Is neuroscience a good major?

Hi there,

I'm a software engineer, but I majored in Neuroscience in college. I loved it!

I'll try to answer each one of your questions:

Are there many job opportunities in neuroscience?

There are!

If you're really into the science behind neuroscience and want to possibly make groundbreaking discoveries in the field, you can pursue neuroscience research. This would involved going to graduate school, publishing research, getting a Ph.D., and maybe even starting a lab or being a professor.

If instead you're really into using your knowledge or expertise in neuroscience to help humans in a medical capacity, you can become a neurologist or neurosurgeon. A neurologist specializes in medical conditions relating to the brain or nervous system (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc.). A neurosurgeon performs surgeries specifically on the brain or nervous system. Both these jobs require you to complete medical school (4 years), then an internship/residency afterwards that can vary in length.

Also, just because you major in neuroscience doesn't mean that you have to do something neuroscience related as a job. You learn a lot of biological/anatomical/physiological concepts that provide background knowledge for a lot of biological or health-related fields. Also, a lot of neuroscience majors take courses in related fields such as psychology or cognitive science, which have more of a sociological or anthropological angle.

Is there a lot of room for growth in the field of neuroscience?

Definitely! Since there is so much about the brain that is unknown or undiscovered, the possibilities are endless. New discoveries are being made and new technologies are being invented all the time.

If you majored in neuroscience, are you happy with your choice of major?

I'm definitely happy that I majored in Neuroscience. I was (and still am) fascinated by the brain, and majoring in Neuroscience was a chance for me to not only learn the intricate details and secrets of the most complex organ in existence but also to gawk at the sheer potential for new discovery. I highly recommend it!

Hi Alexandra!

Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary science that works closely with other disciplines, such as mathematics, linguistics, engineering, computer science, chemistry, philosophy, psychology, and medicine.

Neuroscientists study the cellular, functional, behavioral, evolutionary, computational, molecular, cellular, and medical aspects of the nervous system. There are various fields that focus on different aspects, but they often overlap.

Neuroscience affects many, if not all, human functions, but it also contributes to a better understanding of a wide range of common conditions.

These include:

• Down syndrome
• autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)
• ADHD
• addiction
• schizophrenia
• Parkinson's disease
• brain tumors
• epilepsy
• the effects of stroke, for example, language loss
• immune system disorders, such as multiple sclerosis

A greater understanding of neurological factors can help in developing medications and other strategies to treat and prevent these and many other health issues.

Neuroscience is a new and important field with implications for every aspect of how people move, think, and behave. </span>People who join this profession need to have an interest in science and math. Most neuroscientists start out by completing a bachelor's degree in neuroscience before then pursuing a PhD.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary of a medical scientist, including neuroscientists, in 2016 was $80,530. Salaries ranged from a low of $57,000 to a high of $116,840.

Source:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248680.php

Absolutely! The field is growing rapidly and no one fully understands the function of the human brain yet entirely. If you want to see a cool neuroscience major, check out “sixpenceee” on tumblr.com and instagram! :)