Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science - Disorders and Treatment

The NACS program offers a wide range of research and training opportunities for students who are interested in pursuing doctoral-level research in a variety of areas within neuroscience and cognitive science. Faculty research interests center around seven main areas: Cellular & Molecular, Sensory & Motor Systems, Computational Modeling & Theory, Language & Speech, Cognition & Emotion, Development & Aging, and Disorders & Treatment. Research approaches include both the theoretical and experimental, with several laboratories doing both. Research and training activities of NACS take place within the laboratories of faculty in 20 participating departments and units: Aerospace Engineering, Animal and Avian Sciences, Biology, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, English, Entomology, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Hearing and Speech Sciences, Human Development, Kinesiology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, as well as the Center for Advanced Study of Language, the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, the Institute for Systems Research, the Maryland Neuroimaging Center, and the Second Language Acquisition program. The NACS program requires the completion of two required core courses and three out of five core courses, including introduction to neurosciences, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, cellular and molecular neuroscience, and cognitive science. The goal of the Program is to bring together the diverse perspectives and strengths of all the included disciplines in order to understand the working of the nervous system, the mind, and behavior

NACS researchers study basic mechanisms of neural development and function in order to identify mechanisms that link genetic and experiential factors to typical and maladaptive outcomes. These workers approach the study of disorder, psychopathology, and treatment from three approaches: first, from the idea that translational approaches, cross species and system are critical for understanding basic mechanisms, second, that collaboration across laboratories are essential for making headway in understanding the etiology and causal links between perturbations in brain development and disorders, and third, that novel interventions must be linked to basic mechanisms in brain activity and function.

Statement of Purpose
Transcript(s)
TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)
Letters of Recommendation (3)
Writing Sample
CV/Resume
iBT TOEFL - 96 Overall (Speaking 22, Listening 24, Reading 26, Writing 24)
IELTS - 7 Overall (Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 7, Speaking 6.5)
The Graduate School requires a 3.0 GPA for admission. The average GPA for incoming NACS students over the last few years is 3.5.