title: Undergraduate Neuroscience Education in the U.S.: Quantitative Comparisons of Programs and Graduates in the Broader Context of Undergraduate Life Sciences Education.
abstract: The impact of undergraduate neuroscience programs on the broader landscape of life sciences education has not been described. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, we found that the number of undergraduate neuroscience programs in the U.S. continues to grow. Within any given institution, neuroscience programs exist alongside a small number of other life sciences undergraduate programs, suggesting that neuroscience is one of few major options from which students can choose from at many institutions. Neuroscience majors constitute a substantial proportion of all life sciences graduates at many institutions, and in several cases, neuroscience majors were the majority of life sciences graduates. Thus, neuroscience programs contribute substantially to life sciences education, and neuroscience is a highly attractive major among undergraduate students where these programs are available. These data have implications for institutions with existing neuroscience programs as well as for institutions seeking to establish a new program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568.
authors.forename: Raddy L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568.
authors.forename: Anthony W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Malley
authors.affiliation: Department of Math and Natural Sciences, Suffolk County Community College, State University of New York, Brentwood, NY 11901.
authors.forename: Phoebe T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grisham
keywords: life sciences majors; undergraduate neuroscience majors