University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Courses
NSCI
48 courses with the subject NSCI, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
NSCI 175Introduction to Neuroscience3
Provides an introduction to the structure and function of the nervous system. Fundamental principles will be introduced including nervous system anatomy; molecular and cellular properties of the nervous system; sensory and motor systems; current methods used in neuroscience; and how the nervous system produces behavior and cognition. This course provides greater breadth and depth of neuroscience topics, as compared to Biopsychology (PSYC 220). Previously offered as PSYC 175 and 315. Honors version available.
An undergraduate seminar course that is designed to be a participatory intellectual adventure on an advanced, emergent, and stimulating topic within a selected discipline of neuroscience. This course does not count as credit toward the neuroscience major or minor.
This course provides an introduction to the scientific study of psychopharmacology, with emphasis on drugs of abuse and psychotherapeutic drugs. Previously offered as NSCI/PSYC 320.
Topics in Pavlovian and operant (instrumental) conditioning, learning theory, higher order cognitive learning, and application of those principles to mental-health related situations. Previously offered as PSYC 222. Honors version available.
Topics in vision, audition, and the lower senses. Receptor mechanisms, psychophysical methods, and selected perceptual phenomena will be discussed. Previously offered as PSYC 225. Honors version available.
NSCI 270Human Neuroscience through Imaging and Data Science3
This Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience introduces students to big data approaches in human neuroscience, emphasizing neuroimaging methods such as fMRI, DTI, EEG, and PET, alongside behavioral measures. Throughout the semester, students will engage in original research analysis & visualization, working on a sustained, scaffolded research project and learn fundamental techniques in data preprocessing, statistical modeling, connectivity analysis, and visualization. The course also provides an accessible introduction to advanced approaches, including machine learning and network analysis. Students will work with publicly available neuroscience datasets, gaining practical experience analyzing large-scale data, and completing a project that applies big data methods to neuroscience.
Cellular Mechanisms in Addiction is a laboratory and research-based course aimed at investigating the cellular underpinnings of drug addiction. Students will gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge approaches utilized in addiction research. Utilizing rodent brain tissue and immunohistochemistry techniques, students will delve into the cellular and molecular changes associated with addiction. Students may receive credit for only one NSCI 27X course. Majors only.
This is a hands-on, course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) in developmental neurobiology. Students learn the principles of early neurodevelopment and activity-dependent plasticity while gaining technical experience in sterile cell culture, brain organoid generation, and electrophysiological recording. Working in research teams, students design and execute an original experiment testing how environmental, pharmacological, or activity-based interventions influence neural activity during development. The course emphasizes experimental design, data collection and analysis, scientific reading, and communication through journal clubs, research manuscripts, and poster presentations. Students with credit for NSCI 270-279 may not enroll.
NSCI 273Brainwaves: Human Electroencephalography Lab3
This research-based course is focused on understanding the neural underpinnings of electroencephalography (EEG) data. By synchronizing EEG recorded on the scalp with experimental events, Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) link human brain activity to specific mental processes. Students will gain technical skills, through hands-on experience, in processing, analyzing, and interpreting electrophysiological data. Majors only.
In this research-based course, students will design novel experiments to examine sex differences in large neurophysiology datasets. Students will use Python to access and analyze data. Students will also learn research literature analysis, experimental design, data analysis, collaboration, and presentation skills by developing a research proposal, paper, and poster. Students may receive credit for only one NSCI 27X course. Restricted to Neuroscience Majors only.
This hands-on laboratory course introduces students to neuroscience research through a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) using Drosophila melanogaster. Students will investigate how neural circuits shape behavior by designing and conducting original experiments with behavioral assays and neural manipulation techniques (genetic, pharmacological, optogenetic). Emphasis is placed on collaboration, iteration, and scientific communication. Alongside their projects, students will analyze primary literature, develop hypotheses, troubleshoot challenges, and interpret novel data. The semester culminates in both a written research paper and a poster presentation, showcasing student-designed discoveries. Students may only receive credit for one NSCI 27X Lab CURE course.
NSCI 277Obesity in the Brain - Neuroscience qPCR Laboratory3
Obesity in the Brain - Neuroscience qPCR Laboratory is a laboratory and research-based course that will expose students to the fundamental and emerging approaches used in RT-qPCR neuroscience research. Students will have the opportunity to delve into the effect of obesity and/or diabetes on the brain. In this course students will learn to handle rodent brains, perform cryostat sectioning, conduct reverse transcription, create a cDNA library, and utilize R programming to analyze qPCR results by studying genes of interest. Students with credit for NSCI 270-279 may not enroll. Majors only.
