Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience
Students in the Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience specialization must complete 36 credits of psychology coursework with a minimum grade of C. At least 30 of the 36 credits must be 3000-level or above. In addition to psychology requirements, students must meet the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences degree requirements.
Overview
The Psychology curriculum provides a strong background to pursue careers in Psychology or to prepare students for entry into advanced professional schools such as law or medicine. The curriculum emphasizes the principles and applications of psychological knowledge, both as a natural science and as a social science.
Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience focuses more specifically on natural science-oriented psychology courses and allows students to take limited approved non-psychology courses relevant to contemporary neuroscience. This specialization also requires more math and biology courses than general psychology.
Requirements for the Major
Students in the Psychology Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience (BCN) specialization are required to complete 36 credits of coursework with 16 credits of related coursework in biological science, mathematics, and statistics for a total of 52 credits. At least 22 credits must be taken in psychology.
Courses used toward the major must be earned with minimum grades of C. At least 18 of the 36 credits must be UF credit.
The course listing below does not represent an ordered sequence. View the more detailed Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Model Semester Plan or curriculum course scheduling information on the department’s website.
Required Major Coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Major Core Courses | ||
| Introductory level | ||
| PSY 2012 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Laboratory course | ||
| PSY 3213L | Laboratory Methods in Psychology | 3 |
| Foundation-level Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Core | ||
| Each foundation core course is an introduction to the substantive areas of behavioral and cognitive neuroscience. | 6 | |
Biological Bases of Neuroscience | ||
PSB 3340 | Behavioral Neuroscience | |
Learning and Cognition | ||
EXP 3604 | Cognitive Psychology | |
| Advanced BCN Laboratory | ||
| Select one 1 | 4 | |
| Options: | ||
EXP 4174C | Laboratory in Sensory Processes | |
PSB 4343C | Laboratory in Cognitive Neuroscience | |
PSY 4905 | Individual Work | |
| Psychology Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Major Electives | ||
| PSB or EXP Prefixed Psychology Electives at the 4000-level | ||
| 4000-level psychology courses with a PSB or EXP prefix or approval of the undergraduate coordinator. These courses must be taken in addition to the required laboratory course and do not include individual work courses. 3 | 6 | |
| Additional BCN electives | ||
| Psychology courses or approved neuroscience-relevant courses outside psychology to meet the 36- credit minimum requirement. 3 credits may be at the 2000 level or higher. The remaining 11 or more credits must be at the 3000/4000 level. PSB 3002 is not accepted toward the Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience specialization. 2, 3 | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Non-Psychology courses taken at UF can be substituted for the BCN Advance Lab Requirements. For a complete list of 4-credit lab-based courses that can be used as substitutes refer to the department’s website. Students who enroll in substitute courses will need to contact Psychology Advising at psych-advising@ufl.edu for degree audit adjustments.
- 2
Refer to the department’s website for a list of courses that will count towards this requirement. Students who enroll in non-Psychology courses may need to contact Psychology Advising at psych-advising@ufl.edu for degree audit adjustments.
- 3
Students interested in completing an honors thesis should talk to an advisor early in their academic careers to ensure they leave room in their required 36 credits of Psychology to enroll in the appropriate honors course(s).
Students who wish to transfer courses in psychology toward the major must see an advisor in the department for approval.
Related Coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | ||
| STA 2023 | Introduction to Statistics 1 | 3 |
| STA 3024 | Introduction to Statistics 2 | 3 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MAC 2311 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 | 4 |
| Biological Science | ||
| BSC 2010 | Integrated Principles of Biology 1 | 3 |
| BSC 2011 | Integrated Principles of Biology 2 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
- 1
STA 2023 is a prerequisite for some 4000-level psychology and laboratory courses.
- 2
STA 3024 must be taken before or concurrently with any specialized psychology laboratory, and it also counts toward the CLAS requirement of 3000-level electives not in the major.
Most of the foundation-level courses and the laboratory methods course are offered each semester. Special topic and other advanced courses are offered less frequently. Fewer courses are offered in Summer.
Recommended Coursework
In addition to regularly scheduled courses, the department offers six Individual Work (IW) courses. Students can earn up to a maximum combined total of nine credits for IW coursework in their undergraduate careers.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Research | ||
| PCO 4911 | Undergraduate Research in Psychology of Health Disparities | 3 |
| PSY 4911 | Undergraduate Research in Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 4905 | Individual Work | 1-3 |
| PSY 4970 | Senior Thesis | 1-3 |
| Teaching | ||
| PSY 4940 | Introduction to Teaching in Psychology | 3 |
| Community Work | ||
| PSY 4949 | Internship in Psychology | 1-3 |
In each case, a psychology faculty member must supervise the student’s work. In cases where the student is working with (being supervised by) a faculty member or professional that is not in Department of Psychology, then a psychology faculty member must sign on as a sponsor.
