神经科学是关注大脑功能的一系列学科的结合。神经科学领域的实验方法多种多样，包括从神经细胞和神经细胞群的分子分析和细胞机制，对整个生物体的行为与心理研究等。对神经科学怀有兴趣的学生，希望能探索了解大脑控制自身各种功能的多个问题：细胞回路如何使我们阅读和说话？我们如何及为何形成不同的关系？我们如何思考、记忆、感到绝望或备受鼓舞？大脑和身体发生破坏性疾病的可能成因，以及有哪些预防和治疗方法？
神经科学专业主要研究大脑及其对行为和认知功能的影响，对神经科学的认识，被认为是本世纪的奇迹。不断提高对大脑的了解，科学家就能研究出治疗神经退行性疾病（如帕金森氏症和阿尔茨海默氏病）和精神疾病的办法。神经科学研究也将有助于我们加深对正常人类行为和心理健康的了解，从而推动人工智能及治疗疾病的进程。神经科学研究还可以促进了解人类是如何学习的，从而更大程度优化人类智力。这些进展很可能为社会带来巨大利益，对健康、教育、法律和安全等各公共政策领域发挥积极作用。
神经科学本科课程融合了许多基础科学（如数学、生物学、物理学和化学）课程，为神经科学高阶学习打下基础。神经科学专业包括5门必修课、3门选修课。想要有研究实践经验的学生，可修神经科学独立研究课，并由一名教授担任导师。对研究深感兴趣，并获得成绩平均绩点要求的学生，可申请修读荣誉学士学位课程。
了解更多信息，请前往神经科学网站。
Degree Requirements – 2017-18 Bulletin
* = offered in Fall ’18 in Shanghai
The requirements below are from the online version of the 2017-2018 bulletin. Please refer to the Pre-2016-17 Registrar’s All Majors Degree Requirements Record or 2016-17 Registrar’s All Majors Degree Requirements Record. Not every course listed is taught every semester, and in any given semester other courses may be offered that fulfill this requirement. Requirements may be met through equivalent courses in the Global Network with prior approval.
| PREREQUISITE COURSES | ||
| BIOL-SHU 21 | Foundations of Biology I | Pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus |
| BIOL-SHU 22 | Foundations of Biology II* | Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I |
| BIOL-SHU 123 | FoS Biology Laboratory* | Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I |
| CHEM-SHU 125 | Foundations of Chemistry I* | Pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus |
| CHEM-SHU 126 | Foundations of Chemistry II | Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 125 Foundations of Chemistry I AND pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus |
| CHEM-SHU 127 | FoS Chemistry Laboratory | Pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND CHEM-SHU 126 Foundations of Chemistry II |
PHYS-SHU 91 OR PHYS-SHU 11 | Foundations of Physics I Honors* OR General Physics I* | Pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus Calculus - pre-req OR co-req, this can be waived by the instructor based on student's prior experience |
PHYS-SHU 93 OR PHYS-SHU 12 | Foundations of Physics II Honors OR General Physics II | Pre-req: PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I - pre-req OR Instructor Permission; AND Calculus pre-req OR co-req - this can be waived by the instructor based on student's prior experience |
| PHYS-SHU 71 | FoS Physics Laboratory* | Pre-req or co-req: PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors or PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I |
| PHYS-SHU 94 | Physics II Lab | Pre-req or co-req: PHYS-SHU 93 Foundations of Physics II Honors or PHYS-SHU 12 General Physics II |
| Note that Foundations of Physics III Honors is NOT required for Neural Science majors. | ||
| MAJOR REQUIRED COURSES: All Five | ||
| 1. NEUR-SHU 100 Math Tools for Life Sciences | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I and/or NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science | |
| 2. NEUR-SHU 201 Introduction to Neural Science* | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I and co-req: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II | |
| 3. NEUR-SHU 251 Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience | Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science | |
| 4. NEUR-SHU 301 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience* | Pre-reqs: NEUR-SHU 251 Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience and BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II | |
| 5. One approved upper-level course in either Psychology or Biology: | ||
Approved upper-level Psychology courses Note: The below list of courses is not exhaustive. These are sample classes. If you find another course that you would like to count towards this requirement, contact your Academic Advisor so that the course may be reviewed for approval. | ||
| NEUR-SHU 222 | Perception | Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science or PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Psychology but pre-req can be waived based on the student's background |
| NEUR-SHU 265 | Neural Bases of Speech and Language* | Pre-req: None |
