The combined major in behavioral neuroscience and design engages students in an interdisciplinary study across biology, psychology, Art + Design fundamentals, design core, and a strong foundation in the physiological brain mechanisms that give rise to behavioral functions with the practice of understanding humans, their surrounding contexts and systems, and designing alternative futures. Students study the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, design, and the brain's inner workings, enabling them to maximize the impact of design solutions and, conversely, communicate complex neuroscientific concepts to a broader public.
The program offers several options for the study of design: experience design, a holistic and integrative approach that focuses on the quality of the human experience in concrete situations; graphic design, the integration of text and image to communicate critical concepts; information design, the visualization and physicalization of data to enhance human understanding of complex knowledge; or interaction design, the creation of navigable interfaces and systems that allow audiences to take an active role to achieve meaningful goals.
- Concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus and/or by program modality. Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for the course availability each term at your campus or within your program modality.
- Certain options within the program may be required at certain campuses or for certain program modalities. Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for requirements at your campus or for your program modality.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Behavioral Neuroscience Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Neuroscience Overview | ||
| BNSC 1000 | Behavioral Neuroscience at Northeastern 1 | 1 |
| EESC 2000 | Professional Development for Co-op 2 | 1 |
| COS Foundations | ||
| BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1108 | Foundations of Biology and Lab for BIOL 1107 | 5 |
| BIOL 2299 | Inquiries in Biological Sciences | 4 |
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | Genetics and Molecular Biology and Lab for BIOL 2301 | 5 |
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | General Chemistry for Science Majors and Lab for CHEM 1161 and Recitation for CHEM 1161 | 5 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 | 5 |
| PSYC 1101 | Foundations of Psychology | 4 |
| Mathematics Foundation | ||
| MATH 1341 | Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| or MATH 1241 | Calculus 1 | |
| Statistics Foundation | ||
| Complete one of the following. Students who receive transfer credit for the Advanced Placement Statistics exam may complete the 1 SH PSYC 2315 course (requires department permission). | 4-5 | |
| Biostatistics and Lab for ENVR 2500 | ||
| Statistics in Psychological Research | ||
| Behavioral Neuroscience Foundations | ||
| PSYC 3200 | Clinical Neuroanatomy | 4 |
| PSYC 3452 | Sensation and Perception | 4 |
| PSYC 3458 | Biological Psychology | 4 |
| Behavioral Neuroscience Core Courses | ||
| Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
| Neurobiology | ||
| Current Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience | ||
| Neural Systems and Behavior | ||
| Developmental Neurobiology | ||
| Neurobiology of Cognitive Decline | ||
| Neurobiology of Learning and Memory | ||
| Cell and Molecular Neuroscience | ||
| Multidisciplinary Approaches in Motor Control | ||
| Neuropsychology of Fear | ||
| Behavioral Endocrinology | ||
| Brain, Behavior, and Immunity | ||
| Psychopharmacology | ||
| Neuropsychology | ||
| Clinical Neuroscience | ||
| Behavioral Genetics | ||
- 1
Students entering through CAMD may take Art and Design at Northeastern (ARTF 1000).
- 2
Students entering through CAMD may take Professional Development for Co-op (EEAM 2000).
