NSB Program Handbook

Regular Admission Process

Admissions standards. All graduate admissions are handled according to Graduate School guidelines and procedures. The Neuroscience and Behavior Program for doctoral students seeks applicants with a record of academic excellence who can present evidence of strong scientific background and training in the biological and physical sciences (e.g., undergraduate or master’s degree/coursework in biological science, life science, and/or experimental psychological science). Students with degrees in other fields (physical sciences, mathematics, engineering) and a strong interest in the foundations of neuroscience and behavior are also encouraged to apply and will be considered for admission. Prior undergraduate and/or Master’s level coursework of all applicants should include several semesters of biological science, organic chemistry and/or biochemistry, two semesters of mathematics (through calculus), one semester of statistics and at least two courses in neurobiology or biological/physiological psychology. Applicants with some deficiencies in prior coursework but with strengths reflected in relevant research experience may also be considered for admission. University of Massachusetts graduate students currently enrolled in participating departments, also are eligible for admission to the program.

Admissions criteria. These include a B average or above in undergraduate and/or graduate-level coursework, and at least two strong letters of recommendation from individuals who are able to assess the applicant's potential for a career in research and teaching in the field of Neuroscience and Behavior. Demonstrated potential for independent research is a particularly important criterion for admission to the program. Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is not required; it is completely optional.

Admissions process. The Admissions Committee, which is composed of Neuroscience and Behavior core faculty members, makes an initial evaluation of each applicant's record and credentials. Admissions to the program are done in consultation with the entire NSB graduate faculty. The NSB Graduate Program Director then makes recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School for official acceptance to the program. Admitted applicants who enroll in the program are normally supported through their fifth year in residence. Support is provided through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, training grants, University fellowships, and federal funding applied for by the student.

Program Requirements for Students Entering with Previous Graduate Work

Students admitted to the NSB Program who have done previous graduate work at another institution (including the attainment of a Master's degree) must fulfill all NSB requirements including coursework, Research Colloquia, Preliminary Doctoral Comprehensive Examination, and Ph.D. Dissertation. However, waiver of certain requirements may be granted upon written petition of the Graduate Operations Committee. b. Course Waivers If a student has previously completed (with a grade of B or better) graduate level courses that appear to be comparable to any of the NSB course requirements (core, elective, statistics, or methodology) described on pp. 2-4, the student may request a waiver of the specified courses according to the following procedure. The student should first consult with the University of Massachusetts faculty member who normally teaches the course in question. Upon being provided with a description of the course content (preferably including the course syllabus, textbook, etc.), the faculty member will check off his/her approval or disapproval of the waiver on a form obtained from the Chair of the GOC. Appropriate considerations include similarity of content with the analogous U. Mass. course, breadth and depth of coverage, and how recently the student has taken the course (e.g., perhaps courses taken more than 5 years earlier should not be recommended for waiver unless the student presents evidence of having actively maintained contact with the subject matter of that discipline). A written request for course waiver(s) along with the appropriate course materials, faculty member's approval, and official student transcript (to verify course enrollment and grade) should then be forwarded to the Chair of the GOC.

Identifying an advisor and “home lab”: Lab rotations vs. targeted lab admission

Lab rotations. Students may choose to rotate among two or more labs during the fall and spring semesters of their first year. Reasons to rotate include trying out labs of interest in order to help decide on a home lab, or gaining specific types of experience prior to joining the chosen home lab. The lab choices are provided following the admissions/interviewing process. All rotating first-year students should choose a home lab by May of the first year; this arrangement requires the mutual consent of the advisor and the student.

1. Purpose - Individual laboratory rotations allow the student to become acquainted with areas of current research within the program, through work on specific laboratory projects and participation in other activities of the research groups. They also provide an important opportunity for the student to gain a working knowledge of techniques commonly used in contemporary research in Neuroscience and Behavior. In addition, rotations give faculty members an opportunity to evaluate the student's performance in a research setting.

2. Description - Rotating students usually participate in two laboratory rotations, the first extending from September through mid-January and the second from mid-January through May. Students and faculty members are encouraged to contact possible rotations. The Graduate Program Director (GPD) or Associate Graduate Program Director (AGPD) will review and must approve all arrangements, to ensure that the student and rotation lab principal investigators (PI) are all in agreement with the plan.

