animal Communication
BIOD65H3 Pathologies of the Nervous System
NROD60H3 Current Topics in Neuroscience
NROD61H3 Emotional Learning Circuits
(NROD66H3) Drug Addiction
NROD67H3 Neuroscience of Aging
NROD98Y3 Thesis in Neuroscience*
PSYD12H3 Me and I: The Self in Mind and Brain
PSYD51H3 Current Topics in Perception
PSYD54H3 Current Topics in Visual Recognition
PSYD62H3 Neuroscience of Pleasure and Reward
PSYD66H3 Current Topics in Human Brain & Behaviour
*Note: only 0.5 credit of NROD98Y3 can be counted towards the Capstone course requirement
