Chair: Irene Kan, Ph.D.
Office Location: Tolentine Hall, Room 334
Telephone: (610) 519-4720
About
The major in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN) provides an intensive course of study focused on brain-behavior relationships, ranging from genetic to whole brain contributions to behavior and mental processes. The program is excellent preparation for a variety of careers focusing on research and/or practice in neuroscience, medicine, allied health fields, and psychology, as well as for more general careers in areas such as public policy and education.
PRIMARY MAJOR (122 credits)
Students are accepted into Villanova University as declared CBN majors. Therefore, prospective students who are interested in the major should select the CBN program when applying to the University. Students who have already entered Villanova may appeal directly to the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences for special permission into the major.
Required Major Courses (65 credits)
Program Notes:
- PSY 2900 is a topics course and the topic must be approved for it to count as a CBN elective. The following topics have been approved: “Drugs & Behavior”, “Emotion”, “Neuroethics”. Other topics do not count without approval.
- BIO 4950 is a topics course and the topic must be approved for it to count as a CBN elective. The following topic has been approved: “Sex, Brains & Behavior. Other topics do not count without approval.
- PSY 5900 is an independent research course and can count as a CBN elective only with pre-approval
MAT 1312 or MAT 1500
Biochemistry Majors:
MAT 1312 may only count toward the requirements of the biochemistry major with permission of the program director.
CBN Majors:
- MAT 1312 and MAT 1314 must be taken as a sequence.
- MAT 1500 and MAT 1505 must be taken as a sequence.
MAT 1314 or MAT 1505
- MAT 1312 and MAT 1314 must be taken as a sequence.
- MAT 1500 and MAT 1505 must be taken as a sequence.
PSY 1000 or PSY 1001 for CBN
- PSY 1001 is recommended by the department.
CBN 5000 or CBN 6002
CBN Approved Elective
CBN students are required to take four elective courses. Although the electives are organized into four categories, there is no requirement to use this organization when selecting electives. Students can choose to concentrate in a particular area by taking electives from one category or they can sample broadly across any or all categories.
Notes:
- Students should consult individual courses via the courses tool to determine pre-requisites.
- The 1-credit lab is optional when taking BIO 4251 and CHM 4611.
- BIO 4950 courses offered are available in the Master Schedule accessible through MyNova but must be approved by the CBN program.
- Already pre-approved as CBN elective: “Sex, Brains & Behavior”
- CHM 4621 is recommended for Chemistry and Biochemistry majors.
- PSY 2900 courses offered are available in the Master Schedule accessible through MyNova but must be approved by the CBN program.
- There is restriction such that no more than 2 courses (6 credits) of the CBN elective requirement may come from: PSY 5900, CBN 5900, CBN 6001, CBN 6002.
- Any course with the Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience attribute (CBN) may also count toward fulfilling the electives requirement.
Category 1 - Behavioral/Psychological Science
Category 2 - Biological/Life Science
Category 3 - Cognitive Science
Category 4 - Special Topics & Research
- CBN 6002 generally counts as the required capstone course and NOT as an elective. It may count as an elective only if CBN 5000 is taken as the required capstone option.
- Courses above the 5000-level require approval from the department for enrollment.
Core Curriculum Requirements (27 credits)
Biochemistry Majors meet the following core requirements in the major and therefore are omitted from the summary below:
- Core Math (3 cr)
- Social Sciences (6 cr)
- Natural Science (8 cr)
Literature and Writing Seminar (1 course)
All students take a thematic literature and writing seminar course. Courses designated with the Core Lit & Writing Sem attribute fulfill the requirement.
History (1 course)
This requirement is met by taking a specifically designed course designated by the Core History attribute.
Fine Arts (1 course)
The requirement is met by taking a course that focuses either on the creative processes that go into making a work of art, or on analysis and interpretation of the products of that artistic creativity. All courses designated with the Fine Arts Requirement attribute fulfill the Core Curriculum requirement.
Upper-Level Theology (1 course)
The upper division Theology and Religious Studies Core Curriculum requirement develops the theme of faith seeking understanding, engaging culture from a specific disciplinary perspective. Students must take THL 1000 before taking an upper division course designated by the Core Theology attribute.
Language Requirement
Courses that fulfill language requirements may be used to fulfill other requirements (i.e., primary major, core curriculum, minors, concentrations, or free electives).
Students may satisfy the Core Curriculum Language requirement in one of the following ways:
Option A: Start or Continue a Language Offered through Villanova
Start or continue a language through the required ‘exit’ course indicating that the requirement has been met. Students must begin their language studies to fulfill the Core Curriculum Language requirement no later than sophomore year. Students continuing language studies should begin their first year and continue without interruption.
