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Graduate education in Neuroscience at Ohio University is provided by faculty of the Neuroscience Program. Neuroscience graduate students are admitted by the Graduate Committee of the Department of Biological Sciences. Stipends and tuition waivers are provided by the Department. The Neuroscience Program helps fund a variety of activities designed to enhance graduate student training: 1) travel, room and board, and registration at scientific meetings; 2) tuition, travel, room and board, and registration for summer courses (e. g., at the Marine Biological Institute in Woods Hole, MA); 3) travel plus room and board for visits to laboratories at other institutions; 4) the Neuroscience Retreat; and, upon request, 5) other support necessary and appropriate for the student's intellectual and career development. Neuroscience graduate students elect two voting representatives to the Program. Both M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs are offered. The graduate program is small (2-3 students admitted each year; 10-15 students total), and stresses high levels of faculty-student interaction and mentoring. Neuroscience Graduate Training
Neuroscience M.S. program
The M.S. program is primarily intended for students who desire training for technical
positions in academia or industry. It is designed to give students 1) a broad knowledge of the fundamentals of neuroscience, 2) the ability to present their research in formal settings, and 3) research experience in the student's chosen specialty. Broad knowledge of neuroscience is provided by the Neuroscience Core; elective graduate courses provide specialized education appropriate to the student's research. Presentation skills are provided by Seminars in Neuroscience, in which students and faculty present their research or lead discussions of recent journal articles, and by the Neuroscience Retreat, an annual meeting organized by the graduate students in which graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty from Ohio University and nearby universities present their results in oral or poster form. Research experience is provided by the design and implementation of a master's thesis. The course of study depends on the student's research area and academic history, and is determined by negotiation among the student, the student's advisor, and the advisory committee. However, all Master's students must provide evidence
of mastery of the material contained in the Neuroscience Core and in Biostatistics either by acceptable performance in these courses here or by having passed equivalent courses elsewhere. All Master's students take Seminars in Neuroscience every quarter. At the end of their first year students provide an acceptable research proposal to their advisor and advisory committee. The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 45 total credit hours (including research and thesis), of which 30 hours must be formal course work. Students are encouraged to finish the program within two years; the average is two and one quarter years.
The Ph.D. program is intended for students who plan to become academic faculty or to assume research positions in industry. It is designed to provide 1) a broad knowledge of the fundamentals of neuroscience, 2) training in a wide range of modern experimental techniques, 3) practice in the working skills a scientist requires, and 4) mastery of the student's chosen research specialty. Broad knowledge of neuroscience is provided by the Neuroscience Core; elective graduate courses provide specialized education appropriate to the student's research. Experimental skills are provided by a course in Neurobiology Techniques, which trains students in a wide variety of experimental methods appropriate to invertebrate and vertebrate preparations. Working scientific skills are provided by 1) Seminars in Neuroscience, in which students and faculty present their research or lead discussions of recent journal articles, 2) a Grant Writing Workshop, in which each student writes and submits grant proposals to internal and external funding agencies and critiques the grants of the other students; and 3) the Neuroscience Retreat, an annual meeting organized by the graduate students in which graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty from Ohio University and nearby universities present their results in oral or poster form. Research experience is provided by laboratory rotations followed by the design and implementation of a Ph.D. dissertation.
The course of study depends on the student's research area and academic history, and is determined by negotiation among the student, the student's advisor, and the advisory committee. However, all Ph.D. students must provide evidence of mastery of the material contained in the Neuroscience Core, Neurobiology Techniques, and in Biostatistics either by acceptable performance in these courses here or by having passed equivalent courses elsewhere; if taken here, students are expected to finish these courses within the first two years. All Ph.D. students must also take Seminars in Neuroscience every quarter and complete the Grant Writing Workshop. During their third year students must pass a qualifying examination and provide an acceptable research proposal to their advisor and advisory committee. In their remaining years students concentrate on their research and on taking appropriate specialized elective courses. The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 135 total credit hours (including research and thesis), of which 45 hours must be formal course work. Students are encouraged to finish the Ph.D. program in five years; the average is five and one half years.
Applications consist of 1) two university application forms (available in writing from the Office of Graduate Student Services, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, via e-mail from schanzeg@oak.cats.ohiou.edu, or over the Web); 2) GRE and TOEFL scores; 3) undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate transcripts; 4) three letters of reference; 5) a short essay concerning prior training, research interests, and career goals; 6) the names of three faculty members from our graduate faculty with whom the applicant is interested in working; and 7) a non-refundable application fee of $30. All parts of the application except the letters of reference are sent to the Ohio University Office of Graduate Student Services; the letters of reference are sent directly to the Department's Graduate Secretary, Carolyn Gastin, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701. Applications are accepted at any time, but must be received by February 1 to be considered for financial support during the following academic year. For any further questions, please e-mail the Department's Graduate Secretary at gastinc@ohiou.edu.
Advisor Choice
All applications must include the names of three graduate faculty with whom the applicant is interested in working. Admission is contingent on a faculty member expressing an interest in the applicant, and applicants are strongly advised to contact potential advisors; upon request the Graduate Committee and/or Neuroscience Program will fund visits by strong candidates. The initial choice of advisor is not binding, and students are encouraged to perform research rotations with other faculty during their first year. Students are expected to choose a home lab and faculty advisor by the end of this year. Prior to this time, mentoring student progress is the responsibility of the initial advisor or the head of the Neuroscience Program or, possibly, other Program faculty.
Advisory Committee
After the student has chosen a home lab, the student and her/his faculty advisor choose an advisory committee. For M.S. students this committee must have at least three members; for Ph.D. students at least five, one of whom must be outside the student's department. The student's faculty advisor serves as committee chair. The committee supervises the student's academic progress, prepares and administers the Ph.D. qualifying exam, helps direct the student's research program, and assesses the student's dissertation and thesis defense.
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updated: July 3, 2000 webmaster@cneuro.zool.ohiou.edu bmp Financial Aid
Graduate students are supported by Departmental teaching or research assistantships. In 2000-2001 teaching stipends provide an annual income of $12,500 for M.S. students and $15,500 for Ph.D. students along with a wavier of tuition and most fees. University wide Houk grants are awarded on a competitive basis to support research and travel. Departmental and Neuroscience Program funds are available to support student presentations at professional meetings, participation in summer courses at other institutions, visiting other laboratories, and other appropriate support. Finally, the graduate committee and/or the Neuroscience Program may make additional awards in recognition of a student's excellence.
Ohio University/Campus setting
Ohio University is located in Athens, 75 miles southeast of Columbus. A wide range of cultural activities is available in the area, and the rural setting offers numerous outdoor recreational opportunities including over 20 state parks. The University was established in 1804 and has around 19,000 students, of whom 2,500 are graduate students. For a virtual tour of the university click here.
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