Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology
This program has been approved and will be offered effective with the 2025-26 Catalog year.
Program of Study
Summary of Requirements & Curriculum
Sequence of requirements on the pathway to the degree:
- A program of study in neuroscience core and depth courses
- A series of seminar/journal club & professional development courses intended to prepare students for their qualifying exam and thesis defense
- A qualifying exam that includes the creation and oral defense of an NIH F31 style or similar proposal of the student's proposed thesis research topic
- At least one scientific paper in which the student played a central role, accepted for publication or indexed on a preprint server (e.g. bioRxiv)
- A written Ph.D. thesis and public defense of that thesis
The NSNT student's written thesis proposal satisfies Georgia Tech's requirement for a written qualifying exam. The NSNT student's oral defense of their thesis proposal satisfies Georgia Tech's requirement for an oral qualifying exam. Georgia Tech requires that all doctoral students maintain a 3.0 grade point average. There is no foreign language requirement.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 9 | |
| Three courses providing core competencies in neuroscience to be taken in the first 2 years. Topics across all scales from cell and molecular to systems and behaviors. | ||
| NEUR 6001 | Principles of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology | 3 |
| NEUR 6002 | Neurophysiology | 3 |
| NEUR 6003 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| Depth Electives | 6 | |
| Courses designed to build the student’s expertise in the area of their intended research area. Selected in consultation with the student’s research advisor. | ||
| Seminar & Journal Club | 8 | |
| Students attend seminars and read papers as part of a journal club (2 credits) for one semester each year. | ||
| Professional Development Course | 3 | |
| Students take 2 courses focused on neuroscience communication, ethics, and professional/career development in their first year. Students then take a final writing course in their 2nd-4th year. | ||
| Thesis Research | 21 | |
| NSNT students register for credit while conducting dissertation research | ||
| NEUR 9000 | Doctoral Research | 1 |