Neural Science

Neural science (NS) is a collection of disciplines unified by a concern for the function of the brain. Experimental approaches in neural science vary from analyses of molecular and cellular mechanisms in nerve cells and groups of nerve cells to behavioral and psychological studies of whole organisms. We attract students who are interested in understanding the brain’s command of all its diverse functions including but not limited to the following questions: How do cell circuits enable us to read and speak? How and why do we form relationships? How do we think, remember, despair, or motivate? What are possible causes of devastating disorders of the brain and body, as well as ways to prevent or cure them?

Requirements for the Major

Students can choose to follow the academic bulletin from the year that they were admitted or a more recent academic bulletin. For example, if you were admitted to NYU Shanghai in Fall 2019, you can choose to follow the academic bulletin 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022.

2024-2025
2023-2024
2022-2023
2021-2022
2020-2021
2019-2020
2018-2019

Planning the Major

To declare the Neural Science major, students must have a final grade of C, or currently enrolled in BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I.

Course Schedule Course Schedule
Curriculum Worksheet Curriculum Worksheet
Study Away Pathways Study Away Pathways

Faculty Mentors

Faculty mentors are the leading faculty and experts in the major disciplines. Students can reach out to faculty mentors for specific questions about the major, and references for connecting with relevant discipline resources. If you have specific questions about specific fields of study within the major, you can search for faculty through the faculty directory.

 

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Li Li

Area Head of Neuroscience

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Linmin Zhang

Undergraduate Coordinator of Neuroscience

 

 

Neural Science FAQs
Research Opportunities
  • We encourage students to reach out to the professors and take Foundations of Science courses to gain the chance to work in the professor’s lab.
  • Students may refer to this study booklet of Neural Science for the faculty research interests.

 

Double Major

Neural Science major students can not double major or minor in Biology.

Independent Study

Students are permitted to work on an individual basis under the supervision of a full-time faculty member in the relevant discipline if they have maintained an overall GPA of 3.0 and have a study proposal that is approved by the professor, Area Head and Academic Affairs.

Course Prerequisites
* = offered in Spring 2022 in Shanghai
The requirements below are from the 2020-2021 bulletin. Please refer to the previous years of academic bulletin if you are following a different major version. 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 21Foundations of Biology I*Pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus
BIOL-SHU 22Foundations of Biology IIPre-reqs: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I
BIOL-SHU 123FoS Biology LabPre-reqs: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I
CHEM-SHU 125Foundations of Chemistry IPre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus
CHEM-SHU 126Foundations of Chemistry II*Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 125 Foundations of Chemistry I AND pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus

CHEM-SHU 127 OR

CHEM-SHU 128

Chemistry Lab I or Chemistry Lab II*

Pre-req or co-req: CHEM-SHU 125 Foundations of Chemistry I

Co-req: CHEM-SHU 126 Foundations of Chemistry II

PHYS-SHU 11 OR

PHYS-SHU 91

General Physics I OR

Foundations of Physics I Honors

Pre-req or co-req for PHYS-SHU 11 or PHYS-SHU 91: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus

PHYS-SHU 12 OR

PHYS-SHU 93

General Physics II* OR

Foundations of Physics II Honors*

Pre-req for PHYS-SHU 93: PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors or PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics with B+ or higher grade

Pre-req for PHYS-SHU 93: PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors or PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I with B+ or higher grade

