ANDP Survey - Program Characteristics

1. Program Characteristics

Table 1a - School Affiliation

The locus of graduate education in the neural sciences continues to evolve. In the 1991 survey, graduate programs located in Schools of Medicine were most numerous, and relatively few programs were University-wide and integrated across both Schools of Medicine and Schools of Arts & Sciences (or the equivalent). In the 2000 survey, in contrast, an increased percentage of programs were found in Schools of Arts & Sciences or were university-wide and included both Schools of Medicine and Schools of Arts & Sciences. (Data not obtained in 1986 survey.)

Survey Year	91	98	00*
	Percent of Total
School of Medicine	38	43	32
Arts & Sciences	30	30	41
Both SOM and A&S	17	21	23
Other	15	7	5

* Survey question #4

Table 1b - Administrative Structure and Degree Granted

The administrative structure of graduate programs in the neural sciences is quite varied. Only 15% of current programs are found exclusively in Departments of Neuroscience or Neurobiology (or in departments that had those words in their name, such as "Behavioral Neuroscience" and "Anatomy and Neurobiology"). In contrast, 69% of the programs link neuroscientists in multiple departments (or in a "Division" or "Institute" of Neuroscience) in a unified, degree-granting program, and only 15% are in departments that did not have Neuroscience or Neurobiology in their names. [Survey question #5, not asked in previous ANDP surveys.]

One implication of this administrative structure is that, unlike departments, only 54% of graduate training programs in the neural sciences hire their own faculty. [Survey question #10, not asked in previous ANDP surveys.]. Another implication is that the degree awarded to graduate students trained in the neural sciences is much more likely to be a Ph.D. in Neuroscience or Neurobiology (or in disciplines that had those words in their name) than a Ph.D. in another discipline. This feature, first seen in the 1998 survey, represents a striking reversal from the situation 15 years ago, when the majority of degrees were awarded in other disciplines. (The "Other" category represents the relatively few graduate training programs in Neuroscience that do not offer a Ph.D. degree.) Note that throughout this report, "Neuroscience" and "Neurobiology" are used interchangeably.

Survey Year	86	91	98	00*
	Percent of Total
Ph.D. in Neuroscience	24	28	66	67
Ph.D. in another discipline	74	54	30	29
Other	2	18	4	4

* Survey question #6

Table 1c - Undergraduate Activities

Graduate programs in the neural sciences now play a very substantial role in the education of undergraduate students. Although only 22% of the graduate programs additionally administer an undergraduate program in Neuroscience, faculty in most graduate programs teach undergraduate courses (72%) and provide opportunities for undergraduate students to be involved in research projects (94%). These important contributions are much greater than those observed 10 years ago.

Survey Year	86	91	98	00*
	Percent of Total
Formal Program	-	23	24	22
Teaching	9	48	39	72
Research	-	68	62	94

* Survey questions #7-9

February 22, 2007