Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience - Urbana - IL - Illinois - University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign - I1933

The Neuroscience Program is an interdisciplinary and highly individualized Ph.D. program. Students have varied backgrounds but typically have undergraduate degrees in psychology, biology, electrical engineering, or computer science. The Neuroscience Program guides students to become productive, scholarly neuroscientists with access to careers in academic research, medicine, industry or non-research careers such as law, policy, or journalism. A joint M.D./Ph.D. program is available. The faculty have broad and diverse research interests; areas of particular strength include aging, brain plasticity, cognitive functions, neurogenomics, molecular bases of development and disease, and neuroengineering.  Integrative and collaborative studies that bridge two or more labs are encouraged.

Applications are considered individually by the admissions committee, usually for the fall semester. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required. International applicants are required to have a minimum paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 570 (230 on the computer-based test). Admission and financial aid are considered together.

Because of the breadth of the fields in this program, the coursework is tailored to the student's fields of interest as declared by a major and at least two minor areas of concentration from among those listed above. A faculty committee of representatives from the major and minor areas will then meet regularly with the student to plan coursework and research experience. The goal of this plan is to allow maximum flexibility while providing students with close guidance. Courses and laboratory research experience are supplemented by weekly seminars in neuroscience.