Concentrations
Neurobiology and Behavior concentration covers a range of topics, all concerned in some way with what animals do and the neural mechanisms that enable them to do it. Students are required to take the introductory courses in neurobiology and behavior. Most of the faculty members associated with this concentration participate in these courses. The student then has a choice of many different second- and third-level courses that permit further exploration of areas of special interest, including social evolution, behavioral neurobiology, animal communication, and cellular and molecular neurobiology.
Neurobiology and behavior is a synthesis of many disciplines, such as physiology and anatomy, ecology, vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, biological psychology and anthropology, genetics, developmental biology, chemistry and biochemistry, physics, and mathematics. Students in this concentration are encouraged to build broad and strong academic foundations and are urged not to specialize too heavily as undergraduates. The course requirements beyond the required introductory sequence are left unspecified, so that courses may be selected from a wide range of possibilities, including not only the required upper-level course in neurobiology and behavior but also courses in the other subject areas mentioned above. Students are encouraged to get some lab or field experience, and to try out the advanced topic seminars during their senior year. Faculty advisers will help students plan their concentration, keeping in mind the students’ interests and goals.
The variety of courses offered in this concentration in neurobiology and behavior reflects the breadth of research interests of its faculty. These interests range from field and laboratory work and modeling in behavioral ecology, ontogeny and evolution of behavior, animal communication and language acquisition, and animal orientation; through sensory physiology, developmental neurophysiology, neuroethology to cellular and molecular neurobiology.
The majority of students in the Neurobiology and Behavior concentration plan further study in graduate, medical, nursing, or veterinary school. Still others enter the work force immediately following graduation in the areas of research, business or teaching.
Course Descriptions
Room and Time Rosters
Department Website
The majority of students in the neurobiology and behavior Program of Study plan further study in graduate, medical, nursing, or veterinary school. Still others enter the work force immediately following graduation in the areas of research, business or teaching.
Required Courses for Program of Study in Neurobiology and Behavior:
Students are required to take the two introductory courses BIONB 2210, Neurobiology and Behavior I: Introduction to Behavior and BIONB 2220, Neurobiology and Behavior II: Introduction to Neuroscience with discussion sections (4 credits per semester), and 7 additional credits. The 7 additional credits must include at least one advanced BIONB course of 3 or more credits from the 3000 level or above. “Topics” courses (BIONB 4200s and BIONB 7200s), independent study (BIOG 4990), and PSYCH 4230 may be used toward the additional 7 credit requirement, but do not qualify as advanced courses.
Note:
Students who declare the Neurobiology and Behavior (NBB) concentration after taking BIONB 2210 or BIONB 2220 for only 3 credits must still take the 1-credit discussion section in BIONB 2210 and BIONB 2220. To arrange this, the student should consult the course directors.
Recommendations:
The faculty of NBB strongly advises students concentrating in NBB to: (1) gain laboratory or field experience in neurobiology or behavior by taking at least one laboratory course or field biology course, or by doing independent research for course credit (BIOG 4990); (2) take at least one special topics (BIONB 4200) discussion course on a subject of interest as a capstone experience. Some example lab/field courses are listed below:
Animal behavior and behavioral ecology:
- BIONB 3230 - Methods in Animal Behavior
- BIONB 4461 - Plant Behavior—Induced Plant Responses to Biotic Stresses, Laboratory
- BIOEE 2650 – Tropical Field Ecology and Behavior
- BIOEE 4701 - Herpetology, Laboratory
- BIOSM 3730 – Biodiversity and Biology of Marine Invertebrates
- ENTOM 3150 - Spider Biology
- ENTOM 3311 - Insect Phylogeny and Evolution Laboratory
- NTRES 2100 -Introductory Field Biology
- NTRES 3111 - Fish Ecology Laboratory
- NTRES 3141 - Conservation of Birds Laboratory
Neurobiology and animal physiology:
- BIONB 3240 - Biopsychology Laboratory
- BIONB 4300 - Experimental Molecular Neurobiology
- BIONB 4440 - Neural Computation
- BIONB 4910 - Principles of Neurophysiology
- BIOAP 3190 - Animal Physiology Experimentation
- BIOAP 4160 - Cell Physiology and Genomics Laboratory
- BIOMG 4400 - Laboratory in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- ENTOM 4830 - Insect Physiology
Field biology courses offered at Shoals Marine Lab:
- BIONB/BIOSM 3290 - Field Animal Behavior
- BIOSM 1610 – Ecology and the Marine Environment
- BIOSM 1650 – Whales, Seals and Sharks: Marine Vertebrates of the Gulf of Maine
- BIOSM 2770 – Introduction to Marine Conservation Biology
- BIOSM 3210 - Anatomy and Function of Marine Vertebrates
- BIOSM 3550 – Field and Experimental Oceanography
- BIOSM 3650 – Underwater Research
- BIOSM 3740 - Field Ornithology
- BIOSM 4130 - Research in Marine Biology
- BIOSM 4450/VTMED 6435 – Field Wildlife Forensics
- BIOSM 4650 - Sharks: The Biology, Evolution, and Conservation of Sharks and Their Allies