Students will design novel experiments to examine and visualize sex differences in the nervous system. Students will learn how to handle brain slices, neuroanatomy, microscopy, immunohistochemistry and imaging analysis techniques by studying neuronal diversity in the norepinephrine system of mice. Students will have the opportunity to develop and test hypotheses, write a research proposal, and present their work in poster form. Students may receive credit for only one NSCI 27X course. Majors only.
In this laboratory course, students will utilize molecular biology techniques (e.g., immunohistochemistry and immunoassays) while developing and testing hypotheses regarding how environmental or experimental conditions alter microglia. Students will work in teams to design an experiment, and then collect, analyze, and report data. Students may receive credit for only one NSCI 27X course. Neuroscience majors only.
NSCI 294Service Learning in Neuroscience: APPLES1-3
Permission of the instructor. Service learning component for students enrolled in Neuroscience APPLES courses. May not count toward the major or minor.
NSCI 326Neuroscience Career Development, Networking & Applications in the Working World3
This course provides students interested in the neuroscience field an opportunity to gain valuable networking, job application and interviewing skills. Over the course of the semester students will meet with neuroscience professionals and create application packages. Students will learn from individuals in neuroscience related jobs about the diverse careers options available and strategies for navigating the job market successfully. Students will explore advances in neuroscience research and how they relate to industry, research, etc. Majors only.
NSCI 391Pedagogy Course for Psychology and Neuroscience Undergraduate Learning Assistants3
This course gives an overview of teaching methods that facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and understanding as well as entails hands-on experience in the classroom. Common misconceptions of learning as well as legal and ethical considerations related to working closely with an undergraduate population will also be covered. Departmental application and approval required.
NSCI 392Psychology and Neuroscience Undergraduate Learning Assistant3
This course is for students that have already served as a ULA and completed an associated pedagogy course. Students will gain additional hands-on experience supporting learning in the classroom and preparing supplemental learning materials. Departmental application and approval required.
Supervised research resulting in a written report for declared NSCI majors. May be repeated for credit up to six hours. Up to three hours may count as a neuroscience methods elective. Permission of the instructor.
This course will examine the molecular basis of drug action in the brain. Students will learn about ligand-receptor interactions and modulation of receptor number, structure, and function by drugs. Detailed examples will examine the molecular details of both ligand-gated ion channels and G-protein coupled receptors. The course will use analysis of primary literature and a semester-long makerspace project to delve into research where central themes will include developing critical thinking, design thinking, and communication skills.
In this class, we will consider how neuroscience emerged as a multidisciplinary field. The class will cover key research findings that propelled the field forward. We will also delve into the autobiographies of some of the pioneering researchers who made these important discoveries. Previously offered as PSYC 415.
The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth investigation into glia cells in the brain, and their roles in health and disease. We will focus particularly on astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes, but we will also cover and discuss other glial cell types as well. A general overview will be provided for each topic, followed by study and discussion of primary literature.
The endocrine and nervous systems interact with each other in complex ways to influence behavioral processes. In this course, we will discuss the ways by which hormones regulate homeostatic and social behaviors, learning, stress responses, and affective disorders, among others. Additionally, we will read scientific articles to learn about advances in the field of neuroendocrinology.
For advanced undergraduate and graduate students. An introduction to human neuroanatomy, covering function of the neuroanatomy of each major system and relation to neurobehavioral disorders associated with damage to the neuroanatomy of the system. Previously offered as PSYC 420.
This course is designed for upper-level undergraduates who are interested in how brain circuits control behavior. A major focus will be the new technique of optogenetics that is revolutionizing our approach to systems neuroscience. Circuits that control movement, sensation, sleep, memory, and fear will be explored in detail. Points of emphasis will be circuits mediating pain as related to actions of opiates and circuits mediating feeding behavior as related to obesity.
This course will explore the manifestations and causes of important neurological and psychiatric diseases. A particular focus will be the impact of advances in genetics on our understanding of these disorders. Disorders that affect large numbers of patients including Alzheimer's disease, autism, and schizophrenia will be studied in detail.
This course addresses fundamental challenges inherent in studying the brain and explores the theory, applications, and limitations of new and traditional neurotechnology. The unique ethical issues and significance of interdisciplinary approaches in neuroscience will also be highlighted. Students will analyze research literature and focus on cellular, molecular, and genetic techniques that are essential staples in the neuroscientist's toolkit. Students will also design experiments, utilize publicly available resources, and analyze big data generated by high-throughput approaches.