3. Home Laboratory Affiliation – Students choose a home laboratory for their dissertation research by May of the first year. This selection should be made only after a thorough discussion of goals and expectations with the intended faculty advisor. Future stipend support for the student will be provided by the laboratory in which the research is being conducted, except in unusual cases. All choices are subject to approval by the GPD or AGPD, who should be informed of each student’s preferences before the end of the semester. Work in the home laboratory (and financial support) typically begins at the end of May. Students who are undecided by the summer may carry out an additional rotation from the end of May through August to assist them in the selection of a suitable laboratory. In that case, financial support during the summer is provided by the faculty member in whose laboratory the third rotation is taking place. It is understood that an NSB faculty member is expected to provide support for dissertation students throughout their tenure in the NSB Program. Faculty members who lose research funding and wish to request TA support for a dissertation student must do so according to established timelines.

Targeted Lab. Rotations are not required. Students may enter the NSB Program having already chosen their home lab and advisor. These students do not rotate, and the expectation is that the "targeted" student will remain in the laboratory of the "targeted" faculty member through graduation. A student may leave one lab in order to join another provided that the details of the transfer are agreed to by all parties, and assuming that the newly selected advisor can arrange for the financial support of the student. Transfer to a new home lab must be approved in writing by the Graduate Program Director (GPD).

1. NEUROS&B 617 – Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology........................ 3 credits

    NEUROS&B 618 – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience…............................................ 4 credits

2. NEUROS&B 792A - Proseminar...........................................................................................1 credit

3. MOLCLBIO 793E - Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences......................1 credit

4. BIOLOGY 891A (sec 3) NSB Seminar.................................2 credits (1 credit each for 2 semesters)

5. Quantitative Requirement..............................................................................................3-6 credits

6. Laboratory Research: NEUROS&B 696 - Independent Study ........................... 8 credits (4 credits each for 2 semesters)

7. Elective Courses: A minimum of 3 graduate-level elective courses .................... 9+ credits total

8. Journal Clubs (suggested):...................................................................................... 1-2 credits each

9. Dissertation Research Credits NEUROS&B 899…(maximum 9 per semester).…………….…………18 credits minimum

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CREDITS A GRADUATE STUDENT CAN SIGN UP FOR PER SEMESTER IS 16

To be completed in year 2-3 of the program. A grant proposal and presentation before the student's guidance committee members.  

The NSB Program requires a minimum of 18 credits of NEUROS&B 899. There is no maximum limit on
the total number of dissertation credits a student can take.

Neuroscience and Behavior students will complete the following requirements for the Ph.D. degree

1. Completion with a grade of B or above in at least the following courses within the first two years of graduate study: The first-semester proseminar, responsible conduct of research/ethics, two core courses, two of three required electives, and at least one quantitative course. The third required elective may be taken after the second year. Eighteen Ph.D. dissertation credits are also required for the Ph.D. degree.

2. Successful completion of the preliminary doctoral comprehensive examination no later than the end of the third year.

3. Presentation of a 20 minute "research talk" to the NSB community in the weekly seminar series before the end of the third year. Students are encouraged to give additional research talks prior to their final oral defense of the dissertation.

4. Completion and oral defense of an original dissertation. Length of time to degree will depend on sub-discipline, but the Program encourages students to strive for completion of the dissertation within five years of entering the program (depending on previous coursework, three or four years for students entering with a Master's degree in a related field). NSB Academic Requirements, Policies & Procedures Students are strongly encouraged to seek advice from their guidance and dissertation committees (defined below) concerning curriculum, career plans, and especially research. Faculty members outside the student's specific research area often provide valuable insights concerning these matters and may be able to facilitate greatly the completion of requirements in a timely and beneficial manner. Students are expected to meet with their committees at least once a year, but students may find more frequent meetings useful.

Formal Coursework:

Proseminar.

All incoming NSB students are required to enroll in the NSB Proseminar (NEUROS&B 792A) during their first semester in the Program. The Proseminar is a one credit, pass/fail class that introduces students to the NSB Program and provides access to information about how to be a productive graduate student, expectations for research, teaching, service, grant-writing, and the art of oral presentations.

Responsible Conduct of Research in the Life Sciences, Ethics.

The “Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences for Graduate Students” (MOLCLBIO 793E) course is required of all first year Neuroscience and Behavior graduate students and is open to all graduate students in the life sciences. The one-credit pass/fail course covers expectations for scientific conduct and ethical behavior. Topics covered include responsible conduct of research, data management, mentoring, authorship, collaborative research, conflicts of interest, the use of animals and humans in research, and the harassment policy.

Core Courses.

Normally, all entering students take two core courses in their first year: NEUROS&B 617 – Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology (taught in the fall) NEUROS&B 618 – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience (taught in the spring) These courses can be taken in any order, but both must be completed (with a grade of B or above) by the end of the second year in the Program. The core courses are intended to provide a common base of knowledge in contemporary Neuroscience for students from diverse undergraduate backgrounds. In certain circumstances, some students who enter the Program with a need for a refresher in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience can elect, or be advised, to take Bio572 in the first Fall semester and then take NSB617 during the Fall semester of their second year. Exemption from core courses can be requested and granted by the Graduate Operations Committee.