Students must complete the exit course or higher depending on placement.
- American Sign Language - ASL 1112/1152*
- Ancient Greek - GRK 1112
- Arabic - ARB 1112
- Chinese - CHI 1112
- French - FFS 1122
- German**
- Irish - IS 1112
- Italian - ITA 1122
- Japanese - JPN 1112
- Latin - LAT 1122
- Russian - RUS 1112
- Spanish - SPA 1122
- Swahili - SWA 1112
*Students who entered Villanova fall of 2023 or later, may select this option to satisfy their language requirement.
**German is offered through a partner institution and is only available upon discussion/approval with the Office for Undergraduate Students
Option B: Petition for Exemption from the Core Language Requirement
Documented Language Proficiency
Students who can provide acceptable documentation of proficiency (e.g., TOEFL score, transcript from high school in a language not offered through Villanova) may petition for a language exemption. See the Office for Undergraduate Students for more information.
Native speakers of languages other than English who do not have documentation of language proficiency may satisfy the Core Language requirement by satisfactorily passing a proficiency exam administered by Villanova or another accredited institution and completing a Petition for Exemption. See the Office for Undergraduate Students for more information.
Documented Learning Difference
Students who have documentation supporting an accommodation for differences that affect language acquisition, may be granted a language waiver and may fulfill the Core Language requirement by taking two approved ‘world culture’ courses. Students must submit documentation to Learning Support Services (lss@villanova.edu) or the Office of Disability Services (ods@villanova.edu), depending on the nature of their difference.
NOTES:
- Placement tests are used to place students only and are not to be confused with a proficiency exam.
- Those who begin their language study in the intermediate or advanced levels, satisfy the requirement through demonstration of proficiency, or receive a language waiver for documented learning differences that affect language acquisition, must still complete the total number of required credits for degree completion.
- Additional questions regarding the Core Curriculum Language requirement should be addressed to a student’s faculty advisor or to the Office for Undergraduate Students in SAC 107.
Diversity Requirement (2 courses)
Diversity Courses
Courses that fulfill Core Diversity requirements may be used to fulfill other requirements (i.e., primary major, core curriculum, minors, concentrations, or free electives).
Overview
Consistent with the University’s Mission Statement and its implementation of the new Core Curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences, students will take at least two courses designated as “diversity.” Learning to see through the eyes of other peoples and cultures is essential to becoming a citizen of the world. Beyond introducing students to the contextual study of diverse groups, diversity education must foster understanding of how individuals are affected within systems of power, oppression, deprivation, marginalization, and privilege.
Students are required to select two courses, covering two out of the three areas below:
Diversity 1: Courses that focus on populations (often named as non-dominant, minority, or impoverished groups) in the U.S. or Western Europe, and the systems or mechanisms that give rise to the experiences of power, privilege, and marginalization.
Diversity 2: Courses that focus on women’s experiences and/or highlight the relationship between gender, culture, and power.
Diversity 3: Courses that focus on the culture, economics, politics or ecology of societies and nations other than those of Western Europe and the United States and that emphasize power, privilege, and marginalization or a critical analysis of how these cultures define and express themselves.
NOTES:
- Service-learning courses, internships, and other experiential or community-based learning courses may be applied toward the Diversity requirement, provided they include a significant reflective component and have been pre-approved for diversity course credit.
- Study abroad courses may be applied toward this requirement; such courses will be assessed the same way as Villanova courses.
- Although some courses have more than one Diversity attribute, all students must take two different courses; a single course with multiple attributes may not be used to fulfill both Diversity course requirements.
- The Diversity Requirement cannot be fulfilled by independent study or a senior thesis.
- Language courses cannot fulfill the requirement, although literature courses in another language may fulfill the requirement if they are designated with a Diversity attribute.
- A student may fulfill one Diversity course requirement (DIV 1) by taking three 1-credit IGR workshops.
Free Elective Requirement (30 credits)
Students with a Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience primary major have thirty (30) required free elective credits.
Degree Credit Summary
- Major Credits: 65 credits
- Core Credits: 27 credits
- Free Electives Credits: 30 credits
- Total Required Credits: 122 Credits
Note: The above credit totals are based on the minimum number of required credits in each degree area. The minimum number of required credits in each area listed above must be met. Credits taken beyond the required minimum for one area may not be applied to another area.
SECONDARY MAJOR
Students who declare Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience as a secondary major must complete the Required Major Courses to achieve this major. Students are able to count any eligible course taken in their primary major, the core curriculum, minors, concentrations, or free electives toward these requirements.