Contact:
Herman K. Lehman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Hamilton College
Concentration in Neuroscience
198 College Hill Road
Clinton, NY 13323
Telephone: (315) 859-4298
FAX: (315) 859-4807
E-Mail: hlehman@hamilton.edu
WWW: http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/neuroscience
Total Number of Faculty at Institution: 189
Total Number of Students at Institution: 1,740
Female: 49.4%
U.S. Underrepresented Minorities: 10.6%
Asian or Pacific Islander: 3.6%
African American: 3%
Hispanic: 3.9%
Native American: .02%
Institution Admission Statistics:
SAT Score Range (25th Percentile - 75th Percentile)
Verbal: 580-670
Math: 580-670
Number of Applicants: 3,909
Number Accepted: 1,660
Program Established: 1976
Degree Offered: B.A.
Program Type: An interdisciplinary major in neuroscience administered by the Department of Biology and Psychology with courses required in biology, chemistry and psychology.
Program Description: The Hamilton College concentration in neuroscience has the objectives of providing liberal arts students with the most current information in brain-behavioral relationships and preparing them to pursue graduate work in the field. The current requirements for completion of the concentration include General Biology, General Chemistry, Introductory Psychology, Introduction to Brain and Behavior, Statistics in Psychological Research, Psychophysics and Sensory Physiology, Principles of Neuroscience, Neurochemistry, and one of a series of advanced courses offered in the Departments of Biology and Psychology. Available electives in recent years have included courses in human neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, neuroanatomy and hearing.
All students at Hamilton College undertake a senior research project, including a thesis and an oral presentation. Topics of previous senior projects in Neuroscience have included a broad spectrum of studies, ranging from molecular to behavioral, in a diverse group of organisms. For example, studies of invertebrate model systems have focused on the molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter synthesis, biogenic amine localization and metabolism, and the sites and actions of neuropeptides and amines. Studies with animal subjects have addressed behavioral effects of adenosine receptor stimulation in the midbrain, effects of electrical stimulation of the frontal cortex on neuronal activity in other areas of the brain, immunocytochemical studies of calcium-binding protein localization, and psychopharmacological studies of learning and memory in neonates. Human studies include tactile sensitivity in women as a function of stage of the menstrual cycle and psychophysiological studies of autonomic nervous system correlates of personality characteristics. Students often become involved in publishable research, either as part of their senior project or as summer research assistantships, and they have been co-authors on articles in journals including Behavioral Neuroscience, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Perception and Psychophysics, Journal of Experimental Zoology, Brain and Language, and Journal of Comparative Neurology.
The Department of Psychology contains laboratory facilities for neuroanatomical research, intracellular and extracellular single neuron recording, eye movement tracking, evoked potential recording, and tactile and auditory psychophysics. The Department of Biology contains fully equipped laboratories for cellular and molecular studies which includes HPLC systems with UV and electrochemical detectors, a capillary electrophoresis system, tissue culture facilities, and scanning and transmission electron microscopes. Both departments share a 1,000 square foot vivarium that contains a range of invertebrate and vertebrate species.
Admission Requirements: Candidates for admission should complete a formal secondary school program of at least 16 units, including a minimum of:
four years of English
three years of mathematics
two years of science
three years of one foreign language
Prospective students are selected on the basis of:
performance in high school
ability to profit from Hamilton's various programs
capacity to enrich college life in some fashion, be it scholastic or extracurricular
application form
secondary and mid-year school reports
teacher reference form
SAT or ACT results
Special talent form (optional)
Written essay
Graded sample of expository prose written for English or history course
Personal interview on campus is strongly recommended. Hamilton's Board of Admission also seeks to identify talented students from multicultural groups or from backgrounds unfavorable to the development of academic potential.
How, Where and When to Apply:
Information can
be obtained from:
Admissions Office
Hamilton College
198 College Hill Road
Clinton, NY 13323
Deadline: January 15
Annual Tuition Fees and Costs: $26,100
Approximate Cost of Living Per Year: $1,300
Housing Availability and Costs Per Year: $6,440 (Includes room and board)
Financial Assistance: A Hamilton student with financial need may benefit from one or several types of assistance: Hamilton scholarships, loans or jobs; New York State and federal scholarships, grants and loans; and various non-college awards made directly to the individual by private organizations.
Last revised
April 9, 2003
http://www.andp.org/programs/undergraduate/unitedstates/newyork/hamilto.htm
Directory of Neuroscience Training Programs
© 2007 Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs
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