Behavioral neuroscience is a fascinating topic that studies the biological mechanisms underlying how the brain senses and perceives the environment, stores and retrieves memories, generates emotions, controls behavior, and produces consciousness. Behavioral neuroscience sits at the intersection of psychology and biology and addresses topics from the cellular/molecular level to the biological underpinnings of all aspects of behavior and psychological disorders.
Enormous strides have been made in the field of neuroscience in the last several decades and students at Fairfield have the opportunity to join the discussion. The major in behavioral neuroscience is an ideal preparation for graduate school in behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, and affective neuroscience, as well as in experimental psychology, neurophysiology, clinical neuropsychology, pharmacology, and many other developing areas in this rapidly growing discipline. Students planning to enter the health professions would find the behavioral neuroscience minor helpful as preparation for specialization in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, psychopharmacology, and more. Finally, the major is ideal for any student who has a desire to learn more about the functioning of their own brain.
For a 63-credit major in Behavioral Neuroscience, students complete the following:
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credits |
BIOL 1171 & 1171L | General Biology I and General Biology I Lab | 4 |
BIOL 1172 & 1172L | General Biology II and General Biology II Lab | 4 |
BIOL 2262 | Human Physiology | 4 |
or BIOL 1107 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I |
CHEM 1171 & 1171L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
CHEM 1172 & 1172L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
CHEM 2271 & 2271L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
CHEM 2272 & 2272L | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
PSYC 1010 | General Psychology | 3 |
PSYC 1610 | Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
PSYC 2810 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
PSYC 2820 | Research Methods in Psychology | 4 |
1 | 18 |
| Genetics | |
| Endocrinology | |
| Biochemistry I | |
| Biochemistry II |
| Cell Biology | |
| Developmental Biology | |
| Molecular Biology | |
| Human Neuropsychology | |
| Cognitive Psychology | |
| Learning and Applied Behavior Analysis | |
| Sensation and Perception | |
| Drugs and Behavior | |
| Special Topics (Shell) (with an emphasis in behavioral or cellular/molecular neuroscience) | |
| Hormones and Behavior | |
| Supervised Research | |
| Independent Research | |
| 3 |
| Senior Seminar: Current Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience | |
| Neuroanatomy and Behavior | |
| Special Topics: Senior Seminar (with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience) | |
Total Credits | 63 |
Magis Core Curriculum
Beginning with the Class of 2023, all undergraduate students will be required to complete the Magis Core Curriculum. Please refer to the Curricula section of this undergraduate catalog for a detailed explanation of the Magis Core.