A&S—Neuroscience
The Center for Neuroscience (CNUP) Training Program is an interschool PhD degree-granting program offered cooperatively by the School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences. Neuroscience is the study of the structure and function of the nervous system. The field has emerged during the past two decades as a separate discipline, much as biochemistry and endocrinology became separate disciplines within the biomedical sciences in earlier decades. Rapid growth of this multidisciplinary field has made the study of mind and brain one of the most exciting scientific enterprises of our time.
Understanding the nervous system provides key insights into human nature as well as treatments for a host of devastating neurological and psychiatric disorders. Our program introduces students to the fundamental issues and experimental approaches in neuroscience and trains them in the theory and practice of laboratory research.
The CNUP is a campus-wide organization that promotes research and related academic activities in our large neuroscience community. It is important to note that a major feature of the program is the extensive collaborative interactions among its faculty. The field of neuroscience attracts people from many different disciplines in the natural sciences, and this heterogeneity in background is exploited by the diverse approaches taken by the faculty to research problems of common interest.
Research interests of the training faculty focus on several prominent themes that are listed below. Please visit the CNUP Web site for a more detailed description.
(a) The molecular basis of cellular communication
(b) Psychiatric and neurological disorders
(c) Neural systems and information processing in brain circuits
(d) Neural development and cellular growth
(e) Cognitive neuroscience
(f) Homeostatic regulatory systems
Training is also available for a master's degree through the Department of Neuroscience in the School of Arts and Sciences. It is important to note that this is a departmental program rather than a component of CNUP. Thus, training is only available with faculty with primary or secondary appointments in the Department of Neuroscience. Applicants must also arrange for a faculty sponsor before their application will be considered. A more detailed explanation of the program requirements is available on the Department of Neuroscience Web site at www.pitt.edu/~neurosci.
Contact Information
- Director of Graduate Studies
- 446 Crawford Hall
- 412-624-5043
- Fax: 412-624-9198
- E-mail: blaney@bns.pitt.edu
- http://cnup.neurobio.pitt.edu
Admissions
A detailed description of admission requirements and procedures can be found on our Web site.
Students are admitted into the CNUP training program on the assumption that they will be able to meet all requirements for the PhD degree. Those that are selected show evidence of a high level of intellectual talent, a strong interest in neuroscience, and a commitment to scholarship and research.
Admission decisions are based on many factors including the candidate's
statement of interest and goals in the field of neuroscience, evidence
of research experience and accomplishment, letters of recommendation,
test scores, grades, and personal interviews. An outstanding record
in one of these areas may compensate for poorer performance in another
area. In general, successful applicants have a BS degree in biology,
chemistry, computer science, mathematics, neuroscience, or psychology
with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.40 (on a 4.00
scale) and a cumulative Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score greater than 1200 (verbal and quantitative) and a 4.5 in analytical writing.
Financial Assistance
All students receive full stipend support and individual health benefits. This support is derived from University fellowships and numerous grants funded by the federal government and private agencies. Students in the program also have access to sponsorship on NIH training grants.
Requirements for the MS Degree
Credits: A minimum of 24 credit hours, including 12 credit hours of graduate course work in courses numbered 2000 or above.
Credits: A minimum of 72 credit hours, including a 24-credit course requirement covering fundamental material in cellular and molecular biology and systems neuroscience and several elective courses.
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