General Information
The graduate program in the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience offers training leading to the Ph.D. degree. The program emphasizes basic science training in behavioral neuroscience with specialization in such areas as physiological psychology, behavioral and molecular genetics, behavioral pharmacology, biological bases of addiction, learning and memory and cardiovascular psychophysiology. Behavioral Neuroscience is one of six basic science departments in the School of Medicine and provides a unique environment especially suited for the education of multidisciplinary neuroscientists. Several faculty members maintain joint appointments in other basic science departments such as the Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Physiology and Pharmacology, and Neurology. Faculty research interests are diverse but concentrate on behavioral pharmacogenetics, drug conditioning, learning & memory, neuropharmacology, and neuroendocrinology.
Individual research in close collaboration with members of the faculty is considered an essential aspect of the doctoral program. Research training begins in the first year of study, generally in the form of "research rotations" in two or more laboratories. The diversity of faculty appointments provides research opportunities in addition to those available at the Medical School, such as the Vollum Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research, Portland State University and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Financial Support
The overall record of external funding for research in the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience is outstanding. The combined annual total of grant funds awarded to our faculty last year was over $8 million. The department also maintains ongoing research training programs funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Students admitted to our program can expect to be supported as graduate research assistants by one of these two federally funded research training grants, by departmental funds, or by individual faculty research grants. An $8 million dollar Alcohol Research Center grant awarded to the department by NIAAA provides additional financial support. The 2004-05 annual stipend is $22,000 for a first year graduate student and increases to $23,000 once the student is advanced to candidacy. All tuition and student fees are waived or paid for the student. Students are also covered by the University's Student Health Service.
Admission to the Program
General Requirements
For admission to Oregon Health Sciences University Graduate School, students must have obtained the following:
- Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited college or university with an appropriate educational background in behavioral and biological sciences.
- Cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (based on a letter grading system of A = 4 points; B = 3; C = 2; D = 1; F = 0) or its equivalent in other grading systems.
- Acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. Although there is no GRE admissions "cutoff" score, Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing General Test Scores of 500, 600 and 4.5 or above, respectively, will generally be considered competitive.
- Foreign students must have acceptable scores in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Program Requirements
Applications are encouraged from students who have completed undergraduate coursework in biopsychology and the other basic science areas that provide the background required for graduate training in behavioral neuroscience. However, there are no specific undergraduate course requirements for admission. Due to the strong emphasis of our program on research, the admissions committee is especially interested in applicants who have demonstrated a strong interest and aptitude for research prior to applying to graduate school (e.g., independent study, honors thesis, laboratory work experience).
Detailed Program Requirements
Application Procedure
Students seeking admission to the graduate program in Behavioral Neuroscience should submit the following application materials:
- Completed application form
- Complete academic transcript
- Scores from the GRE general exam taken no longer than 5 years before the application for admission. (TOEFL scores are also required for foreign students)
- Three letters of recommendation from faculty who are familiar with the applicant's scholastic and research abilities
- A comprehensive personal statement from the applicant indicating the reasons for pursuing a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience. Prospective applicants are encouraged to study the faculty research interest descriptions carefully to make sure that there is a good match between the applicant's interests and those of the faculty in our program. Applicants should indicate their general areas of research interest in their personal statement and mention the names of faculty members with whom they might like to work.
More specific information about the application from and procedure can be found by visiting the OHSU Graduate Studies application page.
General questions pertaining to the program of study in the Behavioral Neuroscience Graduate Program may be directed the department office at (503) 494-7765 or by e-mail (thomason@ohsu.edu). The applicant may also contact individual faculty members directly if there are specific questions related to their research. Faculty e-mail addresses can be found on the Faculty web pages.
Application Deadline
All application materials, including the letters of recommendation, must be received by December 14th in the SOM Graduate Admissions Office. All applications received by that date will be considered for fall-term admission and stipend support on a competitive basis.
Send all application materials to:
SOM Graduate Admissions, L102
Oregon Health Sciences University
3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road
Portland, OR 97239-3098