Neuroscience

Neuroscience Curriculum

Investigate complex dimensions of the human mind and its influence on behaviors, relationships, and groups. The neuroscience major tackles the human brain from an interdisciplinary perspective that supports the breadth of expertise necessary to excel in graduate school and professional contexts. Through both coursework and hands-on experience—in the laboratory and the field—you examine the lifespan in courses on child and adolescent psychopathology and abnormal psychology, expand your perspectives in areas like genetics and animal cognition, develop holistic understandings in global health and cultural psychology, and much more. Explore the full course list in our undergraduate catalog.

Neuroscience Experiential Learning

Seize ample opportunities for “real-world” experience outside of the classroom. Strengthen your skills and knowledge in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience by participating in extracurricular opportunities and student organizations—and preparing for long-term career success.

Undergraduate Research

Conduct psychological, neuroscience, and human development research that introduces you to new areas of study, contributes new findings to the field, and/or expands upon current discoveries. Mount Union’s neuroscience major and neuroscience minor programs involve opportunities like:

• Research-based sophomore and junior courses
• Undergraduate research laboratory work under the guidance of a faculty member
• Individual honors projects
• A collaborative senior research project

Work in the canine cognition lab, humor lab, and psychophysiological and neuropsychology laboratory. Present your findings at the annual conferences of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Eastern Psychological Association, International Neuropsychological Society, and Association for Psychological Science. Publish alongside faculty mentors in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, Perceptual and Motor Skills, and Laterality.

In the senior research course, analyze and investigate your areas of interest—and those most related to your academic and professional goals. The structured research process challenges you to critically evaluate neuroscience research in a literature review, develop a research proposal, design and conduct neuroscience research, analyze statistical data, and communicate findings effectively with the scientific community and the general public. We showcase exemplary research projects and results at Mount Union’s annual SCHOLAR Day.

Internships

Choose an internship to gain valuable clinical experience, boost your job prospects, and add to your graduate and professional school applications. Your academic advisor can help you locate opportunities related to your specific areas of concentration and interest, meaning you can cultivate meaningful hands-on skills to use throughout your career.

While internships are not mandatory in the Bachelor’s in Neuroscience program, you may earn 4-16 total credits as you put your classroom knowledge into practice. Mount Union neuroscience majors develop crucial experience in:

• Child and adolescent service centers
• Crisis intervention agencies
• Drug abuse counseling agencies
• Group homes
• Mental health facilities
• Probation offices
• School counseling services
• Other social service organizations

Sample Internship Locations

• Alliance City Schools
• Alliance Community Hospital
• Alliance Domestic Violence Shelter
• Alliance Pregnancy Center
• Copeland Oaks Retirement Community
• Mount Union’s Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Wellness Education
• Pegasus Farms
• The Stuckey Family Interfaith Child Development Center
• Villa Maria Assisted Living

Student Organizations

Invest in your peers and professional networks through Mount Union’s student organizations. These holistic venues for personal, social, professional, and academic growth pair seamlessly with your classroom and other extracurricular learning, empowering you to make the most of your neuroscience degree.

Psychology Club

Psychology Club is a student-led organization that provides opportunities to attend presentations from professionals in the field, discuss graduate schools and jobs, and join in on social activities. The club also sponsors informational trips to local facilities and service agencies. It is open to all students regardless of major, and its purpose is to encourage and promote the study of psychological science while stimulating interest in professional aspects of the field.

Psi Chi

Psi Chi is a national psychology honor society. Our chapter engages in varied activities designed to stimulate professional growth by creating fellowship with other psychology professionals across the nation. We provide opportunities to promote individual research involvement and to reward the achievement of professional leadership qualities. Members gain:

• Honor and recognition for academic excellence
• Access to colleagues and experienced psychologists
• Opportunities to develop leadership skills
• Opportunities to develop relationships with faculty and other psychology professionals
• Opportunities to socialize with other psychology students
• Access to educational and career-building programs and events
• Opportunities to serve the campus and the wider community

Learning Objectives

Develop a broad base of knowledge regarding behavior and mental processes. The Bachelor’s in Neuroscience program at Mount Union prepares you for advanced study at the graduate and professional level in several different areas, including:

• Neuroscience anatomy and physiology
• Science research through courses such as Sensation and Perception and Cultural Health Psychology
• Applied science research in courses such as Introduction to Autism and Drugs and Behavior

To further strengthen your skills in these target areas, the neuroscience program incorporates robust experiential learning opportunities in the form of internships, field placements, and our leading-edge undergraduate research laboratory.