NSCI 424Neural Connections: Hands on Neuroscience3
This class will explore links between the brain and behavior through neuroscience outreach activities. Students will also reflect on the meaning of community engagement. By the end of the semester, each student must complete a minimum of 30 hours of service within the community. Previously offered as PSYC 424.
The course will focus on discussing and identifying how animals' "Umwelt" (perceptual experience of their environment) may differ from ours and how differences in their sensory receptors, sense organs, etc. lead to this difference in experience.
NSCI 426Computational Methods in Neuroscience Using Python3
This course teaches Python fundamentals through the lens of computational neuroscience, using real examples and data. Students build practical coding skills and learn how computational tools help answer key questions about the brain, with no coding experience needed.
This course will survey clinical and experimental literature regarding the neurobiology of aging, considering different theories of aging, how aging is studied in the laboratory, and recent findings. Biochemical, molecular, physiological, and behavioral changes associated with both "normal" and pathological aging will be considered. Previously offered as PSYC 427.
Neuroscience is a "hot" topic in popular media. We will consider media coverage of neuroscientific research by reading the popular press versions of studies alongside the findings from primary sources and what kinds of topics are most often covered by the media and why. Previously offered as PSYC 428.
Introduction to cognitive neuroscience. Higher mental processes including attention, memory, language, and consciousness will be covered, with an emphasis on the neural mechanisms that form the substrates of human cognition. Previously offered as PSYC 434.
The nervous and immune systems interact with each other in complex ways to influence behavior, health and well-being. In this course, we will examine the mechanisms by which these two systems interact. Further, we will cover how the nervous and immune systems function together to serve homeostasis, behavior and disease.
NSCI 440Behavioral Neuroscience and Experimental Methods in Rodents3
This is to survey the wide variety of experimental methods used in rodent studies to assess behavioral outcomes, including memory, anxiety, depression, and drug seeking. This will be combined with readings on how changes in brain circuitry can affect behavioral outcomes, such as drugs of abuse or other disease states.
Designed for highly motivated neuroscience majors interested in exploring professional opportunities in neuroscience-related areas. Students complete hands-on internships at community sites for approximately 120 hours across the semester and attend a weekly one-hour class or regular meetings with the instructor of record.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulty in communication and social interaction. This course will examine scientific advancements in diagnosis, causes, and interventions for ASD. Additional topics include neurodiversity and inclusion.
This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific study of emotion. Topics will include theoretical models of emotion process and structure. A range of perspectives, including social, cultural, developmental, clinical, and cognitive psychology, as well as behavioral neuroscience, will be considered. Previously offered as PSYC 568.
Stress is a common experience in modern life that impacts psychological and physical health. In this course, we will delve into the scientific literature in psychology and neuroscience that explores how the brain and the body respond to stress, and how we can intervene to prevent stress from negatively impacting physical and mental health.
NSCI 61First-Year Seminar: Drug Addiction: Fact and Fiction3
The course will tackle questions through classroom discussions, lectures, movies, writing assignments, and a visit to a research laboratory and a treatment facility. Students will be introduced to fundamental concepts in addiction research. Honors version available.
This course comprises the first semester in the two-semester sequence of Senior Honors in Psychology/Neuroscience. There are two components to the course: research that you will conduct under the direction of your faculty thesis advisor, and this class, which you will attend with the other senior honors students to learn about research-related topics and receive consultations with the instructor and your classmates.
This course comprises the second semester in the two-semester sequence of Senior Honors in Psychology/Neuroscience. There are two components to the course: research that you will conduct under the direction of your faculty thesis advisor, and this class, which you will attend with the other senior honors students to learn about research-related topics and receive consultations with the instructor and your classmates. Admission to the neuroscience honors program required.
NSCI 71First Year Seminar: Plasticity and the Brain3
This course will introduce students to the recent research and debate regarding neural plasticity and the ability of the healthy adult brain to change. Exciting new research suggests that the ability of the adult brain to change goes well beyond simply acquiring new knowledge and memories. Previously offered as PSYC 71.
NSCI 72Synapses & Screens: Your Brain in a Connected World3
This course examines how brain development and maturation are shaped by digital technologies. Students will explore concepts of neuroplasticity, attention, and memory in the context of a hyperconnected world, while considering both the promises and challenges of living with rapidly evolving technologies.