The following courses will not be offered at NYU Shanghai but students may take one of them at New York to fulfill the requirement. | ||
| PSYCH-UA 29 | Cognition | |
| PSYCH-UA 44 | Lab in Perception | |
| PSYCH-UA 46 | Lab in Human Cognition | |
| PSYCH-UA 55 | Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Medicine | |
| PSYCH-UA 300 | From Illusions to Inference | |
Approved upper-level Biology courses Note: The below list of courses is not exhaustive. These are sample classes. If you find another course that you would like to count towards this requirement, contact your Academic Advisor so that the course may be reviewed for approval. | ||
| BIOL-SHU 30 | Genetics* | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II |
| BIOL-SHU 50 | Immunology | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 250 Organismal Systems |
| BIOL-SHU 263 | Development Biology | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 250 Organismal Systems or BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II |
| BIOL-SHU 314 | Advanced Cell Biology Lab | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21, 22 Foundation of Biology I or II or BIOL-SHU 123 FoS Bio Lab |
| CHEM-SHU 881 | Biochemistry I | Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 226 Organic Chemistry II |
| CHEM-SHU 882 | Biochemistry II | Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 881 Biochemistry I |
The following courses will not be offered at NYU Shanghai but students may take one of them at New York to fulfill the requirement. | ||
| BIOL-UA 25 | Principles of Animal Psychology | |
| BIOL-GA 1501 | Mathematics in Medicine and Biology | |
| BIOL-GA 1502 | Computers in Medicine and Biology | |
| NEURAL SCIENCE MAJOR ELECTIVE COURSES: Choose Three | ||
Note: The below list of courses is not exhaustive. These are sample classes. If you find another course that you would like to count towards this requirement, contact your Academic Advisor so that the course may be reviewed for approval. | ||
| MATH-SHU 160 | Networks and Dynamics | Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND MATH-SHU 140 Linear Algebra. Not open to students who took MATH-SHU 264 Dynamical Systems |
| NEUR-SHU 10J | Free Will and the Brain | Pre-req: None |
| NEUR-SHU 200 | Topics: Neural Biology of Hearing | Pre-req: NERU-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science |
| NEUR-SHU 222 | Perception | Can count as an approved upper-level Psychology course. Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science or PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Psychology but pre-req can be waived based on the student's background. |
| NEUR-SHU 261 | Neurobiology of Decision Making | Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science or with permission of the instructor |
| NEUR-SHU 265 | Neural Bases of Speech and Language* | Can count as an approved upper-level Psychology course. Pre-req: None. |
| NEUR-SHU 300 | Topics: Introduction to Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and to Cognitive, Decision and Social Neurosciences in Humans | Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science |
| NEUR-SHU 302 | Modeling & Simulations in Neuroscience* | Calculus, Mathematics for the Science or Networks and Dynamics, or permission by the instructor. Familiarity with linear algebra, ordinary differential equation, and programming are recommended but not required. |
| NEUR-SHU 305 | Special Topics: The Meaning of Natural Language | Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science or CSCI-SHU 101 Intro to Computer Science |
The following courses will not be offered at NYU Shanghai but students may take one of them at New York to fulfill the requirement. | ||
| NEURL-UA 302 | Special Topics in Neural Science | |
| NEURL-UA 305 | Development and Dysfunction of the Nervous System | |
| GENERAL ELECTIVES | ||
| Students may take any courses in the NYU system to meet the general elective requirements and are strongly encouraged but not required to take Intro to Programming and choose from the following listed courses to develop research skills. | ||
| NEUR-SHU 997 | Independent Study in Neural Science* | 2-4 credits, can be repeated once. Students need to fill out the permission form. |
| Recommended Computer Science General Electives | ||
