Rollins Launches Minor in Neuroscience

Beginning this fall, students can enroll in a new neuroscience minor offered by the College of Arts & Sciences.

Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary investigation of the organization, development, and function of the nervous system, and its relationship to behavior, cognition, and neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders. By understanding how the brain generates behavior and cognition, we are better able to understand, diagnose, and treat neurological disorders.

This minor is perfect for students exploring the fields of biology, biochemistry/molecular biology, marine biology, and psychology. Courses such as Physiological Psychology, Philosophy of Mind, and Cell Biology will bridge cell biology to behavior. Participants can choose from a number of diverse neuroscience-related upper division courses such as Animal Physiology, Neuropsychology, and Developmental Biology in addition to taking part in a 2-credit capstone course team-taught by faculty from the biology and psychology departments.

Although the minor is relatively intensive (10 courses), it is designed to allow biology or psychology majors to earn credits toward the minor while completing their major. A biology major can earn the minor by taking four extra courses in psychology (and one in philosophy) along with courses in the major; a psychology major can similarly take select courses in biology to fulfill the minor’s requirements.

Additionally, the minor allows students to take upper-level courses outside their major without first taking prerequisites courses. To ensure students are adequately prepared for these courses, participation in the minor is reserved only to those who have declared a major in biology, biochemistry/molecular biology, marine biology, or psychology; earned at least second-year status (in terms of credit hours); and established a major GPA of at least 3.0. Students pursuing other majors may petition the program director to enter the minor by submitting a statement of interest and supporting letter from a faculty member in the student's major.

Currently, the minor is open only to current second-year students, but interested juniors may contact the program director for consideration.

Full details can be found on the online college catalogue. For more information on the new neuroscience minor at Rollins, please contact the program director, Professor of Psychology Steven St. John, at 407-691-1153 or sstjohn@rollins.edu.

By Steven St. John

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