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Neuroscience
Ph.D.
Neuroscience Ph.D. overview
Become an independent researcher and a leader in neuroscience. Through coursework and experiential learning, you'll explore new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, better understanding how the nervous system responds to illness and injury. You'll be engaged in critical research from day one.
A Doctorate degree in neuroscience trains you to do critical research on the brain and nervous system. You'll find answers to questions that will help people live mentally and physically healthier lives.
AT A GLANCE
Earning a Doctorate degree in neuroscience
We train students who want to pursue applied research. Our Doctorate degree in neuroscience program follows a mentorship model. From start to finish, you’ll work closely alongside a faculty member whose research interests match your own. In fact, we encourage you to contact program faculty members in your area of interest before submitting your application.
We embrace the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience, drawing faculty from the departments of psychology, biology, health sciences and medicine.
In your first two years, you’ll complete foundational coursework and design a research project with your faculty mentor. After a successful defense of your proposed research, you'll work on completing a research plan, writing a scientific paper and defending your dissertation work.
Highlights of the Doctorate degree in neuroscience
As a neuroscience Ph.D. student, you'll benefit from:
- Our mentorship model: You'll work with a faculty mentor with shared interests.
- State-of-the-art facilities: You'll have access to labs that include equipment designed for research projects that explore neuroscience from a molecular and cellular aspect as well as from a behavioral aspect.
- Graduate research assistantships: Based on yearly progress, these assistantships provide a stipend and tuition remission.
- Study at a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution: CMU is in the top 10% of Carnegie-classified research institutions, designated as an R2 doctoral university with high research activity among Carnegie classified U.S. universities.
Careers in neuroscience
Our Doctorate degree in neuroscience students have become internationally-recognized researchers. Graduates of our program go on to postdoctoral work in laboratories around the globe. They obtain professional positions in academia and in biotechnology, pharmaceutical companies and the global healthcare market.
| Career | Projected Salary |
|---|---|
| Laboratory Manager | $157,740 |
| Research Scientist | $74,342 |
| Clinical Research Director | $95,543 |
| Research and Development Director | $100,617 |
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Research in the BRAIN Center
At Central Michigan University, the Field Neurosciences Institute Laboratory for Restorative Neurology is part of Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Center, which is located on the second floor of the research wing in the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions building. The research mission of the FNI Laboratory is to better understand the mechanisms involved in the recovery of function following damage to the central nervous system and to devise strategies to promote these mechanisms in clinically relevant ways. You can join the ongoing neuroscience research and work closely with Dr. Julien Rossignol whose lab is in the BRAIN Center.
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