Program
The Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience offers you the opportunity to focus on one of two large areas of neuroscience – Cellular & Molecular or Behavioural & Cognitive – while still giving you the flexibility to explore many other aspects of neuroscience.
Overview
Full program requirements can be found in the UBC Academic Calendar
Click on the image below to zoom in and scroll through a year by year breakdown of courses.
Degree Requirements
Students in the Bachelor of Science have faculty requirements that they must complete in order to graduate and promotion requirements that are necessary to progress through their degree. Questions regarding these requirements should be directed to Science Advising.
Research Opportunities
Over 100 faculty members have been identified at UBC with specializations in Neuroscience.
Students in the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience have the opportunity to get involved in these research labs, both as part of the Neuroscience Program (such as in NSCI 400, the capstone course) and as part of extra-curricular activities such as Summer Research Awards or Research Assistant Positions.
Undergraduate Research Funding
Some of the most common sources of funding for undergraduate research are listed below.
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards
Apply together with your research supervisor, through the department of your supervisor. These awards are for full time positions in the summer.
Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Awards
Intended to be similar to NSERC USRAs, for full-time positions in the summer. Available with researchers from the faculty of Science, most likely Zoology for a neuroscience research project. If you apply for an NSERC USRA, you will be automatically considered by the department for a SURE (if the department of your supervisor is in Science). Otherwise, apply directly to the department (Zoology info page).
Quinn Research Assistantship Award (Psychology only)
Only available with faculty members from the Psychology department. Summer research positions, full-time only. Apply together with your supervisor.
Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Program
For summer research positions, full-time only. Apply together with a faculty member from the faculty of Medicine only, but the awards are open to all undergraduate students.
Faculty of Medicine Multidisciplinary Research Program in Medicine
For summer research positions, full-time only. Faculty of Medicine professors pair with professors from other faculties to create research project positions for undergraduate students. Students view available projects on the MRPM website in March and submit their applications.
Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards
For summer research positions, full-time only. Either apply together with a faculty member for the award in late January or apply for a posted position on CareersOnline in March.
Work Learn Program
Work Learn research positions are part time. Typically, the best opportunities for a Work Learn research position are the ones you create by contacting a faculty member directly about working in their lab, but positions are posted on CareersOnline. See the Work Learn site for information about how to organize a Work Learn research position.
Program Learning Objectives
- Describe and apply historical and foundational concepts and theories in neuroscience (including basic cellular, systems, behavioural and cognitive underpinnings) in a variety of contexts.
- Demonstrate a conceptual understanding and procedural knowledge of neuroscience and neuroscience research design and techniques.
- Describe behavioural features and explain neurobiological mechanisms of a range neurological and psychiatric conditions.
- Design a well-thought-out neuroscience experiment with human participants and/or animal subjects appropriate for conducting at an undergraduate level, including design, ethical approval, data collection, and statistical analyses.
- Summarize a primary neuroscience-related academic article, analyze its strengths, identify its limitations, and propose appropriate avenues for further inquiry.
- Review and integrate a body of neuroscience literature into a concise synopsis.
- Produce well-crafted instructions, reports, essays, presentations, discussions, and debates aimed at both neuroscientific and non-neuroscientific audiences.
- Explain the ethical and societal implications of neuroscience research and theory.
- Produce a well-substantiated critique based on ethical, design, methodological and interpretive considerations for: (1) a piece of neuroscience research (e.g., a research article); (2) a neuroscientific technique; and (3) a field of study in neuroscience.
- Develop, reflectively analyze, and edit a personalized curriculum and career plan.
- Provide, receive, and integrate peer/mentor feedback on academic work.
- Program effectively for the purposes of data collection, processing, analysis, and presentation.