Departmental Mission

The mission of the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development is to develop and maintain an academic curriculum and co-curricular activities that help students acquire a broad base of knowledge in the field, acquire the intellectual and communication skills necessary to participate in these fields as scientists and practitioners, and develop characteristics that encourage personal fulfillment, meaningful work, and responsible citizenship.

Departmental Goals

Knowledge Base

• The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development provides courses, programs, and experiences that foster the acquisition of fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings to discuss how psychological principles apply to behavioral problems. Students completing foundation courses should demonstrate breadth of their knowledge and application of psychological ideas to simple problems; students completing a baccalaureate degree should show depth in their knowledge and application of psychological concepts and frameworks to problems of greater complexity.

Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking

• The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development provides courses, programs, and experiences that enable students to develop skills in this domain that involve the development of scientific reasoning and problem-solving, including effective research methods. Students completing foundation-level courses should learn basic skills and concepts in interpreting behavior, studying research, and applying research design principles to drawing conclusions about psychological phenomena; students completing a baccalaureate degree should focus on theory use as well as designing and executing research plans.

Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World

• The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development provides courses, programs, and experiences that enable students to develop skills in this domain, including the development of ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity. Students completing foundation-level courses should become familiar with the formal regulations that govern professional ethics in psychology and begin to embrace the values that will contribute to positive outcomes in work settings and in building a society responsive to multicultural and global concerns. Students completing a baccalaureate degree should have more direct opportunities to demonstrate adherence to professional values that will help them optimize their contributions and work effectively, even with those who do not share their heritage and traditions. This learning goal also promotes the adoption of personal and professional values that can strengthen community relationships and contributions.

Communication

• The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development provides courses, programs, and experiences that foster the acquisition of competence in writing and in oral and interpersonal communication skills. Students completing foundation-level courses should write a cogent scientific argument, present information using a scientific approach, engage in discussion of psychological concepts, explain the ideas of others, and express their own ideas with clarity. Students completing a baccalaureate degree should produce a research study or other psychological project, explain scientific results, and present information to a professional audience. They should also develop flexible interpersonal approaches that optimize information exchange and relationship development.

Professional Development

• The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development provides courses, programs, and experiences that emphasize the application of psychology-specific content and skills, effective self-reflection, project management skills, teamwork skills, and career preparation. Foundation-level outcomes concentrate on the development of work habits and ethics to succeed in academic settings. The skills in this goal at the baccalaureate level refer to abilities that sharpen student readiness for postbaccalaureate employment, graduate school, or professional school. These skills can be developed and refined both in traditional academic settings and in extracurricular involvement. In addition, career professionals can be enlisted to support occupational planning and pursuit.

Neuroscience Careers

Neuroscientists study the brain and its functions, including memory, perception, action, language, and conscious awareness. Advancements in molecular biology, along with dedicated minds like yours, fuel innovation in neuroscience, delving into complex analyses of behavioral-cognitive relationships and cellular neurobiological research.

At Mount Union, develop a solid foundation in the study of behavior, mental processes, and the connections of cognitive-behavioral outcomes with underlying neural systems. Cultivate practical skills through hands-on projects, research, and a plan of study that supports your career goals.

Most career paths in neuroscience focus on research and require a PhD, while other routes begin with hands-on practice in entry-level positions. The integrated, interdisciplinary coursework and field experience in Mount Union’s neuroscience degree prepare you for further academic study and practical roles alike. 

Alumni Employers

• Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism
• Lincoln Memorial University 
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• ReMed 
• Step By Step Academy 

Alumni Graduate Schools

• Cleveland State University 
• Kent State University 
• Lehigh University 
• The University of Toledo
• Wright State University 

Common Careers

• Clinical psychology
• Fields of medicine
• Health/social research
• Neurology 
• Psychiatry