The Graduate Program in Behavioral Neuroscience

The training of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers is an important component of the scientific and intellectual life of the Behavioral Neuroscience Group. We are deeply committed to preparing trainees for success in positions in academia, private research organizations, industry, and governmental agencies, and we have enjoyed considerable success in doing so. Behavioral Neuroscience is inherently a broad and multidisciplinary field - drawing information, ideas, and techniques from scientific disciplines such as anatomy, biology, biochemistry, computer science, embryology, engineering, genetics, pharmacology, physiology, psychology, and physics. Thus, to become effective researchers, students must not only master an impressive range of techniques, but more importantly, they must also learn to think critically about an unusually wide range of material. This process is fostered by the exceptional breadth and depth (ranging from behavior to molecules) of the research being conducted within our individual laboratories and with the group as a whole.

The program is strongly research-oriented. Students begin research in their first semester of graduate study, and coursework is largely tailored to their individual needs. At its best, graduate education involves intense, but informal forms of instruction every day. Thus, students also benefit from the overall collegiality of the program, often working collaboratively with several faculty members and members of the laboratories.

Our students enter the program with diverse backgrounds, coming from both the social and natural sciences, but they share common traits: profound curiosity, and a very real energy and enthusiasm about science.

Department Brochure

Program Information

The Ph.D. program usually takes 4-5 years to complete, and general requirements include:

  • 1. An individualized course plan, devised by the student and their committee. These courses include:
  • A. Core courses (12 credits)
  • i. Introduction to Neuroscience I and II
  • ii. Advances in Neuroscience (this course is taken in three separate semesters, and the semesters do not have to be consecutive).
  • B. Neuroscience Depth Courses (approximately 12 credit hours).
  • c. Specialized Elective Courses.
  • 2. A second-year progress paper. This is usually completed around the end of the 2nd year/beginning of the third year.
  • 3. A comprehensive exam, usually taken in the third year, after completion of the core coursework.
  • 4. A doctoral dissertation and defense. Students must take a minimum of 30 dissertation credit hours, and are expected to be finished by the end of their fifth year.

    • Teaching Requirements:

    We require students to participate in at least one year of teaching experience. The Graduate Teacher Program fosters the building of strong university teachers, providing a rare chance to be trained and coached by experts.

    Graduate students also benefit from strong graduate student representation through the United Government of Graduate Students.

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    Applying to the Program

    Applicants to the Behavioral Neuroscience Program must complete the general Graduate School application forms as well as the department-specific form (both of which can be found here. Specific, university-wide instructions about the application process can be found here.

    What we are looking for:

    Acceptance into our program will be based on prior coursework, research experience, and a good fit with the research programs of our faculty. Although we accept students with a wide range of experiences, students with a strong basic science and research background are favored. Successful applicants often have taken courses such as cell biology, organic chemistry, neuroscience, biopsychology, biochemistry, research methods, and statistics.

    Steps to Applying for the Ph.D. Program:

    In applying for the Ph.D. program, you will be required to:

    Have a bachelor's or equivalent degree from an accredited institution.
    Complete parts I and II of the Graduate Application.
    Include a Personal Statement in which you describe your research experience.
    Provide GRE scores. You can visit the GRE website for more information about the exam.
    Provide 3 letters of recommendation.
    Provide an official copy of each transcript from any institution at which you have previously studied.
    Applicants whose education was not in English must earn a score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

    Interview and Admissions Process

    Graduate applications will be reviewed through January. After all applications have been reviewed, individual faculty members will contact prospective candidates and generally invite them to the campus for a departmental interview. Final decisions of acceptance are generally made in March after the admissions committee has met and all candidates have been evaluated.

    Application Deadlines:

    International Applicants: All application materials must be received by December 1st.

    Domestic Applicants: All application materials must be received by January 1st.

    Applicants who are mailing their applications should send them to:

    Graduate Admissions
    553 UCB
    University of Colorado at Boulder
    Boulder, CO 80309-0553

    Transcripts must either be submitted electronically or sent to the above address.

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    For questions about our program, please contact Alyson Daly.