phd educational neuroscience online

Educational Neuroscience (Ph.D.)

Join a world leader in educational neuroscience and gain a better understanding of how the brain learns. Deepen knowledge about developmental, cognitive, and affective processes while contributing to the design of educational interventions and policies.

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Program Overview

Housed within the Vanderbilt Neuroscience Graduate Program , our program offers an unparalleled platform from which students can become expert in neuroscience research methods ranging from single-cell recording in primates through to functional magnetic resonance imaging in children. World-class neuroimaging facilities at the Vanderbilt University Institute for Imaging Sciences (VUIIS) combine with an array of the world's leading neuroscientists, making Vanderbilt an international hub for cutting-edge neuroscience research.

Educational Neuroscience is distinguished from traditional cognitive neuroscience by its focus on research questions that have direct educational relevance. Ideal candidates will typically be learning sciences, psychology or neuroscience graduates and will have some form of research experience. Preference will be given to students whose research interests closely align with a specific primary advisor. Faculty advisors are neuroscience training faculty affiliated with the Vanderbilt Brain Institute with a stated emphasis in educational neuroscience.

Program Structure and Requirements

Program Facts

Program Director: James Booth Education Coordinator: Ally Jacobs Admission Term: Fall Credit Hours: 72 Application Deadline: December 1

Brain Development Lab

Education and Brain Sciences Lab

Numerical Brain Lab

Multisensory Lab

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PhD in Educational Neuroscience

The  PhD in Educational Neuroscience  (PEN) Program at Gallaudet University is inviting prospective students to apply to our Ph.D. program