Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system, is a field that investigates the biological mechanisms that underlie behavior and how brains process information. The study of neuroscience provides both a broad scientific training and a deep understanding of the biology of the nervous system. Given the diversity of interests in this field, the only prerequisite for students entering this concentration is an intense curiosity about the brain.
The Program in Neuroscience is an inter-departmental Ph.D. program dedicated to training Ph.D.s in neuroscience. The program provides students with the instruction, research experience, and mentoring they need to become leaders in research and education. The program offers students options for thesis research with neuroscientists in departments throughout the University, including in labs based on the Cambridge campus and at Harvard-affiliated hospitals. The enormous number and diversity of affiliated labs means that students have a wide range of options in choosing research experiences.