Senior Requirement

The B.S. degree program requires two course credits of empirical research, NSCI 490 and 491 . These courses are only available to Neuroscience seniors and receive a letter grade. Students are expected to spend at least ten hours per week in the laboratory, to complete written assignments, and to make a presentation. In addition to time in the lab, and as part of NSCI 490 and 491, students are expected to attend a regular capstone seminar, to hear guest speakers and to discuss senior work progress with their peers, and the directors of undergraduate studies (DUSes). Research can be conducted over original, archival, or consortium data sets. Written assignments include a short research proposal summary due at the beginning of the term, and a full research report due at the end of the term. Students are encouraged to pursue the same research project for two terms, in which case, the first term full research report acts as the second term proposal, and the second term research report covers the work done in both terms of research. Final papers are due by the stated deadline near the end of second term and the second term proposal summary may be combined into a full research proposal due at the end of the first term.  Seniors are also required to present their research in the spring term. Students should find a research laboratory during the term preceding the research. Yale College does not grant academic credit for summer research unless the student is enrolled in an independent research course in Yale Summer Session. To register for NSCI 490 and 491, students must submit a form, and a written plan of study with bibliography, approved by the faculty research adviser and DUS, by the end of the first week of classes.