Fairfield University

Behavioral neuroscience is the study of biological mechanisms underlying human and animal behavior. Behavioral neuroscience sits at the intersection of psychology and biology and addresses topics from the cellular/molecular level to the biological underpinnings of all aspects of behavior and psychological disorders. Over the last decade, there has been a marked expansion in this field, with an increase in graduate programs and job opportunities for behavioral neuroscience majors. A major in behavioral neuroscience is an ideal preparation for such specialties as neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. Furthermore, the major provides excellent preparation for graduate school programs in behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, and affective neuroscience, as well as in experimental psychology, neurophysiology, clinical neuropsychology, pharmacology, and many other developing areas in this rapidly growing discipline.

The behavioral neuroscience minor can be used by students earning a BS degree in biology, chemistry, or physics to prepare for graduate studies in many of aspects of brain science, including developmental neuroscience and cellular/molecular neurobiology. Students planning to enter the health professions would find the behavioral neuroscience minor helpful as preparation for specialization in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, and more. The minor is also suitable for a student in any major who has a desire to learn more about the functioning of his or her own brain.