Courses of the Neuroscience Graduate Program

*3 (fi 6) (either term, 0-0-6). Individual study. Restricted to students in the Neuroscience Graduate Program. Students will spend one term in the laboratory of a faculty member, who is not their supervisor, and carry out a laboratory research project. Successful completion of an oral presentation is required at the conclusion of the project.

• Prerequisite: Consent of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute. 
• Course Coordinator: Bradley Kerr
• Registration procedure: Fill out and submit the Course Proposal and Registration Form and submit to Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute office by the end of the 1st week of the term.
• NEURO 501 guidelines
• Course Proposal & Registration Form for NEURO 501
• List of potential supervisors

PhD students may choose to complete a lab rotation course as part of their graduate program. NEURO 501 (one term; 3 units) involves rotation through one laboratory taken outside of the laboratory of the primary supervisor.

To satisfy the FoMD requirements for program core competencies, MSc students must complete at least 3 units of graduate-level coursework that fulfills the competencies in Critical Reading/Thinking, or Background Knowledge. This requirement cannot be met through lab rotation courses (e.g., NEURO 501) or graduate-level reading courses (e.g., NEURO 550). Students can meet this requirement by selecting courses from the pre-approved list of Neuroscience courses or, in consultation with their supervisory committees, by choosing other didactic courses that are relevant to their research programs but not on the approved list. A list of Neuroscience pre-approved courses can be found in Appendix 1 and the University calendar.

 Students have the option, in consultation with their supervisor, to complete coursework beyond the minimum requirement of 3 units. This additional coursework may include a lab rotation course, such as NEURO 501 (one term; 3 credits), which involves rotation through a laboratory outside of the primary supervisor’s lab. Students may also take a graduate-level reading course provided it is with a faculty member other than their supervisor. If a student successfully transfers from the MSc to the PhD program (section 3.3 below), this additional coursework will count toward the 6-unit coursework requirement for the PhD.

*3 (second term, 3-0-0). Designed to provide graduate students in the Neuroscience program a comprehensive overview of the neurobiology of normal aging and the cellular/molecular phenomena that may underlie various age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Aspects of neuronal and glial changes during the normal aging process will be covered. We also intend to include a video presentation of patients with neurodegenerative disorders to outline the impact of cellular/molecular changes on major clinical and psychological features. In addition, papers on the most recent developments in the field of aging research have been integrated into the course.

• Prerequisites: NEURO 375 or ZOOL 342 or consent from course coordinator. Credit may be obtained for either NEURO 410 or 510 but not both.
• Course Coordinators: Sue-Ann Mok & Bradley Kerr
• Registration procedure: Bear Tracks
• Offered: Fall term

*3 (second term, 3-0-0) Designed to provide graduate students in the Neuroscience program a comprehensive overview on neurobiology of various neurodegenerative disorders. Both clinical and basic science aspects of major neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington disease, Prion disease, Motor neuron disease (MND), Frontotemporal Dementia, Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy will be covered. We also intend to include a video presentation of patients with neurodegenerative disorders to outline major clinical and psychological features. In addition, papers on the most recent developments in the field of aging research have been integrated into the course.

• Prerequisites: NEURO 375 or ZOOL 342 or consent from course coordinator. Credit may be obtained for either NEURO 411 or 511 but not both.
• Course Coordinator(s): Bradley Kerr and Sue-Ann Mok
• Registration procedure: Bear Tracks
• Offered: Winter Term

*3 (second term, 3-0-0). An advanced course for graduate students in Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering that covers the cellular and systems level changes in sensorimotor and pain pathways in response to motor training and/or trauma to the nervous system. A background on experimental techniques and mechanisms of neuronal plasticity from key studies in cortical, spinal and dorsal horn systems will be provided. Students are expected to write and present on current topics in the field of motor and pain neuroplasticity. Students should have a basic background in neurophysiology. Prerequisites: PHYSL 372 or equivalents or consent of instructor.

• Prerequisites: PHYSL 372 or equivalents or consent of instructor
• Course Coordinator: Monica Gorassini
• Registration procedure: Email the course coordinator (include transcripts)
• Offered: Winter term (every other year) - 2026, 2028.

*3 (first term, 3-0-0). Neuroimaging has developed rapidly in recent years, and has had a profound effect on how we understand the human brain. This advanced course is aimed to provide graduate students and senior undergraduate students a comprehensive overview of the neuroimaging techniques (structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), MRI spectroscopy (MRS) etc) currently used in neuroscience research. In addition, we will discuss how neuroimaging methods can advance our understanding of healthy brain function and neuropsychiatric disorders.

• Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
• Course Coordinator: Nikolai Malykhin
• Registration Procedure: Bear Tracks
• Offered: Fall term

*3 (second Term 3-0-0). The purpose of this course is to train graduate students in preparing grant applications in order to improve their chances of future success in obtaining research funds from a major Canadian federal funding agency such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The course is targeted primarily towards students who have completed at least one year of graduate work. Preference will be given to those planning to pursue a PhD. Throughout the course, students will be instructed on how to prepare a complete grant application package on a topic that is different from their graduate project. The proposal will be prepared in stages and completed two weeks prior to the end of the semester. Students will then prepare and give presentations for a mock site visit by the funding agency. Students will also participate in a mock peer review committee and make final funding decisions. Enrolment is limited, and registration is by permission of the Department.

• Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor
• Course Coordinator: Vivian Mushahwar
• Registration Procedure: Email the course coordinator (include transcripts)
• Offered: Winter term

*1 (any term) A credit/no-credit course for graduate students who are actively participating in the mentorship of undergraduate students in a half term research course (e.g. NEURO 451, NEURO 452, NEURO 498, NEURO 499, other one-term research courses offered by the supervisor’s department, or summer students from their supervisor’s laboratory). Mentorship includes activities such as in-lab supervision, training, and help with reports and presentations. Can be taken in any year and Spring/Summer session. Credit may be obtained more than once. Requires the submission of an initial project summary with student learning objectives, monthly progress, and final reports. This course cannot be used to satisfy course requirements of the Neuroscience Graduate Program. Prerequisite: Consent of the Department of and the student’s supervisor.

• Course Coordinator: Elena Posse de Chaves
• Registration Procedure: Submit Registration form the nmhiedu@ualberta.ca

*2 (two terms) A credit/no-credit course for graduate students who are actively participating in the mentorship of undergraduate students in a full - term research course (e.g. two-terms research courses offered by the supervisor’s department). Mentorship includes activities such as in-lab supervision, training, and help with reports and presentations. Can be taken in any year. Credit may be obtained more than once. Requires the submission of an initial project summary with student learning objectives, monthly progress and final reports. This course cannot be used to satisfy course requirements of the Neuroscience Graduate. Prerequisite: Consent of the Department of and the student’s supervisor.

• Course Coordinator: Elena Posse de Chaves
  
• Registration Procedure: Submit Registration form the nmhiedu@ualberta.ca

*3 (second term, 3-0-0). An advanced course dealing with cell differentiation, intracellular and extracellular signaling processes, the cell cycle, apoptosis and necrosis. Consists of lecture material and small group learning sessions. Topics include stem cell research, cancer therapy and human disorders involving cell death (e.g. Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease). Will require reading and discussion of current research articles. Lectures are the same as for CELL 402 but with additional assignments and evaluation appropriate to graduate studies.

*3 (either term 3-0-3).

• Prerequisite: Consent of Department of Educational Psychology
• Course Coordinator: Various
• Registration Procedure: Bear Tracks

*3 (either term 3-0-3).

• Prerequisite: Consent of the Department of Educational Psychology
• Course Coordinator: Ying, Ciu
• Registration Procedure: Email the course coordinator (include transcripts)
• Offered: Fall term

*3 (first term, 3-0-0). M, W, F 14:00. No disease can be cured without knowledge of the underlying cause and molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis. The goal of PMCOL412 is to learn about the molecular basis of disorders of the nervous system, current therapies in use, as well as novel potential treatments that are in clinical trials or at the preclinical experimental stage. Research frontiers in pain and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and HIV-related neurodegeneration, among others, will be explored. Novel therapeutic targets and the potential treatments of tomorrow will be discussed.

• Prerequisite: Consent of the Department
• Course Coordinator: Simonetta Sipione
• Registration Procedure: Email the course coordinator (include transcripts)
• Offered: Fall term

*3 (second term, 3-0-0). Lectures and seminars on: classification, description and measurement of psychiatric disorders; sleep disorders; biochemical theories of psychiatric disorders and discussions of how the actions of the drugs used to treat these disorders relate to these theories; practical aspects of drug treatment; biological markers; brain imaging; women's health issues; herbal products and psychiatry.

• Prerequisite: Consent of the Department of Psychiatry
• Course Coordinator: Ian Winship
• Registration Procedure: Email the course coordinator (include transcripts)
• Offered: Winter term

*3 (both terms, 0-1.5s-0). See Bear Tracks

• Prerequisite: n/a
• Course Coordinator: Please check with the Department of Psychology
• Registration Procedure: Bear Tracks

*3 (either term, 0-3s-0). A graduate seminar in cognitive neuroscience. Topics include the neural bases of memory, language, emotion, and spatial orientation. Emphasis is given to interdisciplinary work that connects cognitive science to neuroscience. Although cognitive neuroscience is primarily concerned with humans, work with infra-human subjects that is directly relevant will also be discussed.

• Prerequisite: Consent of the Department of Psychology
• Course Coordinator: Please check with the Department of Psychology
• Registration Procedure: n/a