The University of Georgia System Board of Trustees has approved a new neuroscience and neurotechnology Ph.D. program at Georgia Tech.
The interdisciplinary degree is a joint effort between the Faculty of Science, Computing, and Engineering. The program is scheduled to enroll its first graduate students in fall 2025, pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities and the School Committee.
The institute's curriculum committee also approved a new minor in neuroscience that will be available in Georgia Tech's 2024-2025 catalog.
Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience
The PhD and minor offerings are based on the recently launched Neuro Next Initiative in Research and the established Neuroscience undergraduate program, respectively.
Approved by the Board of Regents in 2017, the College of Science's Interdisciplinary Degree in Neuroscience will enroll more than 400 undergraduate students in 2022, making it Georgia Tech's fastest-growing undergraduate major.
The bachelor's degree in neuroscience is also key to a strong ecosystem of undergraduate neuroscience education across the state, including peer programs at Mercer University, Augusta University, Georgia State University, Agnes Scott College, and Emory University.
PhD in Neuroscience and Neuroengineering
The new doctoral degree will provide an avenue for the state's rapidly growing pipeline of neuroscience undergraduates and young graduates, while also welcoming a broader range of graduate researchers to campus.
The mission of the PhD program is focused on educating students to advance the field of neuroscience through interdisciplinary approaches with scientists and engineers from diverse backgrounds, and ultimately We integrate research and technology development to study nervous system function at all levels.
Lewis A. Wheaton, professor of biological sciences, chaired the doctoral program. The program planning committee said the cohort model “blends experimental and quantitative skill development, creates opportunities for students to work in science and engineering laboratories, fosters collaboration, and at the same time aligns with the offerings of national peers.” “We will foster state-specific programs and communities to counter this.'' ”
Growing innovation and its impact
Wheaton explains that the new Ph.D. We aim to offer our graduates a wide range of employment opportunities and growing specializations, including computational neuroscience, neurorehabilitation, cultural and social neuroscience, neuroimaging, cognitive behavioral neuroscience, developmental neuroscience, and neurolinguistics. .
This new degree will also help meet the country's growing demand for a neurologically focused workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth for medical scientists (including neuroscientists) will be about 13% between 2012 and 2022, faster than the average for all occupations surveyed.
Wheaton, who also serves as director of the Cognitive Motor Control Laboratory and director of the Center for Promoting Inclusion and Equity in Science (C-PIES) at Georgia Tech, said the program enables neuroscientists to conduct research that can significantly improve their lives. He added that it would be possible to implement the .
Recruiting students
The Planning Commission anticipates the tentative application deadline for Fall 2025 admission to be February 1, 2025. We also encourage students with the following interests to learn more and apply next academic year.
Develop deeper quantitative, computing and/or engineering skills to make scientific discoveries that support innovation in neuroscience A clear and comprehensive understanding of the nervous system at all scales, from molecules to systems Understand how to use and innovate new tools and approaches to investigate whole systems Gain a unique qualification to translate knowledge across neuroscience and related fields and generate new knowledge in your professional pursuits
Director search
Participating universities will soon conduct a search for a program director and will hire a tenured faculty member from Georgia Tech to manage the new program. A graduate program committee will also be established, consisting of five faculty members and mentors from the School of Science, School of Computing, and School of Engineering.
At its April 2024 meeting, the Board also announced budget approvals and tuition changes for Georgia's 26 member institutions.
The PhD program planning committee included the following faculty members:
Lewis Wheaton (Biological Sciences Chair) Konstantin Dovrolis (Computer Science) Christopher Rosell (Electrical and Computer Engineering) Eric Schumacher (Psychology) Garrett Stanley (Biomedical Engineering) David Collard (Dean's Office of the College of Science)