Electives.

n addition to the core courses, students will be required to complete three graduate-level elective courses with a grade of B or above. Courses should be at least three credit courses, and at least two of the three electives must be 600-level or above. Two of the courses must be taken prior to entry into candidacy for the PhD, and one can be taken at any time prior to completing requirements for the PhD. Although courses taught by a core faculty member in the NSB Program may serve as electives, students may request permission for other courses relevant to the student’s education taught by other faculty members. Students may substitute three journal clubs for one 500-level NSB elective as long as they are graded and led by a faculty member.

Quantitative Requirement.

All students must take at least one graduate level (500 or above) course to satisfy the quantitative requirement. The course(s) to be taken will be determined by the student's Guidance Committee. In most cases the requirement will be satisfied by taking one or more statistics courses, such as: • Psychology 640 and 641, Statistical Inference in Psych II • Public Health 640, Intermediate Biostatistics • Statistics 501, Methods of Applied Statistics • Statistics 506, Design of Experiments However, if the Guidance Committee deems it appropriate, the quantitative requirement can instead be met by taking other appropriate quantitative courses in areas such as bioinformatics, computational modeling, etc. Other Coursework Independent study credits: In the first five semesters prior to completion of the Preliminary Comprehensive Examination (described below), students also should enroll in credits reflecting their independent research: NEUROS&B 696 or NEUROS&B 796 (for more details see summary of coursework below, and Appendix). Finally, coursework in other areas, such as genetics, biochemistry, embryology, endocrinology, histology, cell biology, and pharmacology, will be strongly recommended by the Guidance Committee in relation to an individual student's chosen field of research, interest, and specialization. Students will also be expected to take several advanced seminars.

Journal Clubs:

All students are expected to enroll in relevant journal clubs as they become available. Journal Clubs covering various topics in the current scientific literature are offered by participating departments.

Seminar:

All students will register for the weekly NSB seminars (BIOLOGY 891A, section 3) during their first year. Regular attendance is strongly encouraged in subsequent years. The weekly seminars feature carefully selected guest lecturers from other institutions, as well as talks by NSB students and faculty and other University faculty.

All students are required to teach for at least one-semester. The intent of the requirement is that the student will do actual classroom teaching. There are several ways in which this teaching requirement might be met. These include but are not limited to being a Teaching Assistant in a course in which the Teaching Assistant actually teaches, such as in a laboratory course, or by teaching a Continuing Education course. Any questions regarding fulfillment of this requirement should be resolved in consultation with the Graduate Operations Committee (GOC, define below) or the Guidance or Dissertation Committee. The NSB Program Coordinator (i.e., the administrative assistant to the GPD and AGPD) should be informed of the completion of this requirement.

Upon entering the program, each student will consult with the GPD, AGPD and faculty advisor(s) (i.e., targeted-lab or lab-rotations faculty) to form a Guidance Committee. This committee will consist of the advisor and two faculty members whose research interests match those of the student. Two of the three members of the Guidance Committee must be core NSB faculty and one member must be from a department other than that of the student's advisor. Postdoctoral fellows, who are associated with the NSB Program, may serve as fourth members of the Guidance Committees.

The function of the Guidance Committee is to provide advice and support regarding the student's coursework and research direction. The Committee will first assist the student in the development of a curriculum plan, taking into account the student's proposed research area as well as the need to prepare for the Preliminary Doctoral Comprehensive Exam (described below). In this context, the Guidance Committee will determine whether there are areas of weakness or deficiency that warrant specific coursework in addition to the normal core and elective requirements of the NSB program. The Guidance Committee will also determine how the student will fulfill the quantitative requirement (see above). At the end of the second year of graduate study, the Guidance Committee will evaluate the student's laboratory work, coursework, presentation of the Research Talk (if relevant; see below), and will make a formal recommendation to the GPD as to whether the student should continue in the program.

Research Talk: It is important for all NSB graduate students to acquire, early in their careers, experience in the design, conduct, and reporting of empirical research. Therefore, all students are required to present a talk about a current research project to the NSB community at large. The talk should provide enough background for all members of the Program to understand, as well as data collected, and future directions. This talk should take place before the end of the third year. For students who choose to complete their Research Talk toward the end of their second year so that it is prior to submission of their Comprehensive Exam Grant Application (see below), the Research Talk will be formative, and questions and suggestions raised during the talk may be useful for informing the Comps Grant Application. 

