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, physical, or psychological sciences. Students with degrees in other fields such as physics, mathematics, or engineering and a strong interest in neuroscience and behavior are also encouraged to apply and will be considered for admission. Prior undergraduate and/or M.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 gaps in prior coursework but with strengths reflected in relevant research experience will also be considered for admission. University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate students currently enrolled in participating departments, also are eligible for admission to the program.

Admissions criteria. A B average or above in undergraduate and/or graduate-level coursework (or their equivalent) 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 are required. Demonstrated potential for independent research is a particularly important criterion for admission to the program. Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is 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. Based on these recommendations, the NSB Graduate Program Director 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 an M.S. degree) still must fulfill all NSB requirements including coursework, Research Colloquia, Preliminary Doctoral qualifying Examination, and Ph.D. Dissertation. However, waiver of these requirements may be granted upon a written approval from the Graduate Operations Committee (GOC) when a student demonstrates that the equivalent content has already been completed.

Ph.D. Rotations and Identifying a Home Lab

Lab rotations allow students to gain a working knowledge of techniques used in neuroscience research and become acquainted with current research areas within the program by working on specific projects in the lab and participating in other activities of the research team. Rotations also give faculty members an opportunity to evaluate performance of students in a research setting within their own lab. The list of faculty hosting rotations in their labs will be shared with the incoming class of students in late summer. Students will typically do two laboratory rotations during the Fall semester with an optional third rotation during the Winter term. 

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.

1. Completion of Ph.D. Coursework (details below)
2. Successful completion of the Ph.D. Candidacy Qualifying Examination (required to progress to candidacy) 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. Participation in the Annual Student Review Meetings with the GOC
5. Completion of the teaching requirement.
6. Completion of a dissertation prospectus outlining proposed experiments with contingency plans.
7. 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 an M.S. degree in a related field).

Ph.D. Coursework

• NEUROS&B 617 – Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology........................ 3 credits
• NEUROS&B 618 – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience…..........................................4 credits
• MOLCLBIO 793E - Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences.................1 credit 
• NEUROS&B 792A – Proseminar.........................................................................................1 credit
• NEUROS&B 891D (section 1) NSB Seminar.................2 credits (1 credit each for 2+ semesters)
• NEUROS&B 696 - Independent Study  .........................8 credits (4 credits each for 2 semesters)
• Quantitative Course.........................................................................................................3-6 credits
• Advanced Elective Graduate Courses .....................................................................9+ credits total
• Dissertation Research Credits…(maximum 9 per semester).…………….……18 credits minimum

NSB Core Courses (NEUROS&B 617 and 618). All incoming NSB Ph.D. students take Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology (NEUROS&B 617, 3 credits) in the fall and Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience (NEUROS&B 618, 4 credits) in the spring. The 2-semester core coursework covers cellular and molecular neuroscience, neural systems, and behavioral neuroscience. 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 NSB Program. The core courses are intended to provide a common knowledge base in contemporary neuroscience for students from diverse undergraduate backgrounds. In certain circumstances, 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.

NSB Proseminar (NEUROS&B 792A). All incoming NSB Ph.D. students will take NSB Proseminar in the fall semester.This is a 1 credit, pass/fail course 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.

NSB Seminar (NEUROS&B 891D). All students will register for the weekly NSB seminar series (NEUROS&B 891D, section 1) 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.

Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences for Graduate Students (MOLCLBIO 793E). This interdisciplinary course is offered to all graduate students in the life sciences in the winter term and it is required for all first year NSB Ph.D. students. 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 human and nonhuman animals in research, and the harassment policy. 

Quantitative Requirement. All Ph.D. students will 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 in consultation with and with approval from the Guidance Committee. In most cases the requirement will be satisfied by taking one or more statistics courses, (e.g. Psych640 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 a student’s training is better supported by quantitative courses in areas such as bioinformatics, computational modeling, etc. the student and faculty advisor can propose an alternative to the GOC for review and approval.

Advanced Elective Graduate Courses. In addition to the core courses, Ph.D. students must complete three graduate-level elective courses with a grade of B or higher. Each elective course must be at least three credits, and at least two of the three electives must be 600-level or above. Two elective courses must be taken prior to entering Ph.D. candidacy, and one can be taken any time before fulfilling the Ph.D. requirements. Courses taught by NSB core faculty may count as electives and students may also request approval for other relevant courses taught by faculty outside the program. Three graded faculty-led journal clubs may be substituted for one 500-level NSB elective. Depending on the student’s research focus, the Guidance Committee may recommend coursework in areas such as genetics, biochemistry, embryology, endocrinology, histology, cell biology, or pharmacology. Students are also expected to take several advanced seminars. One of the three elective course requirements can be fulfilled by taking 3 relevant journal clubs (1 credit each) as opportunities arise. 

