The 4+1 Neuroscience MS program is a joint program between Wake Forest College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In this program, students pursuing the Neuroscience minor will complete the full curricula for the Bachelor’s Degree while beginning graduate research training in the junior year. Students will have two full years to work with internationally recognized investigators in state-of-the-art research facilities to develop and pursue an independent thesis research project. With one additional year following the Bachelor’s Degree, students complete the graduate curriculum and experiments for the research thesis, write and defend their thesis, and prepare a journal publication(s) of their work.
This program provides highly motivated students with the opportunity to become part of a vibrant and productive research team. Students will gain hands-on experience to develop a novel component of a research project. At the same time, students will receive one-on-one mentoring with experienced research faculty to develop an in depth understanding of principles of neuroscience. Students will build career skills that include oral and written presentation, time management and community engagement. Students who have completed the program go onto to diverse careers that include multimedia production and science communication, law, clinical research, professional and graduate schools.
This is a challenging, five-year program for highly motivated students pursuing the Neuroscience Minor. Therefore, students participating in the dual degree program must commit to being full-time students. Students apply for the program at the end of the second/sophomore year and will begin the program in the junior year.
How to Apply
Students apply for admission into the dual degree program in the spring semester of their sophomore year. Student of any undergraduate major are eligible, however, their overall GPA must be at least 3.25 to be considered for admission to the dual-degree program. Once accepted to the program, students will declare a neuroscience minor. Early application to the program is strongly encouraged to ensure adequate time for thesis research. Applicants are not required to submit GRE scores.
Students seeking to apply after the spring semester of their sophomore year must secure a recommendation from the Neuroscience minor coordinator prior to submitting their application and must demonstrate the ability to complete the requirements of the program within five years.
Applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Selecting a Mentor
Interested students should identify a faculty mentor prior to submitting the application. Start by viewing Neuroscience faculty listed below that have indicated an interest in mentoring students in this program.
For the application, please click here.
