Neuroscience Concentration

New in Fall 2023!

This interdisciplinary concentration emphasizes neuroscience and includes courses investigating the brain from the level of cellular biology to higher order psychological systems. 

This concentration requires more than 48 hours, so students do not need a minor or second major. Also, students in this concentration do not select another concentration within the Psychological Science Major.  (Total hours: 56-58 hours)

Foundations of Psychology (15 hours)

• Survey of the Discipline (3 hours)
  • PSYS 100 Introductory Psychology
  • PSYS 160 Introduction to Biopsychology
• Developmental Processes (3 hours)
  • PSYS 220 Introduction to Lifespan Developmental Psychology
  • PSYS 321 Child Developmental Psychology
• Learning and Cognition (3 hours)
  • PSYS 331 Principles of Human and Animal Learning
• Individual Differences in Social Processes (3 hours)
  • PSYS 350 Social Psychology
  • PSYS 440 Abnormal Psychology
• Biological Bases of Behavior and Mental Processes (3 hours)
  • PSYS 360 Behavioral Neuroscience

Research Methods and Statistics (7 hours)

• PSYS 210 Research Methods in Psychology
• PSYS 211 Research Methods in Psychology Laboratory
• PSYS 313 Statistics in Psychology

Integrative Science in Psychology (3 hours)

• PSYS 380 Psychology and Science Fiction
• PSYS 481 History in Psychology
• PSYS 490 Research, Readings, or Special Projects in Psychology

Upper-level Psychological Science requirements for Neuroscience Concentration (12 hours)

• PSYS 333 Cognitive Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYS 363 Sensory and Perceptual Systems (3 hours)
• PSYS 465 Psychopharmacology (3 hours)
• Electives (3 hours)
  
  • PSYS 431 Psychology of Language
  • PSYS 444 Psychology of Substance Use Disorders
  • PSYS 462 Fundamentals of Cognitive Neuroscience
  • PSYS 463 Evolutionary Psychology
  • PSYS 482 Psychology of Sexuality
  • PSYS 490 Research, Readings, or Special Projects in Psychology
  • PSYS 499 Senior Seminar in Psychology (category-related topic)

Psychological Science Lab Experiences (choose two labs; 2-4 hours)

• PSYS 161 Introduction to Biopsychology Lab
• PSYS 332 Laboratory in Human and Animal Learning
• PSYS 334 Laboratory in Cognition
• PSYS 365 Laboratory in Behavioral Neuroscience
• PSYS 415 Programming for Social Sciences

Biology Core Courses (11 hours)

• BIOL 120 Biological Concepts: Cells, Metabolism, and Genetics (3 hours)
• BIOL 121 Biological Concepts: Cells, Metabolism, and Genetics Lab (1 hours)
• BIOL 122 Biological Concepts: Evolution, Diversity, and Ecology (3 hours)
• BIOL 123 Biological Concepts: Evolution, Diversity, and Ecology Lab (1 hours)
• BIOL 335 Neurobiology (3 hours)

Additional Restricted Electives (choose 6 hours)

• BIOL 312 Bioinformatics (3 hours)
• BIOL 316 Evolution: Theory and Process (3 hours)
• BIOL 319 Introduction to Molecular Genetics (3 hours)
• BIOL 327 Genetics (3 hours)
• BIOL 334 Animal Behavior (3 hours)
• BIOL 464 Endocrinology (3 hours)
• PHYS 231 Introduction to Physics and Biophysics 1 (3 hours)
• PHYS 232 Laboratory for Physics and Biophysics 1 (1 hour)
• PHYS 233 Introduction to Physics and Biophysics 2 (3 hours)
• PHYS 332 Laboratory for Physics and Biophysics 2 (1 hour)
  

   

   

   

Notes:

• • To major in Psychological Science with a concentration, choose Psychological Science 747E for your major on TopNet and select Neuroscience as your concentration.
  • Students looking for more information on pre-health advising can find it here: https://www.wku.edu/wkuhpa/ 
  • Students who intend on completing BIOL 319 as an additional restricted elective in this concentration will first need to earn a C or higher in CHEM 120 and CHEM 121. CHEM 120 and CHEM 121 are not part of the Neuroscience concentration in the Psychological Science Major.
  • Students who intend on completing BIOL 464 should complete BIOL 322 in addition to BIOL 319.
  • Students in the neuroscience concentration of the Psychological Science major may count no more than 3 credits of PSYS 490 towards the major.
  • Students in the neuroscience concentration complete two psychological science laboratory experiences in addition to the research methods laboratory.

B.S. in Psychological Science (PSYS Major)

Course Listing

Handouts

• Concentration Requirements (pdf)
• Course Number Comparison Chart (pdf)
• Bachelor of Science Brochure (pdf)

Concentrations

• Applied Psychological Science
• Biobehavioral Psychology
• Clinical Psychological Science
• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Science
• Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Quantitative Psychology
• General Concentration 

 

Psychological Sciences

 

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