Area Coordinator: Dr. Lisa Savage
The Behavioral Neuroscience program at Binghamton University is unique in several respects.
The Behavioral Neuroscience program at Binghamton University offers intense research experience throughout the student's graduate training. Coursework appropriate to the student's field of interest is emphasized in the first several years and specialized seminars are available throughout the student's graduate career. A relatively unique aspect of the environment at Binghamton University is the extensive network of collaborative research projects among our research laboratories and also between our own faculty/students and researchers outside Binghamton University, including several foreign scientific groups.
We do not believe that all graduate students should fit into one and the same "mold." Graduate training in our program is individualized for each of our graduate trainees. No two students take all the same courses or engage in the same research activities. Students choose their areas of study for the qualifying exam in collaboration with their graduate mentor.
Our program is also designed to foster collegiality and cooperation among labs. We support students conducting collaborative research across laboratories within our department or with other programs at Binghamton University.
The Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience is funded by Binghamton University and brings together many faculty and graduate students with developmental interests from multiple research backgrounds within the Behavioral Neuroscience area. Both the Center and the Department frequently sponsor guest scientists as colloquium speakers or as visiting researchers.
The Behavioral Neuroscience program is highly selective, accepting only a few students each year. Students are supported with tuition waivers and teaching or research stipends, with minimal work requirement for fulfillment. This allows students to devote a large amount of time to their own research and education. Given satisfactory progress, financial support may be expected throughout the graduate training. While prior academic performance, test scores, and letters of recommendation are considered by the faculty, another important factor for admission is a convergence of research interests between prospective students and the faculty.