Progress Meeting: By the end of the Spring semester of Year 2, all students must meet with their Guidance Committee to discuss progress and future directions. There is no proscribed format for this meeting, but it is expected that the student will provide an overview of data collected, classes taken, and in general, progress toward degree. Any issues with progress in research or in courses should be discussed to give the Guidance Committee an opportunity to provide help and guidance. The results of this meeting should be communicated to the GOC and the NSB Program Coordinator.

Annual Graduate Student Review: Graduate student review meetings are held in the spring of each year with each PhD student to provide support and constructive feedback regarding progress towards completion of the degree. These 15-20-minute conversations focus on progress during the past year and areas of focus for the coming year. Reviews are conducted by the GOC, with attendance by the student and the advisor. Students complete a web form in advance of the review meeting that includes milestones reached, a statement of research progress and goals, and a CV. Faculty advisors provide the GOC a brief written summary of their student’s progress and goals for the coming year in advance of the meeting. After all meetings have been conducted, the GOC Chair sends each student a memo summarizing key points of the meeting, along with the advisor comments

To remain in good standing in the Neuroscience and Behavior Program, a student must meet the requirements of both the Graduate School and the Neuroscience and Behavior Program. The regulations of the Graduate School state that "A student who in any two semesters, consecutive or otherwise, has semester averages of below 2.8 is subject to academic dismissal upon recommendation of the graduate program director to the Dean of the Graduate School". The Graduate School regulations also state more generally that "A student who is not making satisfactory or reasonable progress is subject to termination upon the recommendation of the graduate program to the Dean of the Graduate School". For the NSB program specifically, a graduate student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in NSB core and elective courses and in related graduate courses at the 500 level or above. This will not include independent study, masters, or dissertation credits. For students who transfer into the NSB program, all NSB core and elective courses and related graduate courses at the 500 level or above that were taken at the University of Massachusetts will be included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. The NSB program also expects students to receive a grade point average of 3.0 or above in NSB core and elective courses taken in a given semester. "Satisfactory and reasonable progress" in the NSB program also requires excellence in research. The faculty advisor(s) and the Graduate Operations Committee will determine whether satisfactory progress is being made on the dissertation research in general. If a student fails to remain in good standing, the Graduate Operations Committee will consider appropriate action. A student who, during a given semester, receives less than a 3.0 average in NSB core and elective courses will at the very least be issued an Academic Warning. Failing to maintain graduate school requirements or other NSB requirements will lead to either an Academic Warning or Academic Probation. If a student is placed on Academic Probation for any reason, the GOC will cite specific problem areas and will state specific goals that the student must achieve to be removed from probationary status. If at the end of the probationary semester, the student has failed to achieve the goals established by the GOC, the student will be considered by the GOC for dismissal from the program or for a terminal Master's degree. Recommendation for a terminal Master's degree normally will also include withdrawal of all funding from the NSB Program (including travel funds).

During the second or third year in the program, all students must pass a preliminary doctoral comprehensive examination (“comps”). This examination will serve both a formative and evaluative role. Its objectives are twofold: 1) to enable the student to develop and demonstrate a level of scholarship and knowledge in his/her chosen area of study that is appropriate for the doctoral level neuroscientist, and 2) to demonstrate the student's critical, integrative, and theoretical abilities within the broader scope of Neuroscience and Behavior. Successful passage of the Comps exam, advances the student to candidacy for a PhD.

The format of the comprehensive examination will be a grant application (prepared either in National Research Service Award or National Science Foundation format). 

The written "Grant Application" is due by September 1 of the student's third year in the Program. Primary faculty involvement: The student’s faculty mentor can be involved in discussion about the proposed topic, and is involved in editing their student's comps drafts. Students can also seek input and advice from their cohort, lab, students/postdocs in the NSB program, other faculty, etc. about the ideas and feedback on their drafts. Materials: The program will provide grant writing examples/handbooks for all students as they prepare for comps. These include prior examples of quality comps proposals as well as F31s that have been funded. The format of the Comps will be expected to adhere to NIH F31 format (~6 pages) including the following components: a clearly articulated hypothesis/prediction framework, a concise description of the rationale, novelty, and significance of the experiments proposed, and proper experimental design including controls and alternatives. Explicit Sequence: The student will develop an abstract to submit for approval from their primary faculty mentor, to then move forward. The student will then develop the draft of the full comps proposal with feedback from their mentor, cohort/labmates, etc., and will then provide a high quality draft of the Aims page to their comps committee. The comps committee is made up of the student’s guidance committee (minimum two other faculty in addition to the primary faculty mentor). The committee will provide feedback, typically to head off over-ambitiousness, within two weeks, and the student then schedules the defense date with the committee. The student then turns in the final draft of comps two weeks before the defense date. The committee (with the primary mentor present but not an active participant), then conducts the oral defense, according to the following evaluation benchmarks: clarity of writing, ability to defend the ideas, background, and proposed experiments and methods, and general breadth of knowledge about the topic. The outcomes of the exam will be voted on by the committee to be one of the following: pass (advance to PhD candidacy), conditional pass (e.g., revise some aspect, do a literature review, take a course), or fail (finish up with MS, or a single re-attempt of the written and oral components within at least 30 and no more than 60 days). Within 7 days, the committee will prepare a written report on strengths and weaknesses for the advisor, student, and program about the performance of the student in the exam.

