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The Honors Program

GUIDELINES FOR THE NEUROSCIENCE HONORS PROGRAM

The Honors Program
Superior students with a strong research orientation are encouraged to consider the Honors Program in Neuroscience. Normally, a student will apply to enter the Honors program during the Fall semester of the Junior year and assemble a Honors Committee that will consist of the research sponsor and at least two other appropriate members of the faculty. The student should begin work within the program the following semester. Entrance into, and satisfactory completion of, the Honors program requires that students maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 and a grade point average of 3.25 in courses counting toward the Neuroscience major. Honors candidates must meet all the normal requirements for the Neuroscience major, and complete at least 8 hours of research courses - Neuroscience 292 (Undergraduate Research) or Neuroscience 296 (Honors Research). Prospective faculty sponsors for the research component and their areas of research interest are provided in Faculty and Research. The candidate must present an Honors Thesis during the final semester in residence and satisfactorily pass an oral examination by the student's Honors Committee. Students interested in becoming Honors candidates should consult with the Director of Honors and Independent Study.

Application for Admission to the Honors Program in Neuroscience
To apply for admission to the Honor’s Program, students must submit an application form (Honors Application) to the Directors of the Honors Program (Dr. Ford Ebner). Dr. Ebner must approve the application and nominates the student for Honors to the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Science. The final decision on admission is made by the Dean’s office. Once admitted to the Honors Program students must complete a Contract of coursework (HonorsContract.pdf ) that requires approval of the Director of Honors and Independent Research and the Neuroscience Program Director. Please see Carol Wiley (527 Wilson Hall) if you need assistance.

NSC 296 Honors Research: The course specifically designated for the Honors Program is NSC 296 Honors Research. Once admitted to the Honors Program, Honors candidates are eligible to register for Honors Research through Carol Wiley in the Neuroscience Program Office with approval of the Director of Honors and Independent Research. Students should have their research sponsor send Dr. Ebner an email requesting registration for NSC 296. The email should specify the students name, the semester, and the number of credit hours. Dr. Ebner will then forward the email to Ms. Wiley who will register the student for the course.

Requirements of NSC 296 course are similar to those of NSC 292; however, because an important goal of the Honors Program is to engage students in the broader intellectual enterprise of neuroscience research, one additional requirement of NSC 296 is that the student must attend and write a short summary of four neuroscience research seminars in at least two different departments during each semester they are registered for NSC 296. The summaries should be e-mailed to the DHIS. There are a large number of these seminars offered through various Schools and Departments on campus throughout the semester. Either the faculty sponsor or the DHIS can provide information on the various neuroscience seminar programs on campus.

Timetable: The following timetable outlines the process of entering and completing the honors program. There is some flexibility in the timetable. For example, it is possible for a student to begin the process in the Fall of the Junior year and still complete the work required. However, it is better to get an early start.

Spring semester of sophomore year: Contact the Director of Honors and Independent Study and initiate the identification of a faculty sponsor.
Fall Semester of Junior Year: NSC 292 Undergraduate Research. Under the direction of the sponsor, this semester is normally used to introduce the student into the laboratory, initiate the reading of the appropriate literature, develop a research plan for the Honor’s Thesis, and complete the application for entry into the Honors Program.
Spring semester of Junior Year: NSC 296 Honors Research. Carry out the research proposed, do additional reading of literature. It is anticipated that the student will meet at least once during this period with his or her Honors Committee to review progress and discuss future plans.
Fall and Spring semester of Senior Year: NSC 296 Honors Research. Attend and write a short summary of four neuroscience seminars in at least two different departments. The summaries should be submitted to the DHIS by e-mail. During the Spring the candidate should complete the thesis and take the oral exam. There is some flexibility in the honors thesis, but the expectation is a 25-30 page double spaced document that is clearly written with relevant literature referenced. The students' results should be clearly presented and there should be an interesting discussion of the preferred interpretation of the results. The thesis advisor will typically offer their experience, but the product is expected to come from the efforts of the student.

Students interested in the Honors Program who wish to find out more about the program are urged to contact:

Director of Honors and Independent Study:
Professor Ford F. Ebner
Department of Psychology
501 Wilson Hall
Phone: 343-0239
Email: ford.ebner@vanderbilt.edu

For more information, please contact Carol Wiley.
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