| CSCI-SHU 101 | Introduction to Computer Science* | Pre-req: CSCI-SHU 11 Intro to Computer Programming or placement exam |
| CSCI-SHU 220 | Algorithms | Pre-reqs: CSCI-SHU 2314 Discrete Math and CSCI-SHU 210 Data Structures |
| CSCI-SHU 358 | Theory of Computation | |
| CSCI-SHU 360 | Machine Learning* | Pre-reqs: CSCI-SHU 101 Intro to Computer Science or CSCI-SHU 11 Intro to Computer Programming or Placement test AND MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus. Pre-req or Co-req: MATH-SHU 235 Probability and Statistics or BUSF-SHU 101 Statistics for Business and Economics or MATH-SHU 233 Theory of Probability |
| CSCI-SHU 372 | Artificial Intelligence | |
| CSCI-SHU 402 | Advanced Algorithms | |
| EENG-SHU 2054 | Signals and Systems | |
| EENG-SHU 251 | Circuits | Pre-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus |
| EENG-SHU 352 | Control Systems | |
| EENG-SHU 375 | Robotics Systems | |
| Recommended Mathematics General Electives | ||
| MATH-SHU 123 | Multivariable Calculus* | Pre-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus |
| MATH-SHU 140 | Linear Algebra* | Pre-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus |
| MATH-SHU 233 | Honors Theory of Probability* | Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 328 Honors Analysis I AND MATH-SHU 140 Linear Algebra or MATH-SHU 141 Honors Linear Algebra I |
| MATH-SHU 235 | Probability and Statistics* | Pre-req: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus and MATH-SHU 140 Linear Algebra or MATH-SHU 123 Multivariable Calculus. Not open to students who have taken MATH-SHU 233 Honors Theory of Probability and/or MATH-UA 234 Mathematical Statistics. |
| MATH-SHU 263 | Partial Differential Equations | Pre-req: MATH-SHU 262 Ordinary Differential Equations or MATH-SHU 362 Honors Ordinary Differential Equations |
Honors Track
- Honors seminar (Fall, 4 credits)
- Independent study in Neural Science (Fall and Spring, at least 4 credits)
- Honors thesis
Students must apply to the DUS for admission to the Honors Track in their senior year. Students requesting Honors status must achieve a grade point average of 3.65 or better in all courses required for the major and 3.65 over all courses taken for credit. Students should also demonstrate a genuine interest in research. Students must complete the Honors Seminar (4 credits) and start conducting research with a faculty member in Neural Science in the fall semester of their senior year and complete the Independent Study in Neural Science (at least 4 credits) with the same faculty sponsor in their senior year. The student must submit an honors thesis (40-60 pages in length, double spaced) that is accepted for honors standing by the faculty sponsor and the DUS. Presentation of the thesis work at the NYU Shanghai Undergraduate Research Conference is required.
For formatting guidelines for the Honors thesis, please see here.
Recommended Fall 2018 Courses
Recommended courses for Freshmen (Class of 2021) to take in Fall 2018
- Writing as Inquiry (4 credits)
- Foundations of Biology I (3 credits)
- FoS Biology Laboratory (2 credits)
- Intro to Neural Science (4 credits)
- Core curriculum class/Chinese/General elective class (4 credits)
Note that students are required to have completed Elementary Chinese II or 8 credits of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) before they are eligible to study away. Pre-med students should also consider taking Organic Chemistry II and Physics II Lab.
Faculty Mentor
Minor in Neural Science
| BIOL-SHU 22 | Foundations of Biology II* | Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I |
| BIOL-SHU 123 | FoS Biology Laboratory* | Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 121 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I |
| NEUR-SHU 201 | Introduction to Neural Science* | Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I and co-req: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II |
NEUR-SHU 251 OR NEUR-SHU 301 | Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience OR Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience* | Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 251 Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience and BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II |
Summer Undergraduate Research Program