Students are encouraged to refine and submit their Grant Application proposals to NIH, NSF or another appropriate granting agency if they have not already submitted a fellowship application. Students are encouraged to apply in their second year to maximize their opportunities for obtaining external funding. There are typically three NRSA deadlines per year (April, August, and December) for NIH Kirschstein-NRSA proposals, which allows ample time for the student to work with his/her advisor to refine the proposal from its original version and with the benefit of comments and suggestions from the Guidance Committee meeting and presentation. 

It is the responsibility of the student’s advisor to notify the NSB Program Coordinator that the student has passed Comps so that the nomination to PhD candidacy Memo can be sent over to the Graduate School. Students can register for NSB 899, Ph.D. Dissertation, only after completing the preliminary doctoral comprehensive examination.

Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee should be formed by the student in consultation with his/her advisor within a month after reaching PhD candidacy. The Committee must consist of at least four members of the graduate faculty, from at least two different departments, and including at least three NSB faculty members. Committee members will be available for advising and consultation throughout the planning, execution, and writing of the dissertation. In accordance with Graduate School requirements, the student should inform the GPD and Chair of the GOC as to the proposed membership of the Dissertation Committee. The GPD will then send a memo to nominate these individuals to the Graduate School, which carries out the actual appointment of faculty to such committees. As with the Guidance Committee, it is recommended that dissertation research be discussed with, and approved by, the Dissertation Committee before the student invests too much time in the proposed research. To facilitate this goal, Dissertation Committees are required to meet with students at least once each year to discuss the student's progress as well as possible changes in the research plan. The NSB Program Coordinator will be notified of such meetings by e-mail or written memo from the Committee chair (dissertation advisor) for inclusion in the student's permanent file.

Dissertation Prospectus. A dissertation prospectus outlining the student's planned dissertation research must be submitted to his/her Dissertation Committee for approval and submission to the Graduate School. Students can obtain prior examples from peers and/or their advisor or other NSB faculty, to guide them. The deadline for submission of a draft prospectus to the Dissertation Committee is November 1st of the student's fourth year in the program. After making any revisions of the prospectus that have been requested by the Dissertation Committee, the student should submit the approved and signed prospectus to the Graduate School by December 15. A copy of the signed prospectus must also be submitted to the NSB Program Coordinator for inclusion in the student's file. The dissertation prospectus should contain:

•A statement of the research problem or question that the student proposed to investigate.

•A review of the background and rationale of the problem.

•A clear statement of the hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested 

•A description of the proposed experiments, the approach, potential interpretation of the results, and a plan of action if the experiments do not work out as expected.

•An accurate bibliography

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination/Dissertation Defense. Preparation of the dissertation and the dissertation defense will be held in accordance with Graduate School regulations. Students should consult Graduate School Handbook.

To facilitate adequate preparation and defense of the doctoral dissertation, the following procedures and timetable should be adhered to.

(1) The student should hold a "predefense" meeting with his/her Dissertation Committee no later than 6 months before the anticipated defense. At this time, the student will present a "progress report" and discuss any problems that have been encountered and/or any change in research plans since the last committee meeting. The GPD or AGPD must be informed of the outcome of the meeting.

(2) Dissertation Committee members should be given at least two weeks to read a draft of the dissertation that has been prepared by the student and deemed acceptable by the student's advisor to be forwarded to the Committee. The Committee must approve this draft as being suitable for defense before the defense can be scheduled. If revisions are required at this time, then such revisions will be made and the revised version of the dissertation provided to the Dissertation Committee. All committee members must first deem the dissertation to be acceptable for formal defense by the student before the defense can be scheduled. If necessary, the defense will be postponed by notification of the Graduate School and the NSB Program until the draft dissertation has been approved by the Dissertation Committee. Note, however, that if at any time the chair of the Dissertation Committee believes that another member of the Committee has acted inappropriately or unfairly in preventing the formal defense to proceed, then s/he and the student may appeal to the GOC.

(3) The Graduate School must be notified of the date, time and location of the dissertation defense at least one month in advance of the oral defense date. This timeframe ensures that the defense is publicized adequately by the university, a requirement for graduation.

(4) At least one week prior to the date of the defense, an announcement will be sent to the NSB community announcing the date, time and location of the defense so that any member of the NSB community or the public may attend the public portion of the defense.

