Hello, and welcome to USF! My name is Sarah Hillenbrand, and I am a professor in the Neuroscience Program. Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary major that combines foundational courses in neuroscience with opportunities to take courses in subjects like Biology, Psychology, Computer Science, Math, Physics, and Philosophy. In this video, I will be walking you through what you need to know to get registered for your first semester of courses.


Right now, we will focus on selecting the courses you should register for this Fall. Registering for a strategic set of courses in your first year is essential to graduating within 4 years. USF students typically register for a total of 16-18 credits per semester, or four 4-unit courses. Most courses here count for 4 units, but there are also courses that count for as little as 1 unit or as many as 6 units. 


To complete the Neuroscience Major, you will need to take 15 4-unit courses, plus 2 1-unit courses, for a total of 62 units. You will need to take a combination of foundational courses that are required for all students in the major, and electives, where you have some choice. To help guide you through these choices, the major offers three broad tracks you can follow: Technology, Research, and Ethics and Policy. I’ll explain more about these later on in the video. 


As a neuroscience major, you will need to register for Introduction to Neuroscience part I: Cells and Circuits. In this course, as well as some other science courses, there will be two components: lecture, course number (101), and lab, which is called 101L. The lab is a co-requisite, meaning you must register for both lecture and lab during the same semester. Together, 101 and 101L are 4 units. There is one other course you will need to register for in the first semester, a 1-unit support course called NEUR 100: Preparing for NeuroSuccess. 


Beyond these required courses, you have a lot of choice in which courses to choose in your first semester, but you should make sure each course you choose is fulfilling a requirement for the major, the core curriculum, or the language requirement. You may get a chance to take some other elective courses just for fun later, but it is a good idea to load up your first semester schedule only with courses you know will fulfill a specific requirement. 


If you have studied a non-English language previously, you should also take a non-English language placement test to determine your level of competency. You need to take two semesters of a non-English language, or place into the third semester of a language, to complete your language requirement. If you are placed in the third semester or beyond, the department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures will need to verify your language proficiency.


I also encourage you to take a course in Rhetoric early on. Writing, speaking, and other communication skills are essential for your success as a college student. To help you decide which course to take in fulfillment of the Core A2 Rhetoric and Composition requirement, you can review the tutorial about the Core Curriculum and take the Directed Self-Placement.


It’s also a good idea to find courses that fulfill other core requirements for your first semester schedule. Note that Neuroscience 101 fulfills Core B2, the requirement for a Laboratory or Applied Science, so you do not need to worry about finding another course in the B2 area. Some examples or other core areas A through F include Public Speaking, History, Literature, Philosophy, Theology & Religious Studies, Ethics, or Visual and Performing Arts. Many introductory courses in these areas fulfill a core requirement–you can search the catalog to find specific courses to take in fulfillment of each core requirement. 


Before you choose your courses, you may want to take placement tests in areas like Computer Science, Chemistry, and Math. The Neuroscience major offers you a choice of foundational courses in other departments that can act as pre-requisites for the additional electives you will take later on. You should check out this list of options, and if you think you might like to take courses in these areas, don’t skip the placement tests. Ask your advisor if you are unsure about which specific placement tests to take.


Now, let’s take a look at the three tracks within the major[a]: Research, Technology, and Ethics and Policy. If you aren’t sure which track is right for you yet, that’s OK! The applications of neuroscience in today’s world are far-reaching, and you are NOT expected to have your career goals totally decided at this time! These tracks are not so rigid that you cannot switch. They are also not something you need to sign up for, or commit to. They are simply here to help guide you toward a long-term career goal that is right for you. 


The[b] Research track is designed for students who may already know that they are pursuing a career in scientific research or medicine. Research skills are essential if you plan to apply to graduate school or medical school later, so this track will get you started right away by having you take more laboratory science courses in your first year. If you are planning to take the set of pre-health courses recommended by USF’s pre-health advising team, you should think carefully about when you would like to take courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and neuroscience that have lab components. Labs are scheduled separately from the associated lectures, and it could get overwhelming for your schedule and your workload if you try to take more than two courses with lab components in a single semester. 


