All applications for the Brown Neuroscience Graduate Program must be submitted online at the Brown Graduate School website. Candidates interested in applying for the Brown-NIH Partnership Program must complete an online application at the NIH Graduate Partnership Program website.

All application materials must be submitted by December 1 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

The application fee is $75. However, US Citizens or permanent residents who can demonstrate either financial need or participation in certain specialized programs may apply for an application waiver.

GRE scores are not required as part the application. International students, with some exceptions, must submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

The GRE reporting code for Brown University is 3094 and the Neuroscience Department code for Neuroscience is 0213. The TOEFL reporting code for Brown University is 3094 and the Neuroscience Department code is 30

The NSGP evaluates applicants holistically rather than through any single metric. The Admissions Committee reads each application as a whole, weighing academic progress, research experience, and recommendations together rather than ranking candidates on any one measure. This approach, combined with the Committee's explicit commitment to recruiting an interdisciplinary cohort with varied scientific interests, allows NSGP to identify applicants from varied academic paths and life experiences who have the intellectual independence, resilience, and collaborative skill the Program's demanding, multidisciplinary training requires. Thus, applicants who show not just academic aptitude, but the research experience, resilience, and collaborative capacity to complete that path are typically successful. 

Matriculating students are expected to hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant scientific discipline (such as biology, psychology, neurobiology, chemistry, physics, applied mathematics, engineering, or computer science) but there are no fixed course prerequisites; applicants whose backgrounds lack certain topics can take additional coursework once enrolled.

Admission decisions begin rolling out in early March.

Target enrollment for the Program is 10 to 12 students.

Our students will receive a competitive stipend, tuition, health insurance, and health services fee. Students also receive a one-time transitional stipend at the beginning of graduate study to help defray the cost of moving to Providence and transitioning to Brown.

All Neuroscience graduate students attend conferences each year. Travel funding support comes the Office of Biology Doctoral Education.

Health insurance is covered by the program and Brown University. The health insurance benefits are described on the Graduate School website. 

The Neuroscience Graduate Program (NSGP), part of the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University, provides advanced study for academic and research careers in neuroscience. Students receive broad, multidisciplinary training with a strong foundation in core concepts, skills, methodologies, and advanced comprehension of the scientific literature, undertaking a core curriculum that spans genes, cells, systems, cognition, translational neuroscience, and diseases of the nervous system. At every stage, the Program integrates skills considered essential for a successful, independent research career including critical thinking and reasoning, effective science writing and oral presentation, knowledge of scientific review processes, and training in research ethics. The Program is training independent scientists for a demanding, multi-year course of study which includes coursework, comprehensive exams, a preliminary examination, a defended thesis proposal, and an original dissertation.

On average, Neuroscience graduate students at Brown University complete their thesis work in 5.9 years.

View timeline to the PhD

Please see the coursework page for details.

View Courses and Degree Requirements

A laboratory rotation usually consists of a one semester research project under the supervision of a Program faculty advisor. Lab rotations allow students to experience the scientific research, environment, and mentorship style in several labs before joining a particular lab for their thesis work. Students are usually required to complete two lab rotations in their first year.

View Courses and Degree Requirements

Typically, graduate students select their Thesis Advisor prior to the start of their second year of study. Only approved faculty trainers in the Neuroscience Graduate Program can serve as thesis advisors. New faculty members can be added to the list of approved trainers after review by the Steering Committee.

More about the Thesis Committee

Neuroscience Graduate Program students serve as teaching assistants for one semester in their second year. This teaching requirement ensures that students understand the importance of, and challenges associated with, teaching in the academic setting. Students interested in additional teaching experience may enhance their teaching capabilities by joining activities sponsored by Brown University’s Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning.

More about teaching requirements