Prospective Students
Choosing where to study neuroscience means choosing the kind of experience you want as a student. At Virginia Tech, neuroscience majors join a close-knit academic community within a major research university, combining personal mentorship and individualized support with access to research, specialized training, and exciting career-building opportunities.
Our interdisciplinary program helps students understand the nervous system from molecules to behavior while preparing for a wide range of futures. We challenge students to rise to their full potential, developing the knowledge, discipline, and independence that make them competitive for the workforce, medical and health-related professional programs, and advanced degrees.
Why Us?
Prepare for what's next
One of the most distinctive features of our program is the opportunity to connect classroom learning to real-world neuroscience and medicine. Virginia Tech is one of the only neuroscience programs in the nation to offer students a classroom experience that includes entering a real operating room to observe brain surgery on humans.
Find your place
Neuroscience students at Virginia Tech gain early opportunities to engage in undergraduate research, faculty-mentored projects, summer research experiences, conference presentations, and other hands-on learning. With dedicated teacher-scholars and the resources of a major research university, students benefit from a close-knit program that builds confidence, independence, and practical skills. This experience provides strong preparation for medical school, graduate study, and a wide range of professional careers.
Discover through research
At Virginia Tech, students do not just learn about discovery. They have opportunities to take part in it.
Neuroscience students can pursue undergraduate research, faculty-mentored projects, summer research experiences, conference presentations, and other forms of experiential learning that build confidence and prepare them for future careers.
Just as important, students benefit from strong mentorship throughout the program through faculty guidance, academic advising, specialized support programs, and a vibrant student community.
Think across disciplines
Our interdisciplinary program helps students understand the nervous system from molecules to behavior while preparing for a wide range of futures. We challenge students to rise to their full potential, developing the knowledge, discipline, and independence that make them competitive for the workforce, medical and health-related professional programs, and advanced degrees.
Build Technical Skills
A defining strength of the program is hands-on training. In our program, students in the very first laboratory course are taught basic research surgical skills and perform mock stereotaxic surgeries, gaining early exposure to techniques that set our program apart.
These experiences are designed to build technical skills, strengthen scientific thinking, and show students how neuroscience is studied in real settings. They also help students discover their strengths, refine their goals, and develop the confidence that comes from meeting high expectations.
Neuroscience:
A flexible, research-focused pathway for students interested in laboratory science, biotechnology, and discovery-driven research.
Clinical Neuroscience:
Designed for students pursuing medicine and the health professions, with strong preparation for clinical and patient-centered careers.
Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience: Ideal for students interested in behavior, thought, memory, decision-making, and the relationship between brain and behavior.
Computational and Systems Neuroscience:
Designed for students interested in coding, modeling, artificial intelligence, quantitative analysis, and neurotechnology.
Where a Neuroscience Degree Can Lead
A neuroscience degree from Virginia Tech can prepare students for many different futures, including
• Medicine and the health professions
• Biomedical research and academia
• Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
• Data science and computational fields
• Clinical psychology and behavioral health
• Science policy, law, and other professional pathways
Your Future Starts Here
If you're curious about how the brain works and driven by discovery, Virginia Tech is an exceptional place to study neuroscience.
Our program combines rigorous academics with hands-on experiences rarely found elsewhere. Students can observe live brain surgeries in the operating room and, in their first laboratory course, develop essential research skills by performing mock stereotaxic surgeries.
These immersive experiences build technical expertise, strengthen scientific thinking, and prepare students for careers in research, healthcare, and beyond. Along the way, students benefit from personalized mentorship, early research opportunities, and our Premedical Scholars Program, which helps aspiring physicians become more competitive medical school applicants
Make sure to follow us on all platforms to stay up to date on the latest announcements, program news, student highlights, and important updates!
School of Neuroscience
Undergraduate Program
Email: neuroadvising@vt.edu
Phone: 540-231-7995
Fax: 540-231-1475