Master's in Neuroscience | Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Looking for a master's in neuroscience that fits your career aspirations? WPI’s MS in neuroscience advances understanding of the human brain—one of the most significant and urgent scientific challenges of our time. This complex biological system holds the key to who we are and how we perceive and interact with the world. A growing number of individuals are affected by neurological and psychiatric illnesses that are poorly understood. The field of neuroscience is at a point where deep learning, AI, neuroengineering, and related advances will stimulate major breakthroughs.

The MS in neuroscience provides students with a strong foundation in computational, molecular, psychological, quantitative, and interdisciplinary approaches to neuroscience. Students gain expertise in basic and translational neuroscience coupled with a strong computational base, links to industry partners, and supported study-abroad opportunities. In addition to a program partnership with WPI's Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), our expertise in cutting-edge data science methods such as deep learning and AI will stimulate novel and productive purpose-driven research projects.

Our team of interdisciplinary faculty and students thrive from the synergy of our diverse approaches to understanding the brain and nervous system. The faculty involved in the neuroscience master's program have a strong record of funding and provide an excellent research-oriented environment that provides collaboration and one-on-one mentorship.

Admissions Requirements for Master's in Neuroscience

Students applying to the master's in neuroscience are expected to have a bachelor's degree in biology, biochemistry, computer science, mathematics, psychology, neuroscience, or a related field, and to have taken introductory courses in a neuroscience-related field such as biology, biochemistry, computer science, mathematics, and/or psychology.

Students who are not WPI undergraduates or alumni must submit GRE/TOEFL scores.

Curriculum

Looking for a neuroscience master's program that fits your career aspirations? The master's in neuroscience will train students in the complexity of the nervous system and position them to work on the many unanswered questions about the brain and how it functions. WPI’s core strengths in the areas of computational and data sciences, as well as in artificial intelligence and the life sciences areas, give students a comprehensive and cutting-edge approach to the field.

The four main participating departments—Computer Science, Biology & Biotechnology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and Social Science & Policy Studies—define four broad areas of the neuroscience MS program:

Computational Neuroscience: Training in the use of experimental and theoretical methods for the analysis of brain function

Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience: Training in neurophysiological methods such as electrophysiology, optogenetics, molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and biophysics, appropriate to topics in neurobiology

Systems Neuroscience: Training in structure-function relationship of neural networks, neural substrates of learning and memory, psychopharmacology of nervous system disorders including Alzheimer’s disease

Psychological Science: Training in how the brain and nervous system interact with development, mental health, cognition, and social processes to mediate behavior

The rapid advances in neuroscience require a workforce ready to tackle the scientific, engineering, and ethical challenges of this fascinating field.

WPI’s neuroscience program is rooted firmly in a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to neuroscience with a computational methodology.

WPI’s neuroscience program challenges students to think about how to better understand the brain while considering things like genetics, neurological diseases, and human behavior.

Students pursuing a master's in neuroscience must complete a minimum of 31 credits of relevant work at the graduate level. In consultation with their assigned neuroscience program academic advisor, students will prepare a plan of study outlining the selections that satisfy the degree requirements and that receive approval of the program’s review committee.

Requirements	Minimum Credits
At least three graduate neuroscience courses	9
At least one biology courses	3
At least one computer science course	3
One bioethics course	1
One scientific writing or experimental design course	3

Relevant Neuroscience courses

NEU 501 Neuroscience

NEU 502 Neural Plasticity

NEU 503 Computational Neuroscience

NEU 504 Advanced Psychophysiology

NEU 505 Brain-Computer Interaction

Relevant Bioinformatics and Computational Biology courses

BCB 501/BBT 581 Bioinformatics

BCB 502/CS 582 Biovisualization

BCB 503/CS 583 Biological and Biomedical Database Mining

BCB 504/MA 584 Statistical Methods in Genetics and Bioinformatics

BCB 510 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Seminar

Relevant Biology and Biotechnology courses

BBT 561 Model Systems: Experimental Approaches and Applications

BBT 581/BCB 501 Bioinformatics

BB 570/CH 555 Cell Signaling

Relevant Biomedical Engineering courses

BME 550 Tissue Engineering

BME 555 BioMEMS and Tissue Micro engineering

BME 560 Physiology for Engineers

BME 583 Biomedical Microscopy and Quantitative Imaging

Relevant Chemistry and Biochemistry courses

CH 538 Medicinal Chemistry

CH 541 Membrane Biophysics

CH 555D Drug and Regulations

CH 555R Drug Safety and Regulatory Compliance

CH 555/PH597 Cell Mechanics

CH 555/BB570 Cell Signaling

Relevant Computer Science courses

CS 5007 Introduction to Applications of Computer Science with Data Structures and Algorithms

CS 5084 Introduction to Algorithms: Design and Analysis

CS 528 Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing

CS 534 Artificial Intelligence

CS 539 Machine Learning

CS 541/DS 541 Deep Learning

CS 542 Database Management Systems

CS 546 Human-Computer Interaction

CS 548 Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining

CS/RBE 549 Computer Vision

CS/SEME 565 User Modeling

CS/SEME 566 Graphical Models for Reasoning under Uncertainty

CS/SEME 567 Empirical Methods for Human-Centered Computing

CS 573 Data Visualization

CS 584 Algorithms: Design and Analysis

CS 585/DS 503 Big Data Management

CS 586/DS 504 Big data Analytics

Relevant Data Science courses:

DS 501 Introduction to Data Science

DS 502/MA 543 Statistical Methods for Data Science

Relevant Mathematical Sciences courses:

MA 508 Mathematical Modeling

MA 543/DS 502 Statistical Methods for Data Science

MA 510/CS 522 Numerical Methods

MA 511 Applied Statistics for Engineering and Scientists

MA 542 Regression Analysis

MA 546 Design and Analysis of Experiments

MA 550 Time Series Analysis

MA 556 Applied Bayesian Statistics

In addition to the 19 credits in the core neuroscience coursework requirement, MS students must complete either the thesis option or the non-thesis option described below. Students supported with a teaching assistantship, research assistantship or fellowship for more than one academic year are required to do the thesis option.

Students in the neuroscience MS thesis option must complete a 9-credit thesis that is advised or co-advised by a faculty member affiliated with the neuroscience program. Students interested in research, and in particular those who are considering pursuing a PhD degree in neuroscience or a related area, are strongly encouraged to select the MS thesis option.

As part of the completion of the remaining credits, students in the neuroscience MS non-thesis option are strongly encouraged to pursue a 3-6 credit research or practice-oriented internship that is approved and overseen by a faculty member of the neuroscience program Internships are generally in an industry setting or a research lab and will require a written report.

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Faculty Profiles

Jean King

Dean of Arts & Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Jean King is an active neuroscientist and Peterson Family Dean of Arts & Sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Previously Dr.

Erin Solovey

Associate Professor, Computer Science

Jagan Srinivasan

Associate Professor, Biology & Biotechnology

It has been my lifelong dream to become a professor in the field of Biology. Being a faculty member provides a great opportunity to teach and interact with students. Students by nature are highly inquisitive and motivated, and as teachers, we have the responsibility to guide our students to explore and think in new ways. I believe that teaching is a two-way interaction between teachers and students. I come from India and my parents, both of whom were teachers, taught me to strive for excellence in my scholarly pursuits.

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