love:learn:live
undergraduate study guide
neuroscience
Introduction
Further information
Contact: Dr David Mazzocchi-Jones,
School of Life Sciences, Keele University,
Staffordshire ST5 5BG
Tel: 01782 733057
Fax: 01782 733516
Email: lifesciences.enquiries@keele.ac.uk
Web: www.keele.ac.uk/lifesci/applicants/neuroscience
Annual intake: 50
“
The quality of the teaching
can’t be faulted
“
”
really pleased with
the course
”
Student Life
The School of Life Sciences has an
excellent reputation for its friendly
and caring atmosphere. This is
developed and maintained partly by a
system of personal tutors with a
pastoral role and by Student-Staff
Liaison Committees. Students have
ample opportunity to interact with
staff to inform their learning, and the
final year project presents opportunity
for one-to-one learning at the
forefront of the subject. The School is
just a few minutes' easy walk from
most student residences, within a
beautiful rural campus setting, yet still
within easy reach of city life.
Neuroscience is the study of the most
intricate control system in our bodies,
the nervous system, at the centre of
which lies the brain. It is one of the
fastest growing subjects, relevant not
only to medicine and biology, but also
to computing and the development of
artificial intelligence. The course
covers the anatomy, physiology and
pharmacology of nervous systems;
from the structure and function of
individual nerve cells to the whole
brain. In addition you will learn about
the development of the nervous
system, how the brain controls
behaviour, and how the system goes
wrong in disease.
We have an international reputation for
excellent interdisciplinary and
medically related research in hearing,
cellular and systems neuroscience.
The undergraduate Neuroscience
course enables you to either focus your
studies entirely on Neuroscience
(Single Honours) or in combination
with other subjects as part of the
distinctive Dual Honours degree
programme at Keele.
The course is ideal for highly motivated
students who will enjoy the intellectual
challenge of studying one of the most
extraordinary phenomena of the
natural world, the brain. Our lecturers
have considerable teaching and
research experience so we can offer
you an exciting personal tour through
this system that forms the basis of
human behaviour.
This leaflet provides you with a guide to
how the Neuroscience course is
organised. If you have any queries
that are not answered in this leaflet,
please contact us for further
information.
“
Excellent
Courses on offer
”
Single Honours Neuroscience
You will study a range of core
Neuroscience topics alongside key
topics in physiology, biology and
biochemistry.
Dual Honours Neuroscience
You combine Neuroscience with a
second subject for the first two years of
the course. You then tailor the third
year to meet your needs and interests
as follows:
s continue to study both subjects for a
Dual Honours degree
s study only Neuroscience for a Major
Route degree in Neuroscience
s study only the second subject for a
Major Route degree in the second
subject
Four-Year Courses
Single Honours and Dual Honours
degrees can be extended to four years
by either of the following:
s a Science Foundation Year prior to
the start of the course
s an Industrial Placement year after
year 2
Further details are available in the
undergraduate prospectus.
Research in the School of Life Sciences
The School of Life Sciences has a vigorous research programme
organised around research groups. This allows all our staff to
participate in dynamic, goal-oriented programmes that cut across
traditional boundaries between disciplines such as Biology,
Biochemistry and Neuroscience and involve the participation of
scientists from within and beyond the University. Currently, there
are large groups studying parasites, insects, hearing,
neuropharmacology, learning & memory, diabetes, cancer and
apoptosis. These groups, and their success, mean that you will
work and study in a thriving environment and be taught by
enthusiastic scientists of international repute.
Course Structure and Content
In each semester, you will normally take two Neuroscience modules and two
from your other subject (Dual Honours and Major Route) or four Neuroscience
modules (Single Honours). In the third year, Major Route Neuroscience
students specialise in Neuroscience and take four modules in each semester
instead of two. In the final year, students are able to undertake an individually
supervised project and/or dissertation.
The following Neuroscience modules are currently on offer. Core modules for
Dual Honours are shown in bold, asterisk denotes modules only on offer to
Single Honours students. Note that advertised modules are subject to change.
Semester 1
“
All members of staff
were very approachable
and helpful - brilliant!
”
Semester 2
Year 1
Introduction to Neuroscience
Cell and Molecular Biology
Human Physiology and Pathology
Neurophysiology
Genetics and Evolution
Metabolism: Major Metabolic Pathways*
Cells and Organelles*
Teaching and Assessment
Year 2
Neuroscience Research Methods
From Neurone to Brain
Learning and Memory
Neurodevelopment
Neuropharmacology
Neuroanatomy*
Endocrinology and Cell Signaling*
Year 3
Special Senses
Neurobiological Basis of Brain Disease
Current Topics in Neuroscience
Behavioural Neurobiology
Regeneration and Repair
in the Nervous System
Research Project (Double/Single)
Dissertation/Non-Experimental Project
The majority of modules take place over
a 12-week period and consist of:
s two lectures per week covering the
theoretical groundwork of the topic
s practical classes of 2-3 hours each
week which demonstrate the different
concepts of the topic via hands-on
experience
s tutorials each semester for open
discussion of ideas, essay feedback
and revision
Assessment is both continuous, based
on coursework including practical writeups and essays, and by examination at
the end of a module.
Student Support
The course has a student-staff liaison
committee which has both lecturers
and students as members and which
meets regularly to discuss modules
and any problems that may arise.
Each student is assigned to a
personal tutor to help with academic
matters and to provide advice and
pastoral care. There are Universitywide support systems like Student
Support, the Counselling Service
and Resident Tutors.
Career Opportunities
Research Project
Work on a Neuroscience research question in a laboratory under staff supervision.
Students pick a number of projects from a list and we allocate each student a project. This
typically occupies 1-2 days per week and allows you to take part in research, data analysis
and writing-up. You also explore the topic using the library and on-line access to research
journals.
Study Abroad
There are opportunities to study abroad for one semester at one of
Keele's many partner universities around the world, for example in
the USA, Canada, Australia or another part of Europe. This replaces
one semester of the second year at Keele.
There is a wide range of careers available to
neuroscience students on graduation. The most
popular science subject combinations with
Neuroscience are Psychology, Biochemistry and
Computer Science. These combinations offer
opportunities for careers in, for example,
medically related psychology, the chemical and
pharmaceutical industry, or in information
technology, and many students develop
interests that lead to a higher degree and a
career in research. However, non-science
combinations with Neuroscience also offer a
wide range of opportunities e.g. combining with
Finance or Economics puts you in a unique
position for a career in the modern Health
Service as it would underpin both the business
and the scientific side of health management and
administration.