The[c] Technology track is designed for students interested in contributing to the development of new technologies. Compared to the Research track, the Technology track will have you taking more of the USF Core courses in your first year, giving you greater exposure to a wider variety of disciplines early on, so that you can start to better understand where exactly it is you want to go with your neuroscience education. Students on this track may choose to take more courses that build up their mathematical and programming skills. For Technology track students, it is extra important to take the appropriate placement tests and plan to take prerequisite courses that will allow access to more advanced technical courses later on.


The Ethics and Policy track is designed for students who are interested in the broader real-world applications of neuroscience. Students on this track may be interested in careers in neuroethics, law, education, science communication, social justice advocacy, or business. Like the technology track, this track also allows you a bit more freedom to explore your interests in the first years compared to the research track. Students on this track may take more courses in philosophy, along with other courses related to the ethical or societal problems they would most like to help solve.


As you advance in your coursework, you will need to make decisions about more specific areas of specialization or career pathways that you might like to pursue. For example, some students may choose to take multiple electives in Chemistry to prepare for a career as a neurochemist or pharmaceutical designer, developing life-saving new drugs. Others may choose to fill their elective units with Psychology courses to set themselves up for a career in counseling or neuropsychological research. It will be very important that you check each elective course you want to take to see if there are pre-requisites, and make a plan to ensure you can fit them into your schedule. Our faculty will be here to help you with that when the time comes. 


Now that you have a better understanding of what to consider in both your short-term and long-term planning, let’s take a look at what your first semester schedule could look like. Keep in mind that these are just examples, and that besides Introduction to Neuroscience, you have a lot of freedom in choosing your other three courses for the semester. 


If you are on the Technology Track or the Ethics and Policy track, your fall schedule may look something like this. 


1. NEUR 101 & 101L: Introduction to Neuroscience 1 (Core B2)
2. PSYC 101: General Psychology (Core E)
3. CS 107: Computing, Mobile Apps, and Web OR PHIL 204: Philosophy of Science (Core D1)
4. RHET 110: Written Communication 1 (Core A2) OR Another core or non-English language course of your choice
5. NEUR 100: Preparing for NeuroSuccess


If [d]you are on the Research Track, your schedule may look like this. Please be sure to note that Neuroscience 101, Biology 105, and Chemistry 111 all have lab components, so you would need to be careful in planning your schedule to aim for about 2 lab courses per semester. 


1. NEUR 101 & 101L: Introduction to Neuroscience 1 (Core B2)
2. BSDS 100: Intro to Data Science with R OR PHIL 204: Philosophy of Science 
3. BIOL 105 & 105L: General Biology 1 & Laboratory OR CHEM 111 & 112: General Chemistry 1 & Laboratory
4. RHET 110: Written Communication 1 (Core A2) OR Another core or non-English language course of your choice
5. NEUR 100: Preparing for NeuroSuccess


Please spend some time navigating the Schedule of courses to familiarize yourself with the layout of the website. Look for courses that you would like to register for, including specific sections, as you may find that some course times conflict with others. If two courses you want to take are scheduled to meet at the same time, that’s OK! Our faculty can help you strategize which one to take first, and which to save for another semester. On your own, try to find a schedule that works for you, and ask your advisor questions in cases where you are uncertain. You should also keep a “backup list” in case some courses are full, but don’t worry about your Neuroscience courses. You are guaranteed a seat in these.


If you run into any problems, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your advisor. If you would like to speak by phone or Zoom, you can set up an appointment through email. 
shillenbrand@usfca.edu


I am looking forward to meeting you during our major orientation workshop. In this workshop we will review the major course requirements in more depth, and you will have the opportunity to meet faculty and fellow students.


Welcome to USF!




[a]Tonya--let me know if I can clarify what to show on the slides here? I have sample first-year schedules below, that have been updated to reflect the de-emphasis on first-year seminars.
[b]Re-recorded part here
[c]Re-recorded part here
[d]Re-recorded part here