Lab Research Credits (NEUROS&B 696): Independent study credits. In the first five semesters prior to completion of the Preliminary qualifying Examination (described below), students should enroll in credits reflecting their independent research: NEUROS&B 696. 

Ph.D. Dissertation Prospectus, Dissertation, and Final Examination. The NSB Program requires a minimum of 18 credits of NEUROS&B 899. Please note that students can only register for NSB 899, Ph.D. Dissertation after completing the preliminary doctoral qualifying examination. There is no limit on the total number of dissertation credits a student can take.

Residency Requirement: Students must meet the Graduate School residency requirement by enrolling in at least 9 on-campus credits for two consecutive semesters at some point during their time in the NSB program.

ADDITIONAL NOTES REGARDING COURSEWORK: The maximum number of credits a graduate student can take per semester is 16. Exemptions from courses can only be requested and granted by the GOC.

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 complement 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 qualifying 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. 

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. The teaching requirement can be met, but is not limited to, being a Teaching Assistant in a course in which the Teaching Assistant teaches (e.g. laboratory course or Continuing Education course). Any questions regarding fulfillment of this requirement should be resolved in consultation with the GOC 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.

Research Talk: All NSB graduate students will give a presentation on a current research project to the NSB community. The presentation should include enough background for all program members to follow, along with data collected and planned next steps. This talk should be scheduled before the end of the third year. Students who give their Research Talk toward the end of their second year—prior to submitting their qualifying Exam Grant Application (see below)—may find that questions and suggestions from the audience help refine their proposal

Graduate student review meetings are held in the spring of each year with each Ph.D. 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. Before the review meeting, students should complete a web form 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.

Prior to the end of their third year in the program, all students must pass a preliminary doctoral qualifying examination. This examination will serve both a formative and evaluative role. The student’s objective in the qualifying examination is twofold: 1) to develop and demonstrate a level of scholarship and knowledge in their chosen area of study that is appropriate for a doctoral level neuroscientist, and 2) to demonstrate critical, integrative, and theoretical abilities within the broader scope of Neuroscience and Behavior. Successful passage of the exam, advances the student to candidacy for a Ph.D. 

The written “Grant Application” should be submitted during the spring semester of the student’s second year and is due no later than September 1 of the student’s third year in the Program. The format of the written portion of the qualifying examination will be a grant application (prepared either in National Research Service Award or National Science Foundation format). 

Primary faculty involvement: The student’s faculty mentor can be involved in discussion about the proposed topic and in editing their student's written drafts. Students are encouraged to seek input and advice on their ideas and writing from members of their cohort, lab, and the broader NSB community–including other students, postdocs, faculty, and program staff.  

Materials: The program will provide grant writing examples/handbooks for all students as they prepare for their qualifying exam. These include prior examples of quality proposals as well as F31s that have been funded. The format of the qualifying exam will be expected to adhere to NIH F31 format 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. We advise students to submit an 8–12 page document. Although the 6-page F31 format is common for fellowship applications, it generally does not allow enough space for the level of detail expected in the qualifying exam. 

Timing: The student will develop an abstract to submit for approval from their primary faculty mentor, to then move forward. The student will develop a complete draft of the qualifying exam proposal with feedback from their mentor and colleagues (e.g., cohort members or labmates). They will then provide the committee with a polished draft of the Aims page.  The 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 constructive feedback to help the student refine their work within two weeks, after which the student will schedule a defense date with the committee. The student will submit the final draft of their written proposal to the committee members at least two weeks before the defense date. 

Oral defense: 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 student is encouraged to discuss the format of the oral defense with their committee; however, a typical structure might include: a brief orientation and review of exam procedures, a ~40-minute presentation by the student, ~30 minutes of questions and discussion (often interspersed with the presentation), 10–20 minutes of committee deliberation without the student present, and finally, notification of the outcome. 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 written and oral exam. 

Dissertation Committee

The Dissertation Committee should be formed by the student in consultation with their advisor within a month after reaching Ph.D. 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 IDGP 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 their 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 IDGP Office by December 15. A copy of the signed prospectus must also be submitted to the IDGP 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 the Graduate School Checklist for Doctoral Degree as well as the Graduate School Handbook for current information: https://www.umass.edu/gradschool/current-students/doctoral-degree-requirements-and-dissertation-information

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 pre-defense meeting with their Dissertation Committee no later than 7months 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. The IDGP Office must be notified of the date, time, location and title of the thesis defense. The announcement form must be submitted to the IDGP office more than 30 days before the oral defense so the office can submit the document to the Graduate School by the 30 day prior-to-defense deadline.This timeframe ensures that the defense is publicized adequately by the university, a requirement for graduation.

