Graduate Catalog
Program Coordinators
Associate Professor Probal Banerjee, PhD
Email: banerjee@mail.csi.cuny.edu
Telephone: 1.718.982.3938
Biological Sciences/Chemical Sciences Building (6S), Room 326
and
Professor Andrzej Wieraszko, PhD
Email: wieraszko@mail.csi.cuny.edu
Telephone: 1.718.982.3941
Department of Psychology's Website
MS in Neuroscience, Mental Retardation, and Developmental Disabilities website
*See the curriculum supplement for additions and changes to the program.
Biological Sciences/Chemical Sciences Building (6S), Room 324A
The Center for Developmental Neuroscience and Developmental Disabilities at the College and the New York State Institute for Basic Research on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities offer a broad interdisciplinary program leading to the Master of Science degree. Courses integrate relevant subject matter in the areas of biology, chemistry, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, and sociology, and students have a unique opportunity to explore both neuroscientific and applied aspects of the normally and abnormally developing brain, as well as recent advances in the cognitive sciences.
Admission Requirements
Students with bachelor's degrees in all fields may apply for admission provided they have taken two semesters of biology (with laboratory), two semesters of psychology, one semester of calculus, and one semester of statistics. Opportunities to remedy these deficiencies may be provided. Applicants are expected to have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (B) in their undergraduate biology, mathematics, psychology, or other science courses. Applicants will need to submit three letters of recommendation, as well as their scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Aptitude Test and the Advanced Test in either biology, psychology, or, by permission of the program coordinator, another field. (The CSI number for the GRE is 13619.) Students should submit their scores no later than February 1 for fall admission. Students with English as a second language must score 550 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Degree Requirements
The program consists of 37 credits: 31 credits in coursework and six credits of thesis research, an oral preliminary examination, and a thesis defense. Students must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (B) to remain in the program.
Required Courses
- BIO 605 Statistical Analysis
- NSM 701 Neurobiology I
- NSM 702 Neurobiology II
- NSM 703 Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities I
- NSM 704 Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities II
- NSM 705 Journal Seminar I, II, III, IV
- NSM 706 Research Methods
- NSM 707 Developmental Neuroscience
- NSM 708 Behavioral Genetics
- NSM 709 Foundations of Cognitive Science
- NSM 710 Learning
- NSM 798 Thesis Research I
- NSM 799 Thesis Research II
Alternative Courses
Other courses may be relevant to an individual student's educational goals, and students may be allowed to take alternatives from the graduate courses at the College of Staten Island and up to nine credits at the CUNY Graduate Center, approved in advance by the program coordinator.
Courses
NSM 701 Neurobiology I
3 hours; 3 credits
An introduction to neuroscience through lectures, readings, and demonstrations with emphasis on the components of the field and the important techniques used for studying the brain and brain-related phenomena. A research paper is required.
Prerequisites: Admission into the program or permission of the instructor and one year of undergraduate biology and psychology
NSM 702 Neurobiology II
3 hours; 3 credits
Selected topics concerning functional brain anatomy and mechanisms regulating the activity of nerve cells and their development in organisms ranging from drosophila through vertebrates. Biochemical characterization of components and of processes occurring in the nervous system. Cellular events involved in learning and memory. The molecular basis of diseases of the central nervous system. A research paper is required.
Prerequisite: NSM 701
NSM 703 Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities I
3 hours; 3 credits
Major issues in mental retardation and developmental disabilities, including the history of the field, definitions of relevant conditions (in principle and in practice), causes of mental retardation and developmental disabilities, epidemiology, description of the currently affected population, prevention, treatment, significant secondary disabilities (including problem behaviors and psychiatric conditions), determination of support needs, and state-of-the-art research strategies. A term paper is required.
Prerequisite: Admission into the program or permission of the instructor
NSM 704 Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities II
3 hours; 3 credits
Current issues in mental retardation and developmental disabilities, which may include consumer-centered planning, practice standards, early intervention, diagnostic labeling, balancing access to services and stigmatization, life span development, family planning, diagnostic and screening methods and their impact on public health, the determination of treatment efficacy, worldwide and U.S. perspectives on treatment and prevention, the impact of postmodern thinking.
Prerequisite: Admission to the program or permission of the instructor
NSM 705 Journal Seminar I-IV
1 hour; 0 credits
Reading and analysis of classical and current scientific papers in biology and psychology related to mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Student presentations (at least one per student each semester); slide preparation, data presentation, and computer methods, including spreadsheets and software.
Prerequisite: Admission into the program
NSM 706 Research Methods
3 hours; 3 credits
Methods of studying the nervous system at different levels of organization, including investigating the properties of neurons using electrophysiological, tissue culture, and staining procedures. Methods of studying behavior. Ethical issues of experimenting with animal and human populations. Model systems used to evaluate functional relations between different types of cells, structures, areas of the brain, and populations will be emphasized. A research paper is required.
Prerequisite: Admission into the program or permission of the instructor
NSM 707 Developmental Neuroscience
3 hours; 3 credits
The development of biological systems with particular attention to the development of the nervous system in organisms ranging from drosophila through vertebrates. Pattern formation and mechanistic solutions for particular neuronal functions from an evolutionary perspective. Phenotypic variation and evolutionary adaptability expressed on cellular and molecular levels. A research paper is required.
Prerequisite: NSM 701
NSM 708 Behavioral Genetics
3 hours; 3 credits
The heritability of complex psychological traits with attention to DNA structure, gene expression, Mendelian and non-Mendelian modes of inheritance, and the contribution of genetic endowment to traits such as mental retardation and other cognitive and developmental disabilities. Attention to issues such as genetic determinism, genetic risk, and nature versus nurture.
Prerequisite: NSM 702
NSM 709 Foundations of Cognitive Science
3 hours; 3 credits
Experimental techniques, methodological paradigms, and prevailing theories concerning brain function and behavior. The study of perception, language, and memory and their association with underlying brain function, with attention to neuralimaging techniques such as MRI, PET, SPECT, EEG, and MEG, which provide new approaches for investigating brain-behavior relationships. The neuralanatomical and neuralphysiological properties that underlie cognitive functions such as perception, imagery, language, memory, and attention. Research from classical cognitive psychology, neuropsychology (i.e., lesion studies), and functional brain imaging.
Prerequisites: NSM 701 and NSM 702
NSM 710 Learning
3 hours; 3 credits
Theories of learning with representative studies and applied behavior analysis, with attention to learning impairments in individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Introduction to advanced behavioral preparations designed to assess learning, with special emphasis on learning impairments related to mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Basic processes and animal models of impairment related to developmental processes and analysis of current research paradigms in several areas.
Prerequisite: Admission to the program or permission of the instructor
NSM 798 Master’s Thesis I
NSM 799 Master’s Thesis II
5 hours per credit; up to 3 credits a semester, for a total of up to 6
credits. May be repeated for credit. Research and thesis-writing under
the supervision of a mentor. Topics may be chosen from all areas
included in the program with the approval of the mentor and program
faculty. Hours and credits per semester may vary, with 15 hours and 3
credits the maximum per semester.
Prerequisites: NSM 706, NSM 702, and NSM 705
Pre- or corequisite: BIO 605 and NSM 703
