Applied Neuroscience (MS), Program Information

Program Associated Faculty

Program Description

The program in Applied Neuroscience is designed to combine training in biomolecular neuroscience with an emphasis on health disparities research, with neuroengineering/big data training approaches to prepare students to succeed in 21st -century professional settings and/or in their matriculation into doctoral programs.  A core course curriculum will prepare participants to choose among electives that will enable them to focus on either molecular neuroscience or neuroengineering applications in their preparation for the workforce or research.

Students may select between a non-thesis or a theses option, with the non-thesis option offered entirely online.  Please note, however, that all Core Courses are taught synchronously online.  

Program Objectives

General Requirements

Candidates for the MS in applied Neuroscience degree must complete a minimum of thirty (30) academic credit hours, complete a hands-on capstone project (non-thesis option) or submit an acceptably written thesis (thesis option).

The School of Graduate Studies further requires Master of Science in Applied Neuroscience students to maintain a cumulative average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (“B”) in the program of study and a 3.0 cumulative overall average for all courses taken on the graduate level.  However, “C” grades may not count for more than 20 percent of total credit hours applied toward satisfying degree requirements.  Required graduate courses with a grade of “F” must be repeated.  Students who receive a grade of “F” in any of their courses will automatically be placed on probation.  More than one “F” grade will lead to dismissal from the program.

Admission

To be eligible for admission to the MS in Applied Neuroscience program in the SCMNS, an applicant must:

Have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, in a STEM discipline, a Social Behavioral Science Field or comparable majors.

Must have working competency in English language reading and writing.

Must have reliable access to the Internet and a computer that is compatible with MATLAB, Python, SES and other high level statistics software packages.

Applicants’ academic records will be reviewed for pre-requisites for the courses offered in the program and students admitted into the program will be given the option to audit relevant undergraduate courses at MSU to improve their preparedness, if necessary.

Possess an undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better to be considered for regular admission.  Students who possess a cumulative undergraduate GPA of between a 2.5 and 3.0 may be considered for admission on a probationary basis.  Post-bachelor’s undergraduate credits will not be used to enhance GPA requirements for admission to graduate study.

Submit an application for admission to the School of Graduate Studies.  All required documents must be submitted as directed by the School of Graduate Studies prior to program review and admission decision.

Use the application system to arrange for letters of recommendation to be placed with the application.  These letters must be from officials or faculty members of institutions previously attended who are acquainted with the applicant’s ability for graduate study or from employment supervisors where applicable.

Submit a typed exposition regarding the candidate’s personal academic and professional plans and the reasons for selecting Morgan State University.  Qualified applicants may be invited for an online interview.

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the application.  The decision of the program admissions committee involves a review of all the elements of the application as well as the availability of positions in the program.  The committee then recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer of admission should be made based on that review.

Candidacy

Students achieve candidacy by successfully completing their core courses (20 credits) with a GPA of 3.0.  Students in the non-thesis option must subsequently complete the capstone project course, NEUS 530 (4 credits) Decision Making with Neural Data with a grade of “B” or better in order to qualify for graduation.

Students in the thesis option must select a thesis research advisor and constitute a thesis committee (TC).  Students are to work with the research advisor to prepare a written thesis research proposal and defend it to the TC within the first year of study (usually the end-of-first-year summer semester).

Prior to achieving Candidacy, the thesis option students must enroll in NEUS 710 and NEUS 720 Master’s pre-candidacy (as needed); subsequent to candidacy, thesis students must enroll in 797/799 until completion of their thesis.  Students seeking additional skills, knowledge, beyond the listed course electives for the program must seek approval through the program director.

Thesis Completion

Students in the thesis option must select a thesis committee (TC) of 3-5 individuals in addition to the thesis research advisor.  At least two of these individuals must come from among faculty affiliated with the program in Applied neuroscience and at least one committee member must be from outside the SCMNS or preferentially, from outside the university.  Outside committee members must have terminal degrees in their fields and hold appointments at an accredited US academic institution or equivalent (e.g., NIH, national laboratories).

The primary objective of the master’s thesis is to enable students to develop the capability to conduct objective, independent research and develop competency in analytical thinking and quantitative methods.  Students must write and successfully defend an acceptable master’s thesis based on original research conducted under the supervision of a member of the MUS graduate faculty.  After completion of the thesis, the student is expected to defend the thesis based on original research conducted under the supervision of a member of the MSU graduate faculty.  After completion of the the thesis, the student is expected to defend the thesis before a public audience.  the thesis must be approved by the research adcvisor, the thesis committee, the program director, and the Dean of the SCMNS.  The thesis must conform to the style, form and overall requirements set forth in the Graduate School Handbook.  The final thesis will be submitted to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for final approval and publication.

Additional Requirements

In addition to following the general university code of conduct, graduate students are expected to generate intellectual products through original research and writing.  Graduate students are also expected to accurately document their research and report research findings honestly.  In cases where the student is supported by a grant, all publications, including conference abstracts must acknowledge the financial support.

Appeals for grades or other academic matters, including research mentoring, will be reported to the program coordinator and relevant department chairs (depending on faculty evaluation) for adjudication in accordance with university policy.  However, the student has the right to appeal directly to the Associate Dean or School Dean, if he or she deems it necessary.

Program Course Requirements 30 credits

Path of Study

Applied Neuroscience Curriculum Sequence