Neuroscience Requirements

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Please visit the student handbook for our primary and secondary concentration requirements.

Neuro offers three tracks to explore the brain:

Neuroscience participates in Joint Concentrations. Full requirements can be viewed in the student handbook.

• All joint concentrators must have a coherent, integrated thesis project that combines research in neuroscience and research in their joint field into a singular research question.
• Students should have found a lab and formed a plan for their research by the start of junior spring semester (see research page for details on thesis forms)

There are two types of honors for undergraduates: Latin honors † (summa, magna, cum laude) are determined by the College, while English honors (highest honors, high honors, honors) are determined by departments.

Eligibility for English Honors

To be eligible for Honors and High Honors in Neuroscience (English Honors), students need to complete at least one semester (4 credits) or summer of independent research at Harvard. Details about Honors Eligibility and the form to request eligibility can be found here.

To be eligible for Highest Honors in Neuroscience, students need to complete an independent, research-based thesis.

Calculation for English Honors

English Honors are determined by the Neuroscience Standing Committee and are determined by concentration GPA and completion of a thesis.

The concentration GPA is calculated from courses that fulfill concentration requirements. In cases where students have taken supernumerary courses to fulfill a particular requirement, we will take your highest grade(s). Cutoffs change from year to year, but we will aim to award 15% of the graduating class Highest Honors, 25% High Honors, and 25% Honors. At all levels, the GPA cutoffs are reduced if a student completes a thesis.

• Any student who receives a “highest distinction” award on their thesis will be bumped up one Honors level.
• Any student who completes a thesis “with distinction” or above will get 0.05 points added to their concentration GPA, which is the roughly the equivalent of two A courses grades for a student with 12 courses and a GPA of 3.67.

Highest Honors (thesis required): students in the the top 15% of concentration GPAs and a “High Distinction” or above on the thesis.
High Honors (one semester/summer of research required): students in the top 40% of concentration GPAs.
Honors (one semester/summer of research required): students in the top 65% of concentration GPAs.

† English Honors are a pre-condition for Summa, Magna and Cum Laude in Field Latin Honors, but Latin Honors are based on the entirety of the student record. Only Latin Honors appears on the diploma. Students who do not receive English Honors may still be eligible for Cum Laude Latin Honors, depending on GPA (typically requires ~ 3.8 GPA). For more details on Latin Honors, please review the Handbook for Students. You can view the most recent Latin Honors cutoffs here.