Neuroscience Minor (B.Sc.) (25 credits)
Offered by: Science (Faculty of Science)
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Program credit weight: 25
Program Description
“Please note: this Minor is only available to students studying in the faculty of Science.”
This Minor is intended to provide students with a basic understanding of how the nervous system functions. The Minor is composed of 24-25 credits: 9 required and 15-16 complementary. For the 15-16 complementary credits, at least 12-13 must be from outside the student's home department and at least 6 of the 12-13 must be at the 400 or 500 level.
Note 1: A maximum of 6-7 credits can be counted for both the student's primary program and for the Minor in Neuroscience.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (9 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 200 | Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Molecular Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The physical and chemical properties of the cell and its components in relation to their structure and function. Topics include: protein structure, enzymes and enzyme kinetics; nucleic acid replication, transcription and translation; the genetic code, mutation, recombination, and regulation of gene expression. | ||
| NSCI 200 | Introduction to Neuroscience 1. | 3 |
Introduction to Neuroscience 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to how nerve cells generate action potentials, communicate with one another at synapses, develop synaptic connections, early brain development, and the construction of specific neural circuits. | ||
| NSCI 201 | Introduction to Neuroscience 2. | 3 |
Introduction to Neuroscience 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to how the nervous system acquires and integrates information and uses it to produce behaviour. | ||
Complementary Courses (16 credits)
15-16 credits selected as follows:
- At least 12-13 credits must be from outside the student's home department.
- At least 6 of the 12-13 credits have to be at the 400 or 500 level.
0-10 credits from the following list of 200- and 300-level courses:
Note 2: Since CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. is a prerequisite/corequisite for NSCI 200 Introduction to Neuroscience 1. and BIOL 200 Molecular Biology., students must take CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. if they have not yet done so.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT 212 | Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. 1 | 3 |
Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division. | ||
| BIOC 212 | Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. 1 | 3 |
Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division. | ||
| BIOL 201 | Cell Biology and Metabolism. 1 | 3 |
Cell Biology and Metabolism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course introduces the student to our modern understanding of cells and how they work. Major topics to be covered include: photosynthesis, energy metabolism and metabolic integration; plasma membrane including secretion, endocytosis and contact mediated interactions between cells; cytoskeleton including cell and organelle movement; the nervous system; hormone signaling; the cell cycle. | ||
| BIOL 202 | Basic Genetics. | 3 |
Basic Genetics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to basic principles, and to modern advances, problems and applications in the genetics of higher and lower organisms with examples representative of the biological sciences. | ||
| BIOL 300 | Molecular Biology of the Gene. | 3 |
Molecular Biology of the Gene. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of current knowledge and approaches in the area of regulation of gene expression, post-transcriptional control of gene expression, and signal transduction. | ||
| BIOL 306 | Neural Basis of Behaviour. 2 | 3 |
Neural Basis of Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Neural mechanisms of animal behaviour; neuroethology; cellular neurophysiology, integrative networks within nervous systems; neural control of movement; processing of sensory information. | ||
| BIOL 320 | Evolution of Brain and Behaviour. | 3 |
Evolution of Brain and Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Functional and comparative approach to neuroanatomy, examining how species changes in brain organization contribute to evolutionary changes in behaviour. | ||
| BIOL 389 | Laboratory in Neurobiology. | 3 |
Laboratory in Neurobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Methods of neurobiological research, including extracellular and intracellular recordings, electrical stimulation, and the study of neuro-behavioural problems. | ||
| CHEM 212 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A fundamental study of aliphatic compounds and saturated functional groups including modern concepts of bonding, reaction mechanisms, conformational analysis, spectroscopy, and stereochemistry. | ||
| NEUR 310 | Cellular Neurobiology. | 3 |
Cellular Neurobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the functional organization of nerve cells, signalling in the nervous system, and principles of neural development. Topics include cell polarity, neurotransmitters, neurotrophins, receptors and second messengers, cell lineage, guidance of axon outgrowth, and nerve regeneration. Emphasis will be placed on analysis of neurons at the molecular level. | ||
| PHGY 311 | Channels, Synapses and Hormones. | 3 |
Channels, Synapses and Hormones. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses on cellular communication in the nervous system and the endocrine system. | ||
| PHGY 314 | Integrative Neuroscience. 2 | 3 |