Design Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Art + Design Fundamentals Required | ||
| ARTF 1220 | Elements of Visual Composition (with optional ARTF 1221) | 2 |
| Art + Design Fundamentals Electives | ||
| Complete three of the following: | 6 | |
| Representational Drawing | ||
| Abstract Drawing | ||
| Making with Form and Materials and Making with Form and Materials Tools | ||
| Making with Video, Sound, and Animation and Making with Video, Sound, and Animation Tools | ||
| Designing Interactive Experiences and Designing Interactive Experiences Tools | ||
| Design Required | ||
| ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002 | Design Perspectives: An Introduction to Design in the World and Seminar for Design Perspectives | 4 |
| ARTG 1270 and ARTG 1271 | Design: Process + Practices and Studio for Design: Process + Practices | 4 |
| ARTG 1290 and ARTG 1291 | Typographic Systems and Studio for Typographic Systems | 4 |
| Art + Design History Elective | ||
| Complete any one ARTH course. ARTH 1001 Visual Intelligence and ARTH 1002 Seminar in Visual Intelligence is recommended to fulfill requirement. | 4 | |
| Art + Design Elective | ||
| Complete any one ARTD, ARTE, ARTF(4SH), ARTG, ARTH, ARTS, EXRE, or GAME course for which prerequisites have been met and not used to fulfill other requirements of the program. If any topics course is completed more than once, the additional completions may be allowed toward the electives. | 4 | |
| Degree Capstone Project | ||
| ARTG 4550 | Design Degree Project | 4 |
Design Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following options: | 8 | |
| Experience Design Option | ||
| Experience Design Principles | ||
| Topics In Experience Design Inquiry | ||
| Graphic Design Option | ||
| Graphic Design Principles | ||
| Topics In Graphic Design Inquiry | ||
| Information Design Option | ||
| Information Design Principles | ||
| Topics in Information Design Inquiry | ||
| Interaction Design Option | ||
| Interaction Design Principles (with optional ARTG 2401) | ||
| Topics In Interaction Design Inquiry | ||
Integrative Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Integrative Courses | ||
| ARTG 5310 | Visual Cognition | 4 |
| BIOL 5587 | Comparative Neurobiology | 4 |
| or PSYC 4622 | Laboratory in Sensation and Perception | |
| or PSYC 4656 | Seminar in Biological Psychology | |
| or PSYC 4668 | Seminar in Sensation and Perception | |
| The following course is already required in the major: | ||
| Design Degree Project | ||
| Upper-Division Elective | ||
| Complete one course that is not already taken as long as prerequisites have been met: | 4 | |
| Any ARTG course not already required or ARTG 5000 Topics in Design | ||
BIOL 3403 or higher | ||
BNSC 4991 or higher | ||
PSYC 3404 or higher | ||
Writing Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| College Writing | ||
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| or ENGW 1102 | First-Year Writing for Multilingual Writers | |
| Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | ||
| ENGW 3307 | Advanced Writing in the Sciences | 4 |
| or ENGW 3314 | Advanced Writing in the Arts, Media, and Design | |
| or ENGW 3315 | Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | |
Required General Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 16 semester hours of general electives. | 16 | |
Major Credit Hour Requirement
110 semester hours in the major
Program Requirements
133 total semester hours required
Sample Plan of Study: Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002 | 4 | ARTF 1220 (with optional ARTF 1221) | 2 | ARTG 1270 and ARTG 1271 | 4 | ARTG 1290 and ARTG 1291 | 4 |
| BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1108 | 5 | ARTF elective | 2 | PSYC 2320 | 4 | PSYC 3452 | 4 |
| BNSC 1000 or ARTF 1000 | 1 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | 5 | ENGW 1111 | 4 | ||||
| PSYC 1101 | 4 | MATH 1341 | 4 | ||||
| 19 | 16 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | 5 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | ARTF elective | 2 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | 5 | ARTF elective | 2 | ||||
| EESC 2000 or EEAM 2000 | 1 | General elective | 4 | ||||
| PSYC 3458 | 4 | ||||||
| Design option course 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ARTG 5310 | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | ENGW 3315 | 4 |
| PSYC 3200 | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
| Design option course 2 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| BIOL 5587 | 4 | ARTG 4550 | 4 | ||||
| A+D elective | 4 | BNS core course | 4 | ||||
| ARTH elective | 4 | Upper-division elective | 4 | ||||
| BNS core course | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 134 | |||||||
Sample Plan of Study: Five Years, Three Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002 | 4 | ARTF 1220 (with optional ARTF 1221) | 2 | Vacation | Vacation | ||
| BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1108 | 5 | ARTF elective | 2 | ||||
| BNSC 1000 or ARTF 1000 | 1 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | 5 | ENGW 1111 | 4 | ||||
| PSYC 1101 | 4 | MATH 1341 | 4 | ||||
| 19 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ARTG 1270 and ARTG 1271 | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | PSYC 2320 | 4 |
| ARTG 1290 and ARTG 1291 | 4 | ARTF elective | 2 | ||||
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | 5 | ARTF elective | 2 | ||||
| EESC 2000 or EEAM 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| PSYC 3452 | 4 | ||||||
| 18 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | 5 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | Vacation | |
| PSYC 3200 | 4 | ||||||
| PSYC 3458 | 4 | ||||||
| Design option course 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ARTH elective | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | ENGW 3315 | 4 |
| A+D elective | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
| BNS core course | 4 | ||||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 5 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| ARTG 5310 | 4 | ARTG 4550 | 4 | ||||
| BIOL 5587 | 4 | A+D elective | 4 | ||||
| ARTH elective | 4 | BNS core course | 4 | ||||
| Design option level 2 | 4 | Upper-division elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 134 | |||||||