Admission Requirements

• Master of Science
• Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

• Master of Science
• Doctor of Philosophy

Director of Graduate Studies
Graduate Program in Neuroscience (MC 526)
840 South Wood Street
Chicago, IL 60612-4325

Campus Location: 304 CSN
Program Codes: 20FS0323MS (MS); 20FS0323PHD (PhD)
Telephone: (312) 996-7370
E-mail: bwilli7@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.uic.edu/depts/neurosci/
Program Directors: Mark M. Rasenick, Simon T. Alford, and Daniel M. Corcos
Director of Graduate Studies: Simon T. Alford

The Program in Neuroscience offers work leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Neuroscience and a Master of Science degree in Neuroscience for physician residents in Psychiatry^a. As a multidisciplinary program, students have numerous research opportunities in several departments across the campus. Fields of study cluster around three areas of concentration: neural signal transduction and molecular biology; systems and integrative neuroscience; human/therapeutic neuroscience, cognition, and neural imaging.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements for Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science:

Master of Science

• Degree Requirements Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from a nationally accredited program.
• Grade Point Average Successful completion of a Doctor of Medicine program from a nationally accredited program and admission to the Psychiatry Residency Program.
• Tests Required Successful completion of USMLE Steps 1 and 2.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
• TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
• IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required, preferably from instructors and advisors who are familiar with the applicant’s recent work.
• Personal Statement A one-to three-page statement of the applicant’s professional goals, including the justification for pursuing a career in neurosciences, is required.
• Deadlines The application deadline is February 1 (January 1 is recommended).

^a The Master of Science in Neuroscience is for those currently holding an MD degree and completing a Psychiatry residency program at UIC. These master’s candidates will be supported from an NIMH Training Grant that is already in place at UIC that represents a specific initiative by the NIH to support the training of physician/scientists. No other candidates for the Master of Science degree will be considered. Students with terminal master’s degrees do not command any additional advantage in competing for academic positions; entry-level research assistant positions usually require no more than a Bachelor of Science degree. More appropriate master’s degree programs for students who wish to advance in industry or education are available in the departments of Biological Sciences or Psychology.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions. Prior academic work in the following disciplines is strongly recommended:
• Biology (8 hours)—introductory biology plus lab
• Chemistry (16 hours)—general chemistry and organic chemistry, plus labs or biochemistry (3–4 hours)
• Physics (6 hours)—introductory physics
• Grade Point Average A minimum average of 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required GRE General.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
• TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
• IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required, preferably from instructors and advisors who are familiar with the applicant’s recent work.
• Personal Statement A one- to three-page statement of the applicant’s professional goals, including the justification for pursuing a career in neurosciences, is required.
• Deadlines The application deadline is February 1 (January 1 is recommended).
• Nondegree Applicants Rarely accepted. Nondegree applicants must submit all credentials and meet the same admission requirements as degree applicants. The department only accepts nondegree applicants who have exceptional credentials and who desire to take a few specific courses for professional purposes. Nondegree students may not take practicum or individual study courses. Nondegree students will not be admitted to the degree program at a later time.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science

• Three areas of concentration are available for study. These concentrations are:
• Neural Signal Transduction and Molecular Biology
• Systems and Integrative Neuroscience
• Human / Therapeutic Neuroscience and Methods of Neural Imaging
• Minimum Semester Hours Required 32 beyond the baccalaureate.
• Course Work All students must take or show proficiency in GCLS 503, ANAT/NEUS 403, NEUS 501 and NEUS 502, and NEUS 511. Students will be required to take two modules per semester of GCLS 504 in their first year of study. Remaining courses will be chosen depending upon the concentration selected by the student. Registration and attendance for NEUS 595—Journal Club is required each semester.
• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options A master’s thesis is required.
• Other Requirements Each student must present at least one seminar prior to graduation.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Three areas of concentration are available for study. These concentrations are:
• Neural Signal Transduction and Molecular Biology
• Systems and Integrative Neuroscience
• Human / Therapeutic Neuroscience and Methods of Neural Imaging
• Minimum Semester Hours Required Students must complete 96 hours of credit within 9 years from the baccalaureate. For those students entering the program with a valid Master of Science degree from an accredited institution, up to 32 hours of credit may be transferred if considered equivalent to core courses within the program.
• Course Work All students must take or show proficiency in GCLS 503, ANAT/NEUS 403, NEUS 501 and NEUS 502, and NEUS 511. Students will be required to take two modules per semester of GCLS 504 and GCLS 505 in their second year of study. A minimum of two research rotations (NEUS 506) is required during the first year. Of the 96 total credit hours, 32 will be from formal course work. Remaining courses will be selected depending upon the concentration chosen by the student. The remaining credit hours will be filled by research credit. Registration and attendance for Journal Club (NEUS 595) is required each semester.
• Examinations A preliminary examination, both written and oral, is required.
• Dissertation Required.
• Other Requirements Each student must present at least one midthesis seminar prior to graduation. A final public seminar and oral defense of the dissertation are required.