Not all neuroscientists need a license. If you don’t wish to work directly with patients and prefer instead to focus on research, then you won’t need a medical license. If you want to become a clinical neuroscientist who works with patients, then you’ll need a medical license.4
To become a neuroscientist, you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree, followed by a master’s degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). If you intend on working with patients, you will need to earn a degree from medical school and a physician’s license.4
Some future neuroscientists may major in neuroscience, while others major in biology.4 If you think you might like to go to medical school, choose a Bachelor of Science in Biology with an Emphasis in Pre-Medicine.
You can also choose a pre-med concentration even if you’re not quite sure yet whether you want to go into clinical or cognitive neuroscience; there is no obligation to go to medical school simply because you chose a pre-med degree.
The types of classes you’ll take will depend on the specific degree you’ve chosen. In general, however, you can expect to study topics such as the following:
- Biological concepts, structures and functions, including cell components and life cycles
- Fundamentals of chemistry, including chemical bonding and chemical structures
- Medical terminology to facilitate professional communication
- Biochemical principles, such as chemical reactivity, kinetics, thermodynamics and membrane structure
- Psychopharmacology, which explores the effects of drugs on a person’s behavior and mind
- Psychology, behavior and cognition
After graduating with your Bachelor of Science degree (BS), your next step is to earn a graduate degree — either a master’s degree or jumping ahead directly to your PhD.4 Your graduate degree program should be more tightly focused on your intended career.
A PhD program in neuroscience will be an in-depth exploration of advanced topics in the field, ranging from neurotoxicology to phase plane neural oscillator analysis. A typical PhD program begins with coursework followed by a major exam before you get to work on your dissertation. Completing your dissertation will involve designing and conducting your own original research. After earning your doctoral degree, you’ll complete one or more postdoctoral programs. These are research-intensive positions that sometimes also involve teaching.
Alternatively, you may elect to go to medical school instead of earning a PhD. You’ll need to pass the medical licensing exam and complete clinical experience hours to become a medical doctor.4