Neuroscience

The neuroscience program at Mason emphasizes the relationship between the cellular and molecular function of the nervous system and the behavior of an organism.

Why choose neuroscience? A degree in neuroscience is ideal for students interested in medical and health related fields, graduate study or industry work. Do you want to understand what makes us perceive, think, decide, behave, and interact with others? Or, do you want to look for cures for diseases from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's to depression and addiction? Mason's Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN) brings together scientists and physicians from multiple disciplines that explore these topics and more. While Mason is the largest research intensive university in Virginia, our neuroscience program maintains small class sizes and a warm, personal approach.

In This Department

Our Neuroscience research at Mason may send you down many fascinating paths

Mason offers a broad neuroscience research scope ranging from the sub-cellular and molecular level (in the context of such phenomena as drug addiction and the biological basis of schizophrenia) to the systems and behavioral level.

Learn about neuroscience research at Mason

Explore research opportunities

You have multiple ways to gain research experience at Mason. Our program offers several laboratory courses where you can design and execute original scholarly research projects as part of the course. Many of our students present their projects at Mason’s research symposiums and at regional and national meetings.

Check out our students' work

The Neuroscience degree can be tailored for any pre-health degree. We can build your program.

Neuroscience students at Mason blend coursework from multiple disciplines, like data science or psychology, with dedicated neuroscience courses. Small class sizes (20 students on average) build a close-knit community so students can better master analysis skills with more hands-on research opportunities.

View program coursework

Why the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience?

1000%

The increase in Neuroscience BS students over the past ten years. In 2018, 75% of those graduates were women.

50%

More than half of our PhD graduates from 2013 to present work in industry positions, with the remaining working in governmental organizations (such as the National Institute of Health) and academia.