Integrative Neuroscience. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of how single neurons and ensembles of neurons encode sensory information, generate movement, and control cognitive functions such as emotion, learning, and memory, during voluntary behaviours. | ||
| PSYC 302 | Pain. | 3 |
Pain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to pain research and theory, with emphasis on the interactions of psychological, cultural and physiological factors in pain perception. The role of these factors in clinical pain and its management by pharmacological and non-pharmacological means will be discussed. | ||
| PSYC 311 | Human Cognition and the Brain. | 3 |
Human Cognition and the Brain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course is an introduction to the field studying how human cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, language, learning and memory, planning and organization, are related to brain processes. The material covered is primarily based on studies of the effects of different brain lesions on cognition and studies of brain activity in relation to cognitive processes with modern functional neuroimaging methods. | ||
| PSYC 315 | Computational Psychology. | 3 |
Computational Psychology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of computational methods to the simulation of psychological phenomena. Comparison of natural and artificial intelligence. Symbolic and neural network techniques. Methods for evaluating simulations. | ||
| PSYC 317 | Genes and Behaviour. | 3 |
Genes and Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focuses on current techniques employed to study which genes influence behaviour, and how they do so. | ||
| PSYC 318 | Behavioural Neuroscience 2. | 3 |
Behavioural Neuroscience 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The physiological bases of motivational states, with respect to feeding, drinking, sexual behaviour, drug use, and aggression. Physiological bases of learning and memory. | ||
| PSYC 342 | Hormones and Behaviour. | 3 |
Hormones and Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The role of hormones in organization of CNS function, as effectors of behaviour, in expression of behaviours and in mental illness. | ||
- 1
Students may select ANAT 212 Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. or BIOC 212 Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. or BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism..
- 2
Students may select either BIOL 306 Neural Basis of Behaviour. or PHGY 314 Integrative Neuroscience..
6-15 credits from the following list of 400- and 500-level courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 530 | Advances in Neuroethology. | 3 |
Advances in Neuroethology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Neural mechanisms underlying behaviour in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. | ||
| BIOL 532 | Developmental Neurobiology Seminar. | 3 |
Developmental Neurobiology Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussions of all aspects of nervous system development including pattern formation, cell lineage, pathfinding and targeting by growing axons, and neural regeneration. The basis for these discussions will be recent research papers and other assigned readings. | ||
| BIOL 580 | Genetic Approaches to Neural Systems. | 3 |
Genetic Approaches to Neural Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will focus on recent research employing genetic-based methods to examine the functional and structural properties of the nervous system. The focus will be on approaches for studying neural circuits and behavior in a range of model organisms. Topics will include recent technological advances, such as optogenetics for modifying and controlling neuronal activity, and animal models of neurological diseases. Students will critically analyze the application of these methods to current research through in-class discussion of primary literature, student presentations, and written assignments. | ||
| BIOL 588 | Advances in Molecular/Cellular Neurobiology. | 3 |
Advances in Molecular/Cellular Neurobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussion of fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying the general features of cellular neurobiology. An advanced course based on lectures and on a critical review of primary research papers. | ||
| NEUR 502 | Basic and Clinical Aspects of Neuroimmunology. | 3 |
Basic and Clinical Aspects of Neuroimmunology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The role of inflammation in physiological function of the nervous system, as well as in a broad range of neurological diseases where inflammation can act as a contributing factor to the development of pathology or promote recovery, including fundamentals of neuroimmunology to molecular/cellular aspects of neuroinflammation underlying the pathology seen in clinical conditions. | ||
| PHGY 425 | Analyzing Physiological Systems. | 3 |
Analyzing Physiological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to quantitative analysis of physiological data, both to the mode of thinking and to a set of tools that allows accurate predictions of biological systems. Examples will range from oscillating genetic networks to understanding higher brain function. Modelling and data analysis through examples and exercises will be emphasized. | ||
| PHGY 451 | Advanced Neurophysiology. | 3 |
Advanced Neurophysiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics of current interest in neurophysiology including the development of neurons and synapses, physiology of ionic channels, presynaptic and postsynaptic events in synaptic transmission and neuronal interactions in CNS function. | ||
| PHGY 524 | Chronobiology. | 3 |
Chronobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the field of chronobiology. The aim is to provide basic instruction on different types of biological rhythms, with particular focus on circadian rhythms. | ||
| PHGY 556 | Topics in Systems Neuroscience. | 3 |
Topics in Systems Neuroscience. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics of current interest in systems neurophysiology and behavioural neuroscience including: the neural representation of sensory information and motor behaviours, models of sensory motor integration, and the computational analysis of problems in motor control and perception. Students will be expected to present and critically discuss journal articles in class. | ||
| PSYC 410 | Special Topics in Neuropsychology. | 3 |
Special Topics in Neuropsychology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Developments in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive neuropsychiatry via readings from primary sources. Topics include the neural bases of memory, emotion, social cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases. Integrating knowledge from studies in clinical populations and functional neuroimaging studies. | ||
| PSYC 415 | Electroencephalography (EEG) Laboratory in Psychology. | 3 |
Electroencephalography (EEG) Laboratory in Psychology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the use of electroencephalography (EEG) for measuring brain function in behavioural neuroscience experiments. Recording and analyzing EEG data, as well asin designing experiments and interpreting findings using this method. Topics include the neural basis of EEG, recording principles and techniques, EEG data analysis (frequency bands, averaging, sources of noise, filtering, signal to noise), event-related potential analysis (ERP), spectral analysis and time-frequency analysis, data visualization, topographical maps. | ||
| PSYC 427 | Sensorimotor Neuroscience. | 3 |
Sensorimotor Neuroscience. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A systematic examination of the sensorimotor system, drawing on models and data from both behavioural and physiological studies. Topics include: cortical motor areas, cerebellum, basal ganglia, spinal mechanisms, motor unit properties and force production, prioception, muscle properties. | ||
| PSYC 433 | Cognitive Science. | 3 |
Cognitive Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The multi-disciplinary study of cognitive science, exploring the computer metaphor of the mind as an information-processing system. Focus on levels of analysis, symbolic modeling, Turing machines, neural networks, as applied to topics such as reasoning, vision, decision-making, and consciousness. | ||
| PSYC 444 | Sleep Mechanisms and Behaviour. | 3 |
Sleep Mechanisms and Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course covers basic biological mechanisms, possible functions and behavioural aspects of sleep. Additional topics include: disorders of sleep, their effects on behaviour and cognition, and treatment approaches; as well as medical, neurological and psychiatric disorders, and drugs, that affect sleep. | ||
| PSYC 470 | Memory and Brain. | 3 |
Memory and Brain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Memory systems are studied with an emphasis on the neural computations that occur at various stages of the processing stream, focusing on the hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, cerebellum and cortex. The data reviewed is obtained from human, non-human primates and rodents, with single unit recording, neuroimaging and brain damaged subjects. | ||
| PSYC 506 | Cognitive Neuroscience of Attention. | 3 |
Cognitive Neuroscience of Attention. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to cognitive properties and neural mechanisms of human attention. The material will include an overview of the history of attention research, contemporary theories of attention, the varieties of attention, behavioral and neuroimaging experimental methods, the nature of attentional dysfunctions, and the links between attention and other cognitive functions including memory and consciousness. | ||
| PSYC 514 | Neurobiology of Memory. | 3 |
Neurobiology of Memory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advances in the understanding of the neurobiological bases of fundamental memory processes, such as memory consolidation maintenance, retrieval, and forgetting. The contribution of their dysregulation to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Consideration of findings from a variety of species, spanning insects to humans. | ||
| PSYC 522 | Neurochemistry and Behaviour. | 3 |
Neurochemistry and Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Anatomical, biochemical and physiological aspects of neurotransmitter systems in the brain, current theories of the function of these systems in normal and abnormal behaviour, and the actions of psychotropic drugs. | ||
| PSYC 526 | Advances in Visual Perception. | 3 |
Advances in Visual Perception. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. We examine in detail the structure of the visual system, and its function as reflected in the perceptual abilities and behaviour of the organism. Parallels are also drawn with other sensory systems to demonstrate general principles of sensory coding. | ||
| PSYT 500 | Advances: Neurobiology of Mental Disorders. | 3 |
Advances: Neurobiology of Mental Disorders. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Current theories on the neurobiological basis of most well known mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, dementia). Methods and strategies in research on genetic, physiological and biochemical factors in mental illness will be discussed. Discussion will also focus on the rationale for present treatment approaches and on promising new approaches. | ||