The mission of the program is to support education, research, and service in Behavioral Neuroscience (BNS) at Western Washington University (WWU). This endeavor began in 2005, with the initiation of an interdisciplinary undergraduate BNS major housed within the Psychology Department. Recognizing growing faculty, student, and public interest in this field, the Washington State Legislature provided ongoing support of the WWU BNS Program through the Biomedical Research Activities in Neuroscience (BRAIN) Initiative beginning in 2007.
Major Description
The Behavioral Neuroscience (BNS) Program housed within the Psychology Department, administers a Bachelor of Science (BS) major in BNS. This academic curriculum integrates elements of biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and psychology, to study how nervous system structure and function produces normal and abnormal behavior. Students engage in the study of nervous system structure and function at all levels, from molecular/cellular to systems/whole organism.
A broad range of elective credits allow BNS majors and their academic advisers to create a curriculum that best meets the student’s future goals. Western Washington University’s Behavioral Neuroscience program prepares individuals to excel in a variety of professional industries. After completing a BS in Behavioral Neuroscience, students often pursue careers in research, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and academia. Regardless of postgraduate ambitions, BNS graduates are well equipped for positions in academic institutions, treatment centers, and biomedical laboratories.
In addition to coursework, BNS majors are encouraged to collaborate with faculty members on original research relevant to BNS.
Apply to Major
Visit the university catalog AY 22-23 to review complete details and requirements here.
Students applying to the Behavioral Neuroscience major must first meet the following requirements:
- Successfully declared a BNS pre-major
- Complete at least 75 undergraduate credits.
- Complete the following courses with an average grade point of 2.9 or higher: CHEM 161, CHEM 162, CHEM 163; BIOL 204, BIOL 205, BIOL 206; PSY 101, and PSY 220.
Visit our major application page for additional information about applying to the major.
Participate in Faculty Research Labs
The BNS program promotes original research and encourages undergraduate involvement in research both through independent research through our faculty research programs and through research-oriented laboratory classes.
Participating in faculty-mentored research can expose students to the true workings of the scientific method, enhance a student’s resume when applying to graduate school, as well as provide students with bench skills that make them great candidates for entry level positions in biomedical research. Student research presentation opportunities enable students to present their research in a variety of settings. Presenting original research is a great way to network, as well as practice presenting data and information to others.
Students interested in pursuing laboratory research should contact individual faculty in their areas of interest. Visit the web page to learn more about our Faculty Research Programs.
2022 Outstanding Graduate
Congratulations to Aliyah Dawkins ’22, the Behavioral Neuroscience Program’s Outstanding Graduate from the school year 2021-2022. To learn more about Aliyah please read on, “As I leave Western, I am planning to take a gap year doing post-bacc work to strengthen my resume before applying to Ph.D. programs in Psychopharmacology. While I do feel as though, western’s BNS program set me up for success in a Ph.D. program, I believe in taking a short break for professional and personal growth before continuing my educational journey. When I continue my educational journey by pursuing a Ph.D., I hope to be better equipped to work in drug discovery and genetic therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. From there, hopefully I will be able to change the lives of people living with neurodegenerative diseases for the better. My research experience, like most, has been extremely fulfilling. Though, Dr. Adrienne Wang’s lab is within the biology department, the work I do with her lines up beautifully with what the BNS program teaches and is all about. Under her instruction and guidance, I have had the unique opportunity to work with a drosophila model of Alzheimer’s. The scope of our project more specifically is looking at the knock-down of specific proteins within neuronal cells and how those alter the level of amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Currently, she has me on an independent project validating our knock-down technique and hopefully, we will be able to submit our work for publication by June! Due to my own diligence and determination, I have been awarded Western’s Scholar athlete of the year for the past two years. This award has recognized my high performance within the classroom in addition to my All-American status! Balancing academics, research, and athletics have been difficult but rewarding. I have also been recognized by the Chemistry department itself and will be completing my double biochemistry major with honors!”
Attend Conferences
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Visiting Seminar Speaker Events
Networking Events