Neuroscience undergraduate students must take a laboratory course as part of their major requirements. In 2024-2025, students can choose between NEU 171L (Neurophysiology Lab) or NEU 173L (Neuroanatomy Lab). A third class, NEU 172L (Cognitive and Computational Neuro Lab), will be added in 2025-2026. This policy pertains to students who have substantial research experience in a faculty research lab, and who want to use that experience to substitute for the required lab class. The policy only holds for 2024-2025, when the lab class choices are 171L and 173L. The policy will be reconsidered in 2025-2026, when the 172L class is available.
Please note that students have a limit of 2 substitutions for required major courses. This includes lab substitutions, electives, core requirements, study abroad, and upper division transfer classes. To request a course substitution, meet with a staff advisor who will provide you with a substitution form. All substitutions must be approved by a faculty advisor.
General Requirements
Students who wish to substitute the lab course with research experience in 2024 - 2025 must:
- Complete at least 4 units of upper division research units over at least 2 semesters,
- Have worked on a laboratory research project that includes experience in the specific areas listed in the Substitution Requirements section below, which covers the topic areas included in the laboratory courses,
- Produce a written or digital laboratory notebook documenting experiments performed and procedures exployed to satisfy the specific lab course substitution requirements,
- Be able to provide a coherent oral description of their research, and
- Agree to complete a written report at the conclusion of the research.
Procedure:
- Review the NEU 171L or 173L Substitution Requirements listed at the bottom of this page.
- Write a description of your proposed research (1-3 pages), list of approaches and methods to be used to satisfy the specific course substitution requirements, a summary of results to date (with perhaps a sample table, figure, or measurement), and an outline of plans for the next semester
- Email your documents to the advising office at neuro-uao@berkeley.edu and they will then email you the Lab Substition Petition and major progress report.
- The Lab Subsitution Petition must be approved, first by the PI, and then by the Undergraduate Program Committee Chair. You should bring your lab notebook and be prepared to discuss how your lab experience fulfills the requirements listed.
- Return the signed Substitution form to the advising office via email at neuro-uao@berkeley.edu. See deadlines below.
- Write a final written report and turn in a signed approval form.
Deadlines:
- For seniors graduating in Spring or Summer, the deadline to submit your signed form is October 1st
- For seniors graduating in the Fall, the deadline to submit your signed form is April 1st
- Final Research Report is due no later than Monday of finals week in your final research semester
Final Research Report
Final approval of the substitution will not occur until submission of a written final report and approval form.
- The report should be in the form of a scientific document describing the research performed demonstrating your ability to analyze and discuss your research in writing. The report should be 5-10 single-spaced pages, and should include figures or tables showing research results.
- For H196B students, the thesis satisfies this requirement.
- For other students, a research report, pre-approved by your research P.I., must be turned in to the Undergraduate Program Committee Chair and the Undergraduate Advising Office
- If a satisfactory report is not turned in, the substitution approval will be revoked.
- The report is due no later than Monday of finals week of the student’s final research semester.
NEU 171L or 173L Substitution Requirements
Experience with at least 3 of the following:
- Physiological or optical measurement of neural activity or signaling, including intracellular or extracellular recording, and activity- or calcium-based indicators
- Morphological analysis of neurons, circuits, or subcellular compartments, including immunohistochemistry, tract tracing, optical analysis of structure or dynamics using genetic or synthetic indicators
- Genetic manipulation or profiling of cells (e.g., viral vectors, RNAi), or reverse or forward genetics related to neuroscience
- Application of molecular biology and biochemistry techniques in laboratory research (e.g., PCR, western blotting, immunoprecipitation, gene cloning)
- Quantitative measurement and analysis of behavioral data in animals or humans
- Computational modeling of neural function at the molecular, cellular, network, or systems level
- Modeling or fitting of neural, behavioral, or cognitive data, and validating model performance
- Measurement or analysis of human brain imaging, electrophysiology, stimulation, or related data
- Development of computational algorithms related to neuroscience