FAQs

No, we are an interdisciplinary neuroscience program in the Graduate School. We do have a number of faculty who are in departments within the Medical School, but we are not limited to those faculties. Our degree does not lead to an MD which is a clinical degree, but rather a PhD in a research training.

We only accept applications during the open application period and we only review fully completed applications received by the deadline.

The neuroscience program has a holistic approach to our admissions process but we do have certain characteristics that we look for. These include:

• A sustained academic record of basic sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.
• In depth research experience (a minimum of 12 months) with an output of presentations, posters, or publications listed on your CV.
• Strong letters of recommendation.
• An ability to clearly communicate, exemplified through short answer questions.
• A commitment to broader scientific impacts, such as community outreach, scientific communication, and improving diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee consisting of faculty and students. All committee members use an evaluation rubric that rank the following criteria: Academic Preparation; Self-motivation, Perseverance, and Teamwork; Conscientiousness and Broader Impacts; Research Experience; Program Fit; Letters of Recommendation. 

The Neuroscience program does not offer a fee waiver. However, there is a need-based fee-waiver process through the central graduate school. Please review their instructions carefully and plan to request the fee waiver at least seven days before our application deadline.

Yes, we do share applications with faculty members from other departments.

No. We do not consider or accept GRE scores.

Choosing a lab requires a lot of consideration. It is helpful to attend our interviews with thoughts about possible labs you would consider working in. Our program contains both experimental and computational labs. Experimental labs often require students to work with animals, such as worms, flies, zebrafish, mice, and primates. Students working in computational labs may primarily interact with neuroscience data and mathematical models. While graduate students often come in with some idea of a research direction they want to pursue, many students switch their focus or field based on interests they acquire while rotating through different labs.

Our admissions process values research experience (including in non-Neuro-related fields) because it provides students with a clear sense of what it means to do lab research prior to embarking upon a PhD. Research experience also helps students prepare for the challenges of a graduate research-training program. However, prior research experience is less about acquisition of specific lab skills than it is about the general practice of scientific inquiry. Students typically pursue different research directions than those they studied prior to joining the program.