PHYS-SHU 71FoS Physics LabPre-req or co-req: PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I or PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors
PHYS-SHU 94Physics II Lab*Pre-req: PHYS-SHU 71 FoS Physics I Lab
Note that Foundations of Physics III Honors is NOT required for Neural Science majors.
MAJOR REQUIRED COURSES: All Six
1. NEUR-SHU 100 Math Tools for Life Sciences*Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology II or permission by the instructor
2. NEUR-SHU 201 Introduction to Neural SciencePre-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 NeurosciencePre-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 222PerceptionPre-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 265Neural Bases of Speech and LanguagePre-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. For the full list of Neural Science courses offered at global sites, please refer to the Global Courses Satisfying NYU Shanghai Degree Requirement Spreadsheet.
PSYCH-UA 29Cognition 
PSYCH-UA 44Lab in Perception 
PSYCH-UA 46Lab in Human Cognition 
PSYCH-UA 55Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Medicine 
PSYCH-UA 300From 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 30GeneticsPre-req: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II
BIOL-SHU 50ImmunologyPre-req: BIOL-SHU 250 Organismal Systems
BIOL-SHU 263Developmental Biology*Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 250 Organismal Systems or BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II
CHEM-SHU 881Biochemistry IPre-req: CHEM-SHU 226 Organic Chemistry II
CHEM-SHU 882Biochemistry 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. For the full list of Neural Science courses offered at global sites, please refer to the Global Courses Satisfying NYUSH Degree Requirement Spreadsheet.
BIOL-UA 25Principles of Animal Psychology
BIOL-GA 1501Mathematics in Medicine and Biology
BIOL-GA 1502Computers in Medicine and Biology
6.Major Capstone Course: NERU-SHU 997/998 Independent Study (Students need to fill out the permission form) in Neural Science (2-4 credits, can be repeated once): Open to senior neural science majors with permission of DUS. Independent Study must have a combined total of at least 4 credits but no more that 8 credits to fulfill the major capstone course requirement. The 4-credit requirement can be fulfilled in 1 semester with a 4-credit load or over 2 semesters with a 2-credit load in each semester. 
NEURAL SCIENCE MAJOR ELECTIVE COURSES: Choose Two
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 160Networks and DynamicsPre-reqs: MATH-SHU 131 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 10Free Will and the BrainPre-req: None
NEUR-SHU 200Topics: Neural Biology of HearingPre-req: NERU-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science
NEUR-SHU 222PerceptionCan 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 261Neurobiology of Decision Making*Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science or with permission of the instructor
NEUR-SHU 265Neural Bases of Speech and LanguageCan count as an approved upper-level Psychology course. Pre-req: None.
NEUR-SHU 270Introduction to Theoretical NeuroscienceNEUR-SHU 100 Maths Tools for Life Sciences
NEUR-SHU 275Action and CognitionNEUR-SHU 201 Introduction to Neural Science and NEUR-SHU 251 Behavioral and Integrative Neural Science
NEUR-SHU 303Introduction to Linguistics​* 
The following courses will not be offered at NYU Shanghai but students may take one of them at New York to fulfill the requirement. For the full list of Neural Science courses offered at global sites, please refer to the Global Courses Satisfying NYUSH Degree Requirement Spreadsheet.
NEURL-UA 302Special Topics in Neural Science
NEURL-UA 305Development and Dysfunction of the Nervous System
GENERAL ELECTIVES （Optional）
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.
   
Recommended Computer Science General Electives
CSCI-SHU 101Introduction to Computer Science*Pre-req: CSCI-SHU 11 Intro to Computer Programming or Placement
CSCI-SHU 220Algorithms*Pre-reqs: CSCI-SHU 2314 Discrete Math, CSCI-SHU 210 Data Structures and MATH-SHU 131 Calculus
CSCI-SHU 358Theory of Computation 
CSCI-SHU 360Machine Learning*Pre-reqs: CSCI-SHU 11 Intro to Computer Programming or CSCI-SHU 101 Intro to Computer Science or Placement AND MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus or Placement. 
CSCI-SHU 372Artificial Intelligence 
CSCI-SHU 402Advanced Algorithms 
EENG-SHU 2054Signals and Systems 
EENG-SHU 251Circuits*Pre-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus
EENG-SHU 352Control Systems 
EENG-SHU 375Robotics Systems 
Recommended Mathematics General Electives
MATH-SHU 123Multivariable Calculus*Pre-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus with C or higher grade
MATH-SHU 140Linear Algebra*Pre-req: MATH-SHU 9 Precalculus or Placement
MATH-SHU 233Honors 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 235Probability and Statistics*Pre-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus with C or higher or MATH-SHU 210 Honors Calculus. Not open to students who have taken MATH-SHU 233 Honors Theory of Probability.
MATH-SHU 263Partial Differential Equations*Pre-req: MATH-SHU 262 Ordinary Differential Equations or MATH-SHU 362 Honors Ordinary Differential Equations
Honors Track

1. Independent study in Neural Science (Fall and Spring, at least 4 credits)

2. Preliminary Research Statement in early March

3. Honors Thesis upon acceptance of preliminary research statement

Students must apply to the DUS (Director of Undergraduate Studies) 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. Note: When calculating GPA in all courses that satisfy the major, we will NOT include Calculus and FoS classes. We will include classes that have been approved to satisfy the major, which can be courses from different categories.

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