Program overview
All graduate students in the Cognitive and Brain Sciences Program receive hands-on training in state-of-the-art cognitive neuroscience approaches including psychophysics, eye-tracking, electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging, transcranial direct current stimulation, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, and patient-based research.
The Graduate Program offers programs of study leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Students are given a strong foundation in current theory and methods and have the opportunity to specialize within a number of substantive areas of research that include:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Memory
- Perception
- Attention
- Color Vision
- Consciousness
- Adaptation and Plasticity
- Neuropsychology
- Face Recognition
- Brain Organization in Developmental Disabilities
- Comparative and Developmental Vision
- Human Factors in Aviation
Research
The Cognitive and Brain Sciences Program employs a mentor model approach to research training - upon admission to the graduate program, students enter into the laboratory of their primary faculty advisor. From the beginning, students work closely with their advisor on well-defined research projects, with the goal of developing a programmatic line of research, ultimately leading to a dissertation, and laying the foundation upon which a career in research can be built. As the student progresses through the program, they are encouraged to establish collaborative ties with other program faculty. Funding is available in the form of research assistantships to support graduate research.
Teaching
Students within the Cognitive and Brain Sciences program are eligible for funded teaching assistantships, allowing them to serve as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses taught by CBS faculty. Teaching assistants work closely with the faculty instructor to develop the teaching skills necessary to deliver high-quality undergraduate education. Upon receipt of the M.S. degree, students are eligible to be the instructor of record, teaching their own undergraduate courses. CBS faculty assist in developing these classes, will sit-in on lectures, and provide constructive feedback, further developing the student's teaching skills.
Community
The Cognitive and Brain Sciences program strives to provide our students a rich intellectual and social community in which to thrive. Incoming classes of approximately five students join a supportive student-driven community that organizes the Cognitive and Brain Sciences (contact: westudybrains@gmail.com) and Graduate Students for the Advancement of Neuroscience (contact: gtfairchild@nevada.unr.edu) clubs, the Cognitive and Brain Sciences talk series, and participates in the renowned Brain Awareness Week Reno area outreach program.
