How does our brain control movement? Where are our emotions generated? How do we learn new information and acquire new skills? Why do we feel sad or depressed? Neuroscience is an exciting and interdisciplinary field that explores the biological, chemical, and physical processes behind these and other complex functions performed by our brain and entire nervous system.

Major in Neuroscience at the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois neuroscience major is housed in the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology (MCB), where faculty have been driving transformative advances in neuroscience for decades. We seek to understand the causes of a variety of disorders, from neurodevelopmental to neurodegenerative disorders, from brain cancer to epilepsy, and to develop biomedical treatments for them. As a neuroscience major, you’ll take a variety of cutting-edge courses and develop critically-important laboratory skills. Students conduct research alongside faculty who lead pioneering programs in sensory processing, neuroendocrinology, physiology of neurons and glia, regeneration, and cell signaling with advanced techniques, such as optogenetics and neuroimaging.

Whatever your dream—furthering your education and obtaining a PhD, MD, or PharmD or pursuing a career in industry—you will be well-prepared. Neuroscience majors become physicians, therapists (physical, speech, language), pharmaceutical or neurodiagnostic technicians, policymakers, and scientists with pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies, universities, and government agencies.