(5) The oral defense is composed of a public seminar, lasting an hour including questions from the public, followed by a closed oral examination. Immediately after the public seminar, the committee will excuse the public and conduct a private discussion of the dissertation with the candidate. If the student fails to successfully defend his/her dissertation before the Dissertation Committee, then he/she will have an opportunity to revise the dissertation and prepare for another defense. In the unlikely event that the student also fails the second defense, then the student will be considered for termination from the NSB Program by the GOC. The approved and signed dissertation must be submitted along with the Doctoral Degree Eligibility Form to the Graduate School Office of Degree Requirements, 534A Goodell Building, by the deadline for the appropriate degree granting period. The deadlines are absolute and no exceptions will be made by the UMass Graduate School. The current deadlines and other important information can be found at here.

This program is available only to graduates of the University of Massachusetts Amherst or the four
colleges in the Five College community, and Bay Path College who have worked as undergraduates in
the lab of a faculty member in the Neuroscience and Behavior Program. Students from other
institutions, who have worked in the laboratory of an NSB faculty member, may request permission to
apply to this Program from the GPD. Participating students will normally identify a faculty advisor in
their junior year and become actively engaged in research throughout their senior year. The research
should lead to a well-defined project suitable for a graduate-level Major Research Project in the
Neuroscience and Behavior Program. The NSB Program does not typically provide or guarantee stipend
support for students working towards this terminal Master’s degree. However, in some cases,
individual faculty advisors may have research assistantship funds available. Teaching assistantships are
occasionally available, but this should not be assumed.
Students may apply for graduate admission in their senior year and must comply with all Graduate
School regulations and requirements for admission. The Application packet should include: UMASS
Graduate School application, official copy of undergraduate transcript, and two letters of
recommendation. GREs are not required for applicants to the Fast Track Master's
Program. Applications are due on December 15 for Fall admission. The Neuroscience and Behavior
Admissions Committee will evaluate all applications and make recommendations for graduate
admission to the NSB Director and Graduate School.

Coursework
(See Appendix 3, Thesis Calendar of Deadlines, Accelerated MS students; Appendix 4, Typical Student
Schedule, MS Thesis students)
University requirements for the Master’s degree include a minimum of 30 credits.

Proseminar. All incoming NSB students are required to enroll in the NSB Proseminar (NeuroS&B 792A) during their
first semester in the Program. The Proseminar is a one credit, pass/fail class that introduces students to
the Program and its faculty. Besides several faculty members presenting their research, the course
includes discussion about how to be a productive graduate student, expectations for research,
teaching, service, grant-writing, and the art of oral presentations.

Responsible Conduct of Research in the Life Sciences, Ethics in Life Sciences. The Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences for Graduate Students (MOLCLBIO 793E)
course is required of all first year Neuroscience and Behavior graduate students and is open to all
graduate students in the life sciences. The one-credit pass/fail course covers expectations for scientific
conduct and ethical behavior. Topics covered include responsible conduct of research, data
management, mentoring, authorship, collaborative research, conflicts of interest, the use of animals
and humans in research, and the harassment policy.

Two NSB Core Courses.
NEUROS&B 617 – Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology
NEUROS&B 618 – Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience

Quantitative Requirement (3 credits). Research methodology – (a variety of options are available
including statistics courses, methods courses and research practica).

Students must earn a B or above in each of the core courses, quantitative requirement, and optional
electives. In rare cases, a student who has earned a B- in an elective or statistics course may petition
the GOC for permission to use this course to fulfill Master’s degree requirements. In deciding whether
to grant the exception, the GOC will take the entire student's record into account. In no case can a
grade of B- or lower be accepted in a core course.

Note: Six (6) hours of course credit not used/needed to fulfill the B.S. degree requirements can be
applied to the Master’s degree course requirement.

Independent Study credits in NeuroS&B 696. A maximum of six independent study credits can be
counted towards the MS degree.

Journal Clubs
Participation in Journal Clubs is encouraged for Fast Track Master’s students, but is not a requirement.
 

Seminars
All students are required to attend weekly NSB seminars (BIOLOGY 891A, section 3), which feature
guest lecturers from other institutions as well as NSB faculty from the University.

Thesis Committee
At the beginning of graduate study, the student, in consultation with the advisor and/or GOC will form
a thesis committee that will consist of the advisor and two additional NSB faculty members, one of
whom must be from outside the advisor’s department. The student should notify the NSB Program
Coordinator upon formation of the Committee, so that a memo with the GPD’s signature can be sent
to the Graduate School.

