Neuroscience (BS)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2025-Spring 2026 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience 
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences
Department: Psychological and Brain Sciences; Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology
Academic Plan Code(s): NEURBS

Program Information

Academic Plan Code(s): NEURBS
Program Information

The Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience (BS in Neuroscience) is an interdisciplinary degree with a STEM+Health focus. The program trains students to critically assess and analyze ideas and concepts from the diverse disciplines that contribute to the field of neuroscience. Students achieve an in-depth understanding of nervous system function, from the molecular level to the cognitive sciences, and become familiar with the techniques used to measure nervous system function from the cellular level to the whole brain.

Graduates of this program are poised for careers in a wide variety of areas, including neuroscience and health-related fields, the social sciences, and the biological sciences. This program also prepares students for advanced-degree study in graduate school and professional degree programs.

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department.
Accelerated BS in Neuroscience to MS in Psychological Sciences Soaring Scholar Program

The Soaring Scholar accelerated BS/MS program is ideally suited for undergraduate students wishing to pursue a doctoral program in psychology (or related field) or those interested in being more “work-force ready” upon graduating. It is also well-suited for qualified students interested in testing the waters of graduate school or taking a “one step at a time” approach.

Overview

Neuroscience majors who are considering pursuing a master's degree (MS) in Psychological Science can earn a master's degree in less time through the Soaring Scholar program. Students accepted into this program take three graduate courses (9 credit hours) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor's degree and the eventual master's degree.

Mentorship
Each student accepted into the accelerated program will receive one-on-one mentoring as part of their training. Faculty mentors will guide the research experiences of students in the program. Students without a faculty mentor may not continue in the program.

Research
Research experience is a critical component of the BS/MS. Students must have completed, or be currently enrolled in, PSYC 491 or 492 in order to apply to the Soaring Scholars program. First- and Second-year students should plan ahead and find a PSYC 491 mentor in advance of applying to the Soaring Scholars program. Look through the list of Psychological Science and Clinical Psychology faculty for professors whose research interests you. Email them, and ask if they have openings for a 491 student (let them know you are considering applying for the Soaring Scholars program). Many faculty also post current openings on the Undergraduate Psychology Research page. 

Undergraduate students interested in participating in an accelerated dual bachelor’s/master’s degree offered through the university’s Soaring Scholar Program must first meet with their Academic Advisor to determine eligibility and apply to the program. Once accepted, students will receive an official admission letter outlining program policies and details. They will then work with their department and academic advisor to register for classes each semester, ensuring they meet the milestones and academic progress requirements of the Soaring Scholar program. A Soaring Scholar student is considered an undergraduate student until their bachelor’s degree is conferred. In their final undergraduate semester, they are expected to apply for admission to their respective master's program.

Overview

Neuroscience majors who are considering pursuing a master's degree (MS) in Psychological Science can earn a master's degree in less time through the Soaring Scholar program. Students accepted into this program take three graduate courses (9 credit hours) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor's degree and the eventual master's degree.

Mentorship
Each student accepted into the accelerated program will receive one-on-one mentoring as part of their training. Faculty mentors will guide the research experiences of students in the program. Students without a faculty mentor may not continue in the program.

Research
Research experience is a critical component of the BS/MS. Students must have completed, or be currently enrolled in, PSYC 491 or 492 in order to apply to the Soaring Scholars program. First- and Second-year students should plan ahead and find a PSYC 491 mentor in advance of applying to the Soaring Scholars program. Look through the list of Psychological Science and Clinical Psychology faculty for professors whose research interests you. Email them, and ask if they have openings for a 491 student (let them know you are considering applying for the Soaring Scholars program). Many faculty also post current openings on the Undergraduate Psychology Research page. 

Undergraduate students interested in participating in an accelerated dual bachelor’s/master’s degree offered through the university’s Soaring Scholar Program must first meet with their Academic Advisor to determine eligibility and apply to the program. Once accepted, students will receive an official admission letter outlining program policies and details. They will then work with their department and academic advisor to register for classes each semester, ensuring they meet the milestones and academic progress requirements of the Soaring Scholar program. A Soaring Scholar student is considered an undergraduate student until their bachelor’s degree is conferred. In their final undergraduate semester, they are expected to apply for admission to their respective master's program.

Degree Summary

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Some credit hours from the General Education Requirements may be satisfied by courses defined by the program, in which case additional electives will be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree. 

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to the BS in Neuroscience:

1. Complete PSYC 201 or (equivalent) and PSYC 305, earning a grade of C or higher.
2. Complete Statistics Requirement (PSYC 301 or BIOL 350), earning a grade of C or higher. Completion of MATH 180 or MATH 205 is required for the degree. For admission to the major, students must have completed the necessary math coursework, or have a math placement score, to satisfy the prerequisites to enroll in MATH 180 or MATH 205.
3. Have an overall cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 (no grades of C-minus or lower in core or supporting coursework may be counted toward requirements for the major).
4. Have completed at least 30 hours of degree-applicable credit.

The Change Major Request form can be found under the Academic Progress tile on ULink.

Soaring Scholar Accelerated BS Psychology/MS Psychological Science Admission Requirements

Interested students must apply to the program by December 1 of their Junior year. Applicants must have completed PSYC 201, PSYC 301, PSYC 302*, and PSYC 491 or PSYC 492 prior to application. Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a 'C' grade or better in courses required for their BS.  Students must maintain a GPA of greater than 2.5 during their enrollment in the Soaring Scholar program. Students must enter the Soaring Scholar  program with no more than 24 credit hours remaining to complete their BS degree, and they must enter the program with 9 hours of elective credit remaining in their BS degree. Students interested in applying to Soaring Scholars program for Psychology should follow the application process outlined in the Soaring Scholars Application Checklist at: https://graduate.louisville.edu/academics/programs/soaring.

* Students may be currently enrolled in PSYC 302 when applying to the Soaring Scholar program.

General Education

*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above).  Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements

At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above.

Students who wish to double major in the BS in Neuroscience and the BS in Psychology degrees must complete 18 credit hours toward the Psychology (PSYC) degree that do not count towards meeting the Neuroscience (NS) degree requirements. These 18 credits must include the following courses: PSYC 306, PSYC 307 and PSYC 308. If these courses are taken as electives for the NS degree, additional PSYC courses must be taken in their place. Students must also complete one PSYC CUE course and one NS CUE course. For elective courses that can count toward either degree, the student must specify whether each course will count for NS or for PSYC.

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Completion of the second semester of a single foreign language; hours will vary depending on the language taken

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In addition to courses counted toward General Education

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May be incorporated into other degree requirements

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Students who satisfy General Education Requirements by courses defined by the program will require additional electives to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

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Does not satisfy CUE requirement for the Neuroscience BS

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Students may select any courses they wish to fulfill the elective credits; however, the faculty suggest that students consider taking electives from the provided list as these courses are aligned with training in the discipline or may be required to fulfill preparation for certain degree paths (such as completing the typical pre-med requirements). 

Flight Plan

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At least two of the courses selected to satisfy these General Education/Cardinal Core requirements must also satisfy Perspectives requirements (at least once course/3 credits each of U.S. Perspectives/P1; completion of the second semester of a single foreign language; hours will vary depending on the language taken and Global Perspectives/P2 coursework).

*Soaring Scholars Follow the Flight Plan Below for Year 4