More Info
Research
Research in Psychology means asking questions about behavior, designing and running experiments and collecting data regarding those questions, analyzing and interpreting the results, and communicating these results to colleagues. Developing research skills is encouraged, especially if students anticipate graduate school in Psychology or in other professional areas.
SONA: Research Participation Requirement
One of the Psychology Department’s goals is to familiarize students with the research process in psychology. Toward meeting this goal, students enrolled in PSY 2012, CLP 2001, and any 3000 level Psychology course must participate in experimental research studies (Option 1) or critically analyze scientific research articles (Option 2). This is done through a system called SONA. Specific requirements are posted in the course CANVAS and syllabus.
Advising Note
The SONA requirement is an important factor to consider when planning each semester. We recommend that you take no more than two psychology courses requiring research participation each semester.
Non-Psychology Options for the 4-Credit Lab Requirement
Non- Psychology courses which can be substituted for the BCN Advance Lab Requirements. Must be taken at UF.Note: Students who choose to enroll in sub courses must contact our office as they will not apply to the appropriate area. We will have to manually add them.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| APK2100c | Applied Human Anatomy w/ Lab | 4 |
| APK2105c | Applied Human Physiology w/ Lab | 4 |
| BCH3025 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 4 |
| BCH4024 | Intro Biochemistry & Molecular Bio. | 4 |
| BMS4905 | Independent Research in Biomedical Science | 1-3 (total of 4 credits required.) |
| CHM2045 & 2045L | Chemistry I + Lab | 4 |
| CHM2046 & 2046L | Chemistry II + Lab | 4 |
| CHM2210 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM2211& 2211L | Organic Chemistry II + Lab | 4 |
| CHM3218 | Bioorganic Chemistry II | 4 |
| MCB3020 & 3020L | Microbiology & Cell Science & Lab | 4 |
| MCB3023 & 3023L | Principles of Microbiology +Lab | 4 |
| PCB3063 | Genetics w/ Lab | 4 |
| OTH4412 & OTH4412L | Musculoskeletal Anatomy | 5 |
| PCB4723 | Physiology and Molecular Biology of Animals | 4 |
| CHM2095 & CHM2095L | Chemistry for Engineers 1 + Lab | 4 |
| CLP4421C | Clinical and Behaviroal Neuroanatomy and Lab | 4 |
| NUR3535C | Clinical Reasoning and Personalized Nursing Care: Mental Health | 4 |
| NUR 4768C | Clinical Reasoning and Personalized Nursing Care: Adult Chronic Conditions | 4 |
| NUR3196 | Pathophysiology/Pharmacology in Nursing | 4 |
Psychology Electives at 4000 Level PSB or EXP Prefix (6 Credits)
Students must choose two additional 4000-level psychology courses to meet the 36-credit minimum requirement. Excluding Individual Work Courses: PSY4905, 4911, 4940, 4949, and 4970.
Below is a brief example of the courses that will count for the additional electives area. The semester in which courses are offered is subject to change.
Note: Non-psychology courses may not reflect accurately on the degree audit. Therefore, we may have to manually apply them to your audit. If this happens, please email us.| Course | Description | Offered |
|---|---|---|
| APK4144 | Neuroscience of Movement | Applied Physiology & Kinesiology |
| BCH4024 | Intro Biochemistry & Molecular Bio. | Medicine-Biochemistry/Molecular Biology |
| BME4361 | Neural Engineering | Biomedical Engineering |
| CLP4110 | Eating Disorders | Psychology |
| CLP4134 | Introduction to Clinical and Child Pediatric Psychology | College of Public Health & Health Professions |
| CLP4302 | Introduction to Clinical Psychology | College of Public Health & Health Professions |
| CLP4420 | Introduction to Neuropsychology | Public Health and Health Professions, Clinical Health Psychology |
| CLP4421c | Clinical and Behavioral Neuroanatomy and Lab | Public Health and Health Professions, Clinical Health Psychology |
| DEP4115 | Infant Development | Psychology |
| EXP4404 | Psychology of Learning and Memory | Psychology |
| HSC4558 | Survey of Diseases and Disabilities | College of Public Health & Health Professions |
| HSC4600 | Psychiatric Disorders | College of Public Health & Health Professions |
| LIN4702c | Methods in Psycholinguistics | Linguistics |
| LIN4701 | Psycholinguistics | Linguistics |
| LIN4790 | Brain & Language | Linguistics |
| MDU4850 | Diseases of Eating | Medicine-General |
| OTH4412 | Musculoskeletal Anatomy | Occupational Therapy |
