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Program Details
In Carleton’s Neuroscience and Mental Health (BSc) program, you’ll study the nervous system, including molecules, cells, tissues and whole organisms, to understand the relationships between thought and action, sensation and behaviour, stimulus and emotion, and to further define the basis of neurological disease and mental health.
Be at the Forefront of innovation
Carleton’s specialized Neuroscience courses start in the first year of your degree. Our tight-knit student community actively collaborates with faculty on research into mental health and disease, focusing on topics including stress, neurodegeneration, nutrition and metabolism, transgenerational effects of trauma among Indigenous peoples, environmental factors impacting brain development and mechanisms of pain modulation.
Work Experience
Our department is part of a larger community of neuroscientists in the Ottawa-area with active research groups. This local network translates into opportunities for students to work with our community partners through Co-op, volunteering and formal research collaborations.
State-of-the-Art Facilities and Equipment
Theoretical concepts covered by our innovative courses are brought to life through cutting-edge labs where students engage in activities like neuron activity recording, brain tissue dissection and imaging, and disease modelling in cell cultures.
Benefit from flexibility in course selection and a variety of minors. A BSc in Neuroscience and Biology (Combined Honours) is also available if you are looking for an enriched focus on advanced biology and hands-on laboratory experiences, as well as more research opportunities in Biology labs.
Get started in Carleton360 to receive tailored information on our programs, student services and community.
Career Outcomes
Explore your passions, refine new skills and discover the career that’s right for you.
At the end of your degree, you’ll have gained the needed experience for a wide range of employment opportunities.
Sample Courses
NEUR 1202 - Neuroscience of Mental Health and Psychiatric Disease
Clinical symptoms of psychiatric disease, including biological, developmental, experiential and environmental factors that contribute to disease. Topics may include depressive and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, autism, ADHD, anorexia, narcolepsy, and substance use disorders.
NEUR 3403 - Stress and Mental Health
Stressful events can have profound repercussions on physical and psychological well-being. This course examines the psychosocial and biological processes by which stressors predispose to both physical (immune-related disorders, diabetes, heart disease) and psychological (acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety) pathologies.
Visit the Undergraduate Calendar to view a comprehensive list of course offerings for this program and discover the exciting things Carleton students are learning in the classroom!
I knew I wanted to help others — either directly through practicing medicine or indirectly through research. The Neuroscience and Mental Health program positions me well to travel either path. The Dean’s Summer Research Internship gave me the privilege of working alongside a professor on several community-based research projects. I travelled to Northwestern Ontario to learn from and build relationships with youth from diverse backgrounds. I also currently work for the Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement as a peer mentor in the Community Partners stream. It was through these experiences that I discovered my passion for medicine and it’s my goal to become a physician.
