The Behavioral & Systems Neuroscience PhD program offers students the opportunity to receive world-class training in molecular, cellular, circuit, and behavioral approaches to modern neuroscience. Our research focused program places students in their prospective thesis labs from day one so they can start making discoveries as quickly as possible. This also helps to frame their graduate coursework in the context of the real scientific questions they are already pursuing. BSN labs work on human subjects and animal models including rats, mice, and birds using cutting edge techniques in molecular biology, behavioral analysis, optogenetics and DREADD technology, high-density multichannel in vivo electrophysiology, and optical neurophysiology. We are looking for graduate students who are driven to pursue neuroscience research with a systems or behavioral level focus, and aspire to become successful scientists. In the admissions process, students are evaluated with respect to their academic achievements, quality of previous research experience, and the clarity and insightfulness of research goals, as well as the goodness of fit between you and the program faculty.