Honors Program

Students that are current members of the ASC Honors programs here at OSU are granted immediate entry into the neuroscience major. In other words, Honors student are able to engage in research experiences and start enrolling in additional neuroscience coursework earlier than Non-Honors students.  Please note: Honors students must still meet the minimum requirements of the Pre-Major { a 'B' or better in Psych 3313 and Neuro 3000, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and Neurosc 1100(H) } in order to remain in the program. Please see the advising sheets to at this link for full major requirements: https://neurosciencemajor.osu.edu/curriculum

The Neuroscience Major at The Ohio State University was established by a joint venture between the College of Medicine and the College of Arts & Sciences. The major offers a comprehensive exploration of the fundamentals of the brain and the nervous system, while fostering an understanding of critical issues and skill development related to the science. Students pursuing Honors in Arts and Science with a Major in Neuroscience will design an Honors contract in conjunction with both a college Honors advisor and a Neuroscience Honors academic advisor. Honors students who successfully complete the program requirements will graduate with Honors in Arts and Sciences.

Honors students not only benefit from the smaller classroom sizes, professional advising, and access to priority scheduling, they also are able to take a more rigorous and tailored curriculum. While many Honors programs in other departments focus on their student taking undergraduate Honors courses, Honors students majoring in neuroscience will have the opportunity to take Graduate Level courses in addition to Honors courses. This not only gives our Honors students the ability to work directly with our distinguished faculty from both the College of Medicine as well as the College of Arts and Sciences, but also allows our students to better prepare for the next step in their educational and vocational pursuits.

Courses

All neuroscience Honors students will construct an enhanced honors major by incorporating at least one of the courses below:

College of Medicine

  • Neuroscience 7050 — Neurobiology of Disease (3 Credit Hours)
  • Neuroscience 7500 — Neuroimmunology (2 Credit Hours)
  • Neuroscience 4050H-- Neurogenetics 
  • Neuroscience 5790H-- Developmental Neuroscience 

College of Arts and Sciences

  • Psychology 5603-- Stem Cells and the Brain
  • Psychology 5606 — High Level Vision (3 Credit Hours)
  • Psychology 5898 — Seminar in Behavioral Neuroscience (3 Credit Hours)
  • Psychology 5618 — Introduction to Computational Cognitive Neuroscience (3 Credit Hours)
  • Psychology 5089 -- Cognitive Aging, Neurodegeneration, and Neuroplasticity
  • Psychology 6810 — Statistical Methods in Psychology I (3 Credit Hours)
  • Psychology 6811 — Statistical Methods in Psychology II (3 Credit Hours)
  • Psychology 5613H-- Biological Psychiatry 

College of Engineering

  • CSE 5526 — Introduction to Neural Networks (3 Credit Hours)

To graduate "With Honors in the Arts and Sciences", students must have an overall GPA of 3.4 and complete an Honors Curriculum Contract. The contract is developed with an honors advisor from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Neuroscience Honors Advisor.

Honors Research Distinction in Neuroscience

Honors students with strong research interests have the opportunity to pursue Honors Research Distinction in Neuroscience. Research distinction recognizes those students who demonstrate excellence in the study of a neuroscience both through major coursework and by completing an independent research project culminating in an Honors thesis.

Honors Thesis Requirements

To graduate with honors research distinction, you must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Identify an Ohio State neuroscience-related faculty member to serve as your project advisor. The project advisor will provide guidance to you throughout the research process.
  • Submit the Application for Graduation with Honors Research Distinction at least two full semesters before your graduation.
  • Complete a minimum of 4 semester credit hours of 3999-H/4999-H research credit in the relevant discipline.
  • Successfully defend the thesis during an oral examination.
  • Meet any department-specific requirements, which may include a minimum grade point average within the field of distinction.
  • Graduate with a minimum 3.4 cumulative grade point average.
  • In order to graduate with honors research distinction, you must be enrolled in the ASC Honors Program, which requires completion of the honors course work requirement. A table of minimum requirements can also be found on the Undergraduate Research Office web site.
  • Funding for research is available through OSU as well as through Nu Rho Psi.

For more information about graduating with Honors research distinction in Neuroscience, please contact the advising office at 614-292-8512.

Additional Honors Caveats

Students may participate in the Arts and Sciences Honors Program by completing a program of study either leading to the designation “With Honors in the Arts and Sciences” or “With Honors Research Distinction in Neuroscience”. Some students may choose to satisfy the requirements for both Honors tracks.

The Honors Program offers many advantages for students. It provides courses that challenge the intellectual capacity of students, as well as giving students the opportunity to interact with faculty in a more intimate classroom setting. Honors students may be eligible to take graduate-level courses and have scheduling priority for course registration. 

Further Information

Please see the Arts and Sciences Honors Program website.