The major provides the foundations for a challenging career. It serves as a basis for further training in schools of human and veterinary medicine, medical technology, physical therapy, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, and other health sciences. The major also provides the scientific foundation for employment in health care, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Students interested in high school teaching, college level teaching, or research may use the program as preparation for advanced degrees.
The NPB major is designed to provide students with an understanding of vital functions common to all animals -- growth, reproduction, movement, response to stimuli, and maintenance of homeostasis. The physiological mechanisms upon which these functions depend are precisely regulated and highly integrated. An organism’s behavior is determined by the coordinated actions of all physiological systems within the organism’s physical and social environments. Students in this major will study functional mechanisms, as well as the control, regulation, integration, and behavior that relate to these mechanisms at the level of the cell, organ system, and organism.
Student Learning Objectives for NPB:
- Demonstrate an understanding of organisms and their diversity at the level of molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and whole organisms.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the neurobiological, physiological, and behavioral (NPB)-related processes in healthy and diseased states of organisms in the context of their environment
- Address scientific questions in neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB) using quantitative approaches and critical reasoning, including developing hypotheses, analyzing data, and interpreting results.
- Critically evaluate neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB) scientific information from a wide variety of sources.
- Communicate neurobiology, physiology and behavior scientific data and concepts ("NPB data") in written, graphical, and/or oral form.