| PCB4723C | Physiology and Molecular Biology of Animals | Zoology |
| PSB 4240 BCN Seniors Only | Psychobiology of Abnormal Behavior | Spring/Fall Psychology |
| PSB 4342 BCN Seniors Only | Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience | Spring Psychology |
| PSY4504 | Developmental Psychobiology | Psychology |
| PSB 4934 BCN Seniors Only | ALL Special Topics | Psychology |
| PSY4824 | Psychology of Eating and Obesity | Developmental Psychobiology |
| PSY4930 | Neuroimagining Applications | Psychology |
| PSY4930 | Resilience in Children w/ Chronic Health Conditions | Psychology |
| PSY4930 | Decision-making & Judgement | Psychology |
| PSB4934 | Physiological Psychology | Psychology |
| PSB4810 | Neurobiology of Learning and Memory | Psychology |
| PSY4930 | Special Topics in Psychology: Memory & Memory Improvement | Psychology |
| PSB4434 | Neurochemistry, Pharmacology and Behavior | Psychology |
| PHC4796C | Artificial Intelligence in Psychological and Brain Sciences | Public Health and Health Professions, Clinical Health Psychology |
Additional BCN Electives (14 Credits)
Courses Can Be Used to Credit 3000-4000 Level BCN Electives/BCN-Related Electives and Approved Electives Outside the Major.Department discretion: Students should defer to the department which owns the course if unable to self-enroll. We cannot guarantee your enrollment request will be approved.
Note: Non-psychology courses may not reflect accurately on the degree audit. Therefore, we may have to manually apply them to your audit. If this happens, please email us.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| APK2105c | Applied Human Physiology w/ Lab | 4 | Applied Physiology & Kinesiology |
| APK2100c | Applied Human Anatomy w/ Lab | 4 | Applied Physiology & Kinesiology |
| APK3405 | Exercise Psychology | 3 | Applied Physiology & Kinesiology |
| AGR3303 | Genetics | 3 | Agronomy |
| ANT3515 | Human Evolutionary Anatomy | 3 | Anthropology |
| BSC3096 | Human Physiology | Biological Sciences |
|
| BMS4905 | Independent Research in Biomedical Science | 1-3 (Must have combined total of 4 credits) | Medicine-General |
| BCH4024 | Intro Biochemistry & Molecular Bio. | 4 | Medicine-Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology |
| BCH3025 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 4 | Food Science and Human Nutrition |
| BME4361 | Neural Engineering | 3 | Biomedical Engineering |
| CLP 4110 | Eating Disorders | 3 | Psychology |
| CLP2001 | Personal Growth | 3 | Psychology |
| CLP4420 | Intro to Neuorpsych | 3 | Public Health and Health Professions, Clinical Health Psychology |
| CLP4302 | Introduction to Clinical Psychology | 3 | Public Health and Health Professions, Clinical Health Psychology |
| CLP4134 | Introduction to Clinical and Child Pediatric Psychology | 3 | Public Health and Health Professions, Clinical Health Psychology |
| CLP3144 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 | Psychology |
| DEP3053 | Developmental Psychology | 3 | Psychology |
| DEP4115 | Infant Development | 3 | Psychology |
| EAB3002 | Principles of Behavior Anlysis | 3 | Psychology |
| EAB3764 | Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 | Psychology |
| EXP3104 | Sensory Processes | 3 | Psychology |
| EXP4404 | Psychology of Learning & Memory | 3 | Psychology |
| HSC 4600 | Psychiatric Disorders | 3 | Public Health & Health Professions - Undergrad |
| HSC4558 | Survey of Diseases and Disabilities | 3 | Public Health and Health Professions, Health Sciences |
| HSC3502 | Survey of Diseases and Disabilities | 3 | Public Health and Health Professions, Health Sciences |
| LIN4790 | Brain & Language | 3 | Linguistics |
| LIN4702c | Methods in Psycholinguistics | 3 | Linguistics |
| LIN4701 | Psycholinguistics | 3 | Linguistics |
| MCB3023 & 3023L | Principals of Microbiology | 4 | Microbiology and Cell Science |
| MCB3020 & 3020L | Microbiology & Cell Science | 4 | Microbiology and Cell Science |
| MCB4304 | Genetics of Microorganisms | 3 | Microbiology and Cell Science |
| MCB4324 | Computational Genomics and Epigenomics | 3 | Microbiology and Cell Science |
| MDU4850 | Diseases of Eating | 3 | Medicine-General |
| OTH4412 | Musculoskeletal Anatomy | 5 | Public Health & Health Professions/ Occupational Therapy |
| OTH3416 | Pathophysiology | 3 | Public Health & Health Professions/ Occupational Therapy |
| PSB4934 | Physiological Psychology* | 3 | Psychology |
| PSB4934 | Physiological Psychology* | 3 | Psychology |
