The behavioral neuroscience and design combined major engages students in an interdisciplinary study across the biology, psychology, and Art + Design departments to integrate fundamental design courses with a strong foundation in the physiological brain mechanisms that give rise to behavioral functions. The latest research in neuroscience and psychology enables designers to maximize the impact of their designs and, conversely, complex neuroscientific concepts can be made intelligible to a wider public through creative visual works. Students in this major have the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the brain and how its various structures interact to enhance their approach to design methodologies. Students can then apply these principles to biomimetic medical devices as well as data and network visualization.
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 | ||
| PSYC 1101 | Foundations of Psychology | 4 |
| 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 |
| Mathematics Foundation | ||
| MATH 1251 | Calculus and Differential Equations for Biology 1 | 4 |
| or MATH 1341 | Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering | |
| 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 | |
| Animal Behavior | ||
| 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 | ||
| ARTF 1122 | Color and Composition (with optional ARTF 1123) | 4 |
| Art and Design Fundamentals Elective | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 5 | |
| Form and Structure and Form and Structure Tools | ||
| Movement and Time and Movement and Time Tools | ||
| Experience and Interaction and Experience and Interaction Tools | ||
| Design Required | ||
| ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002 | Design Perspectives: An Introduction to Design in the World and Seminar for Design Perspectives | 4 |
| ARTG 1250 | Design Process Context and Systems | 4 |
| ARTG 2250 and ARTG 2251 | Typography 1 and Type Tools | 5 |
| Art + Design History Elective | ||
| Complete any one ARTH course. | 4 | |
| Art + Design Elective | ||
| Complete any one ARTD, ARTE, ARTF, ARTG, ARTH, ARTS, or GAME course as long as prerequisites have been met. | 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 1 | ||
| Experience Design 2 | ||
| Graphic Design Option | ||
| Graphic Design 1 | ||
| Typography 2 | ||
| Information Design Option | ||
| Information Design 1 | ||
| Information Design 2 | ||
| Interaction Design Option | ||
| Interaction Design 1: Responsive and Interaction Design Tools | ||
| Interaction Design 2: Mobile | ||
Integrative Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Integrative Courses | ||
| BIOL 5587 | Comparative Neurobiology | 4 |
| ARTG 5310 | Visual Cognition | 4 |
| The following course is already required in major: | ||
| ARTG 4550 | Design Degree Project | 4 |
| 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, as long as prerequisites have been met. | ||
| BNSC 4970 or higher | ||
| BIOL 3403 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 credits of general electives. | 16 | |
Major Credit Hour Requirement
104 semester hours in the major.
Program Requirements
133 total semester hours required
Sample Plans of Study
Four Years, Two Co-ops
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BNSC 1000 or ARTF 1000 | 1 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | PSYC 2320 | 4 | PSYC 3452 | 4 |
| BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1108 | 5 | MATH 1251 | 4 | ARTF 1122 (with optional ARTF 1123) | 4 | Art +Design Fundamentals Elective | 4 |
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | 5 | ARTG 1250 | 4 | ||||
| PSYC 1101 | 4 | ENGW 1111 | 4 | ||||
| ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 16 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| PSYC 3458 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | General elective | 4 | ||
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | 5 | General elective | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | 5 | ||||||
| ARTG 2250 and ARTG 2251 | 5 | ||||||
| EESC 2000 or EEAM 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| 20 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| PSYC 3200 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | ENGW 3315 | 4 | ||
| Design option level 1 | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
| ARTG 5310 | 4 | ||||||
| BNS core course | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| BIOL 5587 | 4 | ARTG 4550 | 4 | ||||
| Design option level 2 | 4 | BNS core course | 4 | ||||
| Art+Design History Elective | 4 | Upper-division elective | 4 | ||||
| Art+Design Elective | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 135 | |||||||
Five Years, Three Co-ops
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BNSC 1000 or ARTF 1000 | 1 | BIOL 2299 | 4 | Vacation | Vacation | ||
| PSYC 1101 | 4 | MATH 1251 | 4 | ||||
| BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1108 | 5 | ARTG 1250 | 4 | ||||
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | 5 | ENGW 1111 | 4 | ||||
| ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002 | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| PSYC 3452 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | PSYC 2320 | 4 | ||
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | 5 | ARTG 2250 and ARTG 2251 | 5 | ||||
| ARTF 1122 (with optional ARTF 1123) | 4 | ||||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| EESC 2000 or EEAM 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| 18 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| PSYC 3200 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Vacation | |||
| PSYC 3458 | 4 | ||||||
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | 5 | ||||||
| Design option level 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Design option level 2 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | ENGW 3315 | 4 | ||
| BNS core course | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
| General elective | 4 | ||||||
| Art +Design Fundamentals Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 5 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| BIOL 5587 | 4 | ARTG 4550 | 4 | ||||
| ARTG 5310 | 4 | BNS core course | 4 | ||||
| Design Option level 2 | 4 | Upper-division elective | 4 | ||||
| Art+Design History Elective | 4 | Art+Design Elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 135 | |||||||