The interdisciplinary research programs of Yale neuroscience faculty are central to Yale's Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (INP). This unique, broad-based training program can best be described as a "department without walls," with the primary purpose of providing students with a maximum of diversity and depth in the most important areas of neuroscience research. The training program draws on the knowledge and expertise of 99 faculty members, representing 20 departments in both the Faculty of Arts and Science and the School of Medicine, ranging from psychiatry to pharmacology, from cell biology to computer science. Although each faculty member has strong department affiliations, the INP faculty functions as a cohesive and collaborative unit whose aim is to foster in graduate students an appreciation of and familiarity with the breadth of neuroscience and to create an environment in which students are encouraged to study problems from several perspectives.
The INP seeks to produce neuroscientists with both specialized knowledge and a broad-based understanding of the discipline. This is accomplished in part through a core curriculum which is designed to ensure a comprehensive understanding of modern neuroscience. Students will also complete at least two laboratory rotations in different areas of neuroscience. These basic requirements, in addition to bi-weekly journal clubs, a seminar series and an annual three-day research retreat, expose students to the multi-disciplinary nature of the field in a highly interactive environment.
The INP requires that students complete the following four Neuroscience courses:
Students must complete three additional core Neuroscience courses, which will be chosen from the following list:
At the completion of a course, students are normally assigned a grade of Honors, High Pass, Pass or Fail. Seminar or research courses are usually graded either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Graduate School requires that Ph.D. students obtain a minimum of two grades of Honors in regular term courses by the end of the second year of study. Tutorials, informal seminars, research courses and term courses having fewer than 3 credit hours cannot be used to fulfill the Honors requirement.
Laboratory rotations are considered an essential component to interdisciplinary training, and each student is required to complete two rotations by the end of his/her third semester. The rotations should be in different laboratories and, preferably, in different areas of Neuroscience from at least two departments. At least one of these must be in the lab of an INP faculty member. The minimum duration of a rotation is one semester or a full summer. Each rotation should be long enough to allow the student to gain technical expertise and an appreciation of the practical aspects of an area of Neuroscience. The laboratory rotations can serve the dual functions of broadening a student's background and helping in the choice of a future thesis advisor. Should a particular laboratory not meet the needs of a student, he/she is encouraged to consider moving to another lab.
A primary objective of an interdisciplinary program is training well-rounded students. The qualifying examination is viewed as one means of obtaining that goal. The Graduate School requires that "A general oral or written qualifying examination, separate from course examinations must be passed by the student in the major subject offered and such subordinate subjects as may be required by the department concerned." The INP qualifying examination involves both a written and an oral component.
The Graduate School requires that all students submit a brief outline of proposed thesis work before beginning the seventh semester. Students will not be allowed to register for the fourth year of study without an approved prospectus. This prospectus should consist of a written summary of research accomplished and planned, together with a tentative title for the thesis. This must be approved by the Directors in consultation with the thesis advisor.
Students who have satisfied the INP course requirements and the Graduate School Honors requirement and have successfully completed the qualifying exam, will be formally admitted to Candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The Graduate School requires that this be completed before the beginning of the seventh semester.
All INP students are required to present a public seminar of their thesis research. This seminar is to be immediately followed by a closed oral defense of the student's thesis research.
The minimal residence requirement for the graduate school is three years; the maximum period of enrollment for the Ph.D. degree is normally six years. Maximum time may be extended by a special petition, but only if all requirements for the Ph.D. except for the completion of research and submission of the dissertation have been fulfilled.
An important aim of the INP is to provide students with teaching experience. Students are required to complete two semesters of
teaching. This requirement needs to be completed during his/her tenure during graduate school.