Thesis
Register for a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 10 Master's thesis credits NEUROS&B 699.
The candidate's thesis prospectus must be approved and signed by all members of the Thesis
Committee and on file in the NSB Program Office at least four months before the Final Oral
Examination ("defense") can be scheduled. All Thesis Committee members must attend the defense.
The oral defense must be scheduled and passed before the graduation deadline date. You should allow
time for making minor revisions following the defense prior to uploading your thesis to Scholar Works.

All information pertaining to Master’s degree requirements can be found on the Graduate School web
site. The thesis must be uploaded to ScholarWorks and an original signature page and the Master's Degree
Eligibility Form must all be submitted to the Office of Degree Requirements, 534A Goodell Bldg., by the
deadline for the appropriate degree granting period. The deadlines are absolute and no exceptions will
be made by the UMass Graduate School.

It is a Graduate School requirement for the Master's degree that the student take a minimum of 30
credits of graduate-level courses. A minimum of one-half of the total required credits must be on a
letter-graded basis.
It is your responsibility to fill out all necessary forms and meet all requirements set by the Graduate
School for graduation. See the Graduate School Handbook and Graduate School Bulletin. For more
information, contact the Graduate School at 545-0722.

It is anticipated that qualified students should be able to complete the B.S./M.S. program within 5
years, including two summers.

Must have a total of 30-graduate level credits, at least 50% of them graded.

1. NEUROS&B 617 – Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology........................ 3 credits

    NEUROS&B 618 – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience…............................................4 credits

2. NEUROS&B 792A – Proseminar...........................................................................................1 credit

3. MOLCLBIO 793E – Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences................1 credit

4. BIOLOGY 891A – Graduate Program Seminar.....................................................................2 credits (1 credit per semesters)

5. Quantitative Requirement...................................................................................................3-6 credits

6. Laboratory Research: NEUROS&B 696 - Independent Study .......................................... 6 credits (3 per semester)

7. Master's Thesis (NEUROS&B 699) ..................................................................................... 1-10 credits

8. Total minimum credits ........................................................................................................30 credits

Students must enroll in Master's Thesis (NEUROS&B 699) while working on their thesis.
Details of the thesis committee, thesis document and thesis defense are outlined above.

Other than the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program, students will not be admitted to the NSB
program for a stand-alone Master's degree. Although not encouraged, students may petition to earn
an M.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior while completing requirements for the Ph.D. In other
circumstances, a student may leave the Program with an M.S. degree rather than a Ph.D. degree.
In addition to those requirements specified by the Graduate School, requirements for an M.S. degree
in Neuroscience and Behavior will be:
1. Completion of the Proseminar, two core courses, and one statistics course with grades of B or
above*.
2. Submission of a formal Master's thesis based upon original research. The student's Guidance
Committee will direct and evaluate the Master's thesis in both written and oral presentation.
*Note: In rare cases, a student who has earned a B- in an elective or statistics course may petition the
GOC for permission to use this course to fulfill Master's degree requirements. In deciding whether to
grant the exception, the GOC will take the entire student's record into account. In no case can a grade
of B- or lower be accepted in a core course.

It is discouraged, but any student who has begun but not yet completed the Fast Track MS program
and wishes to change to the PhD program, must formally apply to the NSB Ph.D. program via the
Graduate School. The student’s entire record will be considered by the NSB Admissions Committee. If
the student is accepted into the Ph.D. Program, applicable course-work credits already taken as part of
the M.S. requirements will be transferred towards the Ph.D. Typically students will have taken, or be in
the process of taking, the two NSB core courses (NEUROS&B 617 and NEUROS&B 618) during the first
year of the M.S. degree program. Such students will be required to satisfy all the requirements for the
Ph.D.

Procedure and Requirements before the end of the first year of the M.S. Master's program students who apply to the PhD program in the course of the first year, and who take
both core courses in the first year, will initiate Part 1 of the written comprehensive exam in January of
the second year.

Procedure and Requirements during the second year of the M.S. Students who are accepted into the Ph.D. Program during their second year as a M.S. candidate will be
required to take the comprehensive doctoral exam during January of the academic year they were
admitted into the Ph.D. Program.

Students may choose to rotate among labs or go directly into a targeted lab. Students may rotate
among more than two labs. All rotating first-year students should choose a home lab by May.

September 1 - January 15: First Laboratory Rotation

September 30: Guidance Committee should be formed as soon as possible during the first semester.
The GOC will assist rotating students in the formation of this Committee. Advisors will assume primary
role in assisting targeted lab (i.e., non-rotating) students.

January 16 - May 30: Second Laboratory Rotation

By March 15: Guidance Committee meeting. Organized by the student to present research and
discuss progress in the Program. Should take place prior to the Annual Review meeting with the
Graduate Operations Committee (GOC).

