Contacts:
Robert J. Contreras, Ph.D.
Program in Neuroscience
Florida State University
209 Eppes Building
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270
Telephone: (850) 644-3076
FAX: (850) 644-0349
E-Mail: contreras@neuro.fsu.edu
WWW: http://www.neuro.fsu.edu
Program Established: 1991
(with Neuroscience PhD; formerly Psychobiology Program, established 1965)
Number of Faculty: 22
Number of Students: 30
U.S. Citizens: 93%
Female: 53%
U.S. Underrepresented Minorities: 20%
Number of Graduates in the Last Five Years:
12
Number of Faculty Who Have Supervised Graduate Student Theses Projects in Their
Labs in the Last Five Years: 22
Average Number of Years to Complete the Program: 5.5
Program Description: The Program in Neuroscience promotes research and graduate training in neuroscience and
comprises 21 faculty members drawn from the Department of Biological Science, the Department of Psychology,
Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Department of Nutrition, Food and Movement Sciences. Graduate students receive the Ph.D. degree in
Neuroscience. The Program does not sponsor an MS degree, but MS degrees with emphasis in Neuroscience can
be obtained through one of the departments. Graduate training includes both a focus in a particular research area as
well as opportunities to learn techniques from multiple levels of analysis, spanning molecular, cellular, anatomical,
electrophysiological and behavioral methods. Entering students join one of the faculty laboratories to begin research
training and undertake a curriculum that includes courses offered in the participating departments, laboratory
rotations, and participation in weekly colloquia/seminars and annual symposia sponsored by the Program. Each
student's progress is guided by a faculty advisory committee. Research emphases include sensory processes
(molecular, physiological and behavioral; especially in the chemical senses, audition and pain), mechanisms of
hormone and neurotransmitter action, mechanisms of neural development and plasticity, mechanisms controlling
feeding and regulatory behavior, circadian rhythms, genetic bases of neurobiology and behavior, and central control
of cardiovascular function. Details of faculty research are available on the Neuroscience website
http://www.neuro.fsu.edu. Admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. typically occurs in the third year and requires passing
a written and oral exam administered by the advisory committee.
Admission Requirements:
How, or Where to Apply: Application procedures and links to the University Online applications can be found at our website http://www.neuro.fsu.edu
Annual Tuition and Fees Costs: In state - $218.76/credit hour/semester; out-of-state - $820.10/credit hour/semester. Graduate students with assistantships/fellowships are generally required to register for three semesters (nine hours each).
Approximate Cost of Living Per Year: University quotes living cost for a single graduate student as $11,000 per year.
Housing Availability and Costs Per Year: Most graduate students live off-campus in readily available apartments and houses: e.g., two-bedroom, $400-800/month. University-owned apartments (Alumni Village) are available, and some dormitory rooms are available, both in the lower half of the cost range given for apartments.
Day-Care Facilities Availability and Costs Per Month: State, private or church day-care readily available, $300-450 a month. University-run apartment complex (Alumni Village=AV) has a day-care center for toddlers for $300-preference given to AV residents. Free after-school care for children of AV residents.
Stipend/Assistantships and Financial Assistance: Two NIH-sponsored Traineeships, Neuroscience Fellowships, University/College Fellowships; and research assistantships are available with stipends up to $20,770 per year. Research assistantship appointments involve working on the research program of an individual faculty member, with whom an interested applicant should correspond directly. Teaching assistantships are available with similar 12-month stipends. Students with assistantships, fellowships and traineeships receive tuition waivers.
How, if Necessary, to Apply: Students are automatically considered for all forms of aid for which they are eligible. Research assistantships paid from research grants are at the discretion of individual faculty who should be contacted directly. Students can also get information about graduate funding from the Graduate Studies website http://www.fsu.edu/gradstudies/finances/index.shtml
Last revised April 2006
http://www.andp.org/programs/graduate/unitedstates/florida/fsu.htm
Directory of Neuroscience Training Programs
© 2007 Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs
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