| PCB4723 | Physiology and Molecular Biology of Animals | 4 | Zoology |
| PCB3063 | Genetics w/ Lab | 4 | Zoology |
| PCB3063 | Genetics | 4 | Zoology |
| PCB4522 | Molecular Genetics | 3 | Microbiology and Cell Science |
| PCB4674 | Evolution | 3 | Zoology |
| PCO4270 | Latinx Psychology | 3 | Psychology |
| PSY3626 | Psychology of Sustainability | 3 | Psychology |
| PSY4930-Westin | Resilience in Children w/ Chronic Health Conditions* | 3 | Psychology |
| PSY4930-Tanner | Neuroimagining Applications* | 3 | Psychology |
| PSY4930-Kvam | Decision-making & Judgement* | 3 | Psychology |
| PSY4905 | Independent Study | Varies | Psychology |
| PSY4911 | Supervised Research | Varies | Psychology |
| PSY4970 | Honors Thesis | Varies | Psychology |
| PSY4949 | Internship | Varies | Psychology |
| PSY4940 | Intro to Teaching | Varies | Psychology |
| PCO4113 | Positive Psychology | 3 | Psychology |
| PSY4824 | Psychology of Eating and Obesity* | 3 | Psychology |
| SOP3004 | Social Psychology | 3 | Psychology |
| ZOO4926 | Special Topics in Zoology: Sensory System & Behavior | 2 | Zoology |
| DEP4704C | Research Methods in Developmental Psychology | 4 | Psychology |
| GEY4001 | Issues and Concepts in Gerontology | 3 | Psychology |
| PCO4404 | Black Psychology | 3 | Psychology |
| PCO4930 | Seminar in Counseling Psychology: Intro to Counseling Psych | 3 | Psychology |
| PSY4625 | The Psychology of Pseudoscience | 3 | Psychology |
| CBH3003 | Comparative Psychology | 3 | Psychology |
| PHC4796C | Artificial Intelligence in Psychological and Brain Sciences | 3 | Public Health and Health Professions, Clinical Health Psychology |
| NUR 4768C | Clinical Reasoning and Personalized Nursing Care: Adult Chronic Conditions | 4 | Nursing |
| NUR3196 | Pathophysiology/Pharmacology in Nursing | 4 | Nursing |
| NUR3535C | Clinical Reasoning and Personalized Nursing Care: Mental Health | 4 | Nursing |
Do you want to know if a course not on the list will satisfy the elective requirements? Email psych-advising@ufl.edu and attach the course syllabus for assistance.
Dual Degree/Double Major Requirements
Students must fulfill all 1-5 critical tracking criteria before seeking approval. We are overenrolled in all psychology tracks; therefore, students should submit their request immediately after completing all 1-5 critical tracking courses – cannot be in progress. If approved, students are expected to enroll in the major during semester 6 and complete major requirements in semesters 6-8. Requesting to add the major with less than 3 semesters left to graduate is subject to denial due to course offerings and limited space.
See CLAS AAC Information on Dual Degree/Double Majors: Requirements & Eligibility
Please note: Those who delay requesting to add the major but are taking courses for the major are also at risk of being denied due to space in senior-only courses. Students actively enrolled in our major are top priority, so it’s best to be proactive in getting approval.
Psych advisors cannot force students into full courses. Students interested in psychology as a second degree aren’t a priority when registering for major coursework.
Major Change Requirements
- Changing Majors in Terms 1-5: Students who want to change to a CLAS major in terms 1-5 must meet with an advisor in the CLAS AAC. The tracking term of students who entered UF as Summer B/Fall freshmen is based on the number of fall/spring semesters in which they enrolled for 10 or more credits. Full-term withdrawals and study abroad are not included as tracking terms.
- Transfer Students: As an overenrolled program, students must originally be admissible to the psychology program to request departmental support. There are no guarantees that students meeting the admissions requirements will be approved. Students should meet with a CLAS AAC advisor beforehand.
- Changing Majors in Term 6 or Later: The further along a student is, the harder it may be to change majors and progress and graduate in a timely fashion. Students wishing to change to a CLAS major in term 6 or later must meet with an advisor in the AAC.
The UGC will help the student develop a study plan but cannot review requests for major changes unless submitted using the correct paperwork.
Psych advisors cannot force students into full courses. Students interested in psychology as a second degree aren’t a priority when registering for major coursework.
More information can be found by viewing the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Academic Policies page.