3. Dissertation Committee members must receive the dissertation draft at least two weeks before the defense. The draft should be reviewed and approved by the student’s advisor before being circulated to the Committee. The defense may only be scheduled once all Committee members agree that the dissertation is suitable for formal defense; if revisions are required, a revised version must be submitted for approval.

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. 

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.

The NSB Fast-Track M.S. degree program is available to graduates of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Five College community, and Bay Path College who have conducted significant research work 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 typically 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 NSB Program. The NSB Program does not typically provide or guarantee stipend support for students working towards this terminal M.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. Tuition is typically waived in the case of RA or TA funding.

Students may apply for M.S. 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 M.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. 

M.S. Coursework

• NEUROS&B 617 – Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology........................ 3 credits
• NEUROS&B 618 – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience…..........................................4 credits
• NEUROS&B 792A – Proseminar.........................................................................................1 credit
• MOLCLBIO 793E - Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences.................1 credit 
• NEUROS&B 891D (sec 1) NSB Seminar........................2 credits (1 credit each for 2+ semesters)
• NEUROS&B 696 - Independent Study  .........................6 credits (3 credits each for 2 semesters)
• Quantitative Course Requirement...................................................................................3-6 credits
• M.S. Thesis (NEUROS&B 699): ...................................................................................1-10 credits
• TOTAL minimum number of credits for degree............................................... ................ 30 credits

NSB Core Courses (NEUROS&B 617 and 618). All incoming NSB M.S. students take Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology (NEUROS&B 617, 3 credits) in the fall and Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience (NEUROS&B 618, 4 credits) in the spring. The 2-semester core coursework covers cellular and molecular neuroscience, neural systems, and behavioral neuroscience. The core courses are intended to provide a common knowledge base in contemporary neuroscience for students from diverse undergraduate backgrounds.

NSB Proseminar (NEUROS&B 792A). All incoming NSB M.S. students will take NSB Proseminar in the fall semester.This is a 1 credit, pass/fail course 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.

NSB Seminar (NEUROS&B 891D). All students will register for the weekly NSB seminar series (NEUROS&B 891D, section 1). The weekly seminars feature carefully selected guest lecturers from other institutions, as well as talks by NSB students and faculty and other University faculty.

Responsible Conduct of Research, Ethics in Life Sciences for Graduate Students (MOLCLBIO 793E). This interdisciplinary course is offered to all graduate students in the life sciences in the winter term and it is required for all NSB M.S. students. 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 human and nonhuman animals in research, and the harassment policy. 

Quantitative Requirement. All M.S. students will 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 in consultation with and with approval from the Guidance Committee. In most cases the requirement will be satisfied by taking one or more statistics courses, (e.g. Psych640 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 a student’s training is better supported by quantitative courses in areas such as bioinformatics, computational modeling, etc. the student and faculty advisor can propose an alternative to the Graduate Operations Committee for review and approval. 

Lab Research Credits (NEUROS&B 696): Independent study credits. A maximum of six independent study credits can be counted towards the M.S. degree.   

Journal Clubs: Participation in Journal Clubs is encouraged for Fast Track M.S. students, but is not a requirement.

Note: Six (6) hours of course credit not used/needed to fulfill the B.S. degree requirements can be applied to the M.S. degree course requirement. Exemption from courses can only be requested and granted by the GOC.

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 IDGP Program Coordinator upon formation of the Committee, so that a memo with the GPD’s signature can be sent to the Graduate School.

Thesis Outline

The candidate's thesis prospectus must be approved and signed by all members of the Thesis Committee and on file in the IDGP Office at least four months before the Final Oral Examination ("defense") can be scheduled. The thesis outline should include:

• The research problem or question that the student proposed to investigate.
• The background and rationale of the problem.
• The hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested.
• The proposed experiments, approach, interpretation of results, and an alternative plan if the experiments do not work out as expected.
• A detailed bibliography

Thesis and Final Oral Examination

The oral defense must be scheduled and completed before the published graduation deadline. The complete thesis draft must be submitted to the committee at least two weeks before the scheduled oral defense. All members of the Thesis Committee are required to attend the defense. Students should allow sufficient time after the defense to complete any required revisions. Once complete, a Thesis signature page must be submitted to the IDGP Office.