Spring Semester – Annual Review Meeting with GOC

By March 15: Guidance committee meeting. Organized by the student to present research and discuss
progress in the Program. Should take place prior to the Annual Review meeting with the Graduate
Operations Committee (GOC).

Spring Semester – Annual Review Meeting with GOC

In Second or Third Year: Research presentation (20 minutes) to NSB community at large

In Second or Third Year: Research presentation (20 minutes) to NSB community at large

September 1: Written Comps “grant application” due to Guidance Committee

October 1: Meet with guidance committee to defend Comps “grant application” and to discuss
research past, present, and future. This is the final part of the comprehensive exam and is graded as
“pass,” “conditional pass,” or “fail.”

December 1: Submit names of Doctoral Dissertation Committee members (must consist of at least
four members of the graduate faculty, from at least two different departments, and including at least
three NSB faculty members; members must include the advisor as Chair, who must be a core NSB
faculty member).

May 1: By the end of the Spring semester of Year 3 (prior to the Annual Review meeting with the
Graduate Operations Committee, if possible), all students must meet with their Dissertation
Committee to discuss progress and future directions. Deadline for submission to the Dissertation
Committee of a draft dissertation prospectus outlining the student's planned dissertation research.

Spring Semester – Annual Review Meeting with GOC

December 15 of 4th year: Deadline for submission to the Graduate School of revised dissertation
prospectus that has been approved and signed by the Dissertation Committee. One copy is filed in NSB
Program office; copy with original signatures of Committee and Director is submitted to Graduate
School.

Spring Semester – Annual Review Meeting with GOC

Penultimate meeting with the Dissertation Committee will be held no later than 6 months before the
anticipated defense (but minimum of 2 months). At this time, the student will present a "progress
report" and discuss any problems that have been encountered and/or any change in research plans
since the last committee meeting. The GPD and AGPD must be informed of the outcome of the
meeting.

Dissertation document sent to committee minimum of 2 weeks before defense.

The final defense will have two parts: a 50-minute to 1-hour public presentation, immediately
followed by a closed oral examination conducted by the Dissertation Committee. The NSB Program
office and the Graduate School must be notified of the date of the dissertation defense at least 1
month in advance. This deadline is critical, as it ensures posting of the defense in the UMass
newsletter, a graduation requirement.

All requirements for any advanced degrees to be awarded at a given degree-granting period must be
completed by the appropriate deadline. Degree filing deadlines are listed in the Graduate Academic
Calendar. It is your responsibility to fill out all necessary forms and meet all requirements set by the
Graduate School for graduation. See the Graduate School Handbook and Graduate School Bulletin and the graduate school requirements for doctoral degrees.

FALL
NEUROS&B 617 – Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology.......................... 3 credits
NEUROS&B 696 – Independent Study (Laboratory Research)............................................. 4 credits
NEUROS&B 792A – NSB Proseminar ................................................................................... 1 credit
BIOLOGY 891A (section 03) – NSB Seminar ......................................................................... 1 credit

SPRING
NEUROS&B 618 – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience.................................................. 4 credits
NEUROS&B 696 – Independent Study (Laboratory Research).............................................. 4 credits
MOLCLBIO 793E – Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences....................... 1 credit
BIOLOGY 891A (section 03) – NSB Seminar .......................................................................... 1 credit
Elective course #1 .........................................................................................................................3 credits

FALL
Elective course #2 ................................................................................................................ 3 credits
PSYCH 640 – Statistical Inference in Psych I (or other approved Quantitative course)........ 3 credits

SPRING
Elective course #3 ........................................ ...................................................................... 3 credits
PSYCH 641 – Statistical Inference in Psych II (or other approved Quantitative course) ..... 3 credits
Optional: Some students register for NEUROS&B 796 Independent Study credits in their second year
and fall semester of third year prior to completion of Comprehensive Examination.
BIOLOGY 891A (section 03) - NSB Seminar should be regularly attended
In end of Second or during Third Year, give a 20-minute Research Talk to NSB at large

Comprehensive Examination defense to be scheduled at the beginning of the 3rd year.

Dissertation Committee appointed by May of 3rd year. Meets at least once every 12 months.
Dissertation prospectus submitted to committee by November 1 of the 4th year.

NEUROS&B 899 - Dissertation Research (1-9 credits per semester); 18 credits required.
BIOLOGY 891A (section 03) - NSB Seminar should be regularly attended
Journal Clubs

By end of Third Year, give a 20-minute Research Talk to NSB at large

Students must register each semester for at least one credit to remain in good standing with the
Graduate School. Students are eligible for Continuous Enrollment/Program Fee (an alternate form of
registration) after passing Oral Examination in any semester when taking no courses for formal credit.