Courses

The Neuroscience program offers a diverse curriculum in the form of core neuroscience courses and advanced topics courses. Courses taken during the first two years are designed to fill gaps in the general biological or physical science background of each student, to provide broadly based training in neuroscience, and to provide intensive training in the particular area in which a student plans to carry out research. During these two years students are advised by the program director, the graduate advisors, and by a senior graduate student in the program assigned to assist each entering student. A specific program of courses designed to take advantage of the full educational opportunities of the University of California is developed by the student in consultation with the advisors.

Over the first two to three years students also participate in at least four advanced topics courses. These are one-quarter courses devoted to an intense and up-to-date review of single topics of contemporary interest. We strongly encourage students, postdoctoral fellows, and other interested members of our program to take full advantage of these course offerings.

Core Neuroscience Courses: First-year students take a core course in the fall, winter and spring quarters. The core course is designed to fill gaps in the general biological or physical science background of each student, to provide broadly based training in neuroscience.

Advanced Courses: Students participate in at least four advanced topics courses. These are one-quarter courses devoted to an intense and up-to-date review of single topics of contemporary interest. Participation in advanced topic courses is not limited to students; postdoctoral fellows and faculty participate as well.

Statistics Course: Second year students must complete a statistics course.

Lab Rotations and Dissertation Research: Students in their first year complete three lab rotations (one per quarter). Rotations are designed to familiarize new graduate students with various approaches to neurobiological research. After joining a lab, students register for Dissertation Research each quarter.

Journal Club: Neuroscience Program, faculty, students and post-docs meet weekly on Friday afternoons for two discussions of recent papers, one presented by a student and one by a faculty member. Following Journal Club is a social hour.

Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Science: Students in their second year take this course which covers topics such as conflicts of interest, responsible authorship, policies regarding the use of human and animal subjects, handling misconduct, proper data management, research funding rules and procedures.

Teaching: In the second year, neuroscience students teach as graduate assistants for one quarter. The teaching experience consolidates the students' grasp of the field and provides training for those who will eventually be employed as college or university professors. (Additional teaching opportunities are available through the University’s Science and Health Education Partnership (SEP) http://www.ucsf.edu/sep/.

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Other Courses Available to Neuroscience Students

UCSF Courses: Neuroscience students may register for additional courses offered by other graduate programs. A full listing of all UCSF courses is available in the UCSF Course Catalog.  Of specific interest to Neuroscience students are courses in Anatomy, Biophysics, Endocrinology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Biostatistics, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Physiology.

Intercampus Exchange : The University of California Intercampus Exchange program allows graduate students to take courses on another campus of the University while remaining registered on the home campus.

San Francisco Consortium: UCSF students may take advantage of a cross-registration system among four member colleges and universities that make up the San Francisco Consortium: the University of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, UC San Francisco, and Hastings College of the Law.

Stanford Exchange: A regularly enrolled, full time, matriculated student of a member institution may register for courses offered by Stanford University. No cost to the student or institutions is involved.

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