What Math Courses Do I Need for Neuroscience?
Neuroscientists study the brain at multiple levels, from the molecular and cellular to the behavioral. Being a student in this field requires intensive and rigorous study in the sciences and in math. This article explains the math requirements for neuroscience at the undergraduate level.
Are you interested in the scientific study of the human brain? If so, you might be an ideal neuroscience major.
Most Bachelor of Science degree programs in neuroscience in the United States require students to take two or more courses in calculus plus an applied statistics course.
Neuroscientists study the brain at multiple levels, from the molecular and cellular to the behavioral. As you might imagine, being a student in this field requires intensive and rigorous study in the sciences and math.
Read on to learn about the math requirements you will need if you study neuroscience at the undergraduate (bachelor's) level in an American college or university.
Math Requirements for a Neuroscience Major as an Undergraduate
At UCLA, the required calculus courses for neuroscience majors are:
- Differential and integral calculus
- Integration and infinite series calculus
- Calculus of several variables
An alternative sequence exists specifically geared for life sciences students.
Calculus I in U.S. colleges and universities covers basic differential and some integral calculus, with four major content areas:
- Limits and continuity
- Derivatives
- Integrals
- Sequences and series
This first-level calculus course helps students develop problem-solving and critical-reasoning skills and to use their math skills (algebra, trigonometry, matrix arithmetic, etc.) to solve applied problems and equations as well as to represent functions graphically, numerically, and verbally.
Calculus II, in most universities, covers:
- Review of integrals and application of integrals
- Integration techniques
- Differential equations
Students may also learn about parametric equations, polar coordinates, vectors, sequences, and series.
These latter topics are sometimes delayed until a third level of Calculus course (Calculus III, depending upon the university), which may also cover:
- Multivariable functions
- Multiple integrations
- Second-order differential equations
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Additional Math Requirements for Computational Neuroscience Majors
Computational neuroscience is one of the sub-specialties within the neuroscience field. Some universities offer a separate degree program or a concentration in computational neuroscience.
This specialization uses mathematical models, statistical analyses, and computer simulations to understand how the brain and nervous system function and how they influence behavior. For this reason, this subfield is more math-intensive than other areas of neuroscience.
Undergraduate degrees in computational neuroscience generally require students to pass at least two levels of calculus and a statistics course, just as in other neuroscience programs. However, computational students need additional math requirements for their neuroscience niche.
For example, at Johns Hopkins University, computational neuroscience students must take a linear algebra and differential equation course in addition to those listed above. At the University of Southern California, students in computational neuroscience must choose one additional math course from a list including:
- Linear Algebra and Linear Differential Equations
- Calculus III
- Mathematics of Physics and Engineering
Since the course requirements vary slightly from program to program, be sure to learn about the major curriculum at the school(s) you are applying to.
How Is Computational Neuroscience Different From Other Neuroscience Concentrations?
Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field that studies the brain from various perspectives, so many students get their undergraduate degree in a related field before pursuing a master's or doctorate in neuroscience. These connected disciplines include:
- Biology
- Biochemistry
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
However, you can find many leading colleges and universities in the U.S. that offer bachelor's degree programs in one or more areas of neuroscience itself if you want to specialize at the undergrad level.
Specialized Concentrations in Neuroscience
In some universities, degree programs in neuroscience may offer more specialized degree options. These can include, among others:
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Computational neuroscience
- Cellular and molecular neuroscience
- Developmental neuroscience
- Integrative neuroscience
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Systems and circuits neuroscience
In addition to continuing to graduate school in neuroscience, graduates with a bachelor's degree in one of the subfields may pursue graduate training toward careers in a variety of professions.
Some of those career fields include becoming physicians (including neurologists, neurosurgeons, or psychiatrists), psychologists, biologists, kinesiologists, physicists, mathematicians, and many other options.
How Computational Neuroscience Is Distinct
Computational neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that uses mathematical and computational methodologies to understand better the brain's and nervous system's structure and function.
It differs from other subfields of neuroscience in that it has a much stronger emphasis on the use of mathematical tools and theories in its investigations of the brain.
As such, computational neuroscience applies diverse approaches drawn from math, computer science, physics, and engineering to study questions emanating from the other domains of neuroscience.
Computational neuroscientists create and use computer simulations to create theoretical mathematical models. The types of math they rely upon most for neural data analysis include:
- Linear algebra
- Probability
- Basic statistics
- Calculus (derivates and ODEs).
Start in High School to Prepare for Your Math Requirements in Neuroscience
If you are considering a major in neuroscience, you are probably already a strong student in the STEM fields, so the math requirements for neuroscience should not feel too daunting for you. If you take high school or college core courses in advanced math (that is, go beyond basic algebra) and get into calculus as early as possible, you should be building a strong foundation for your math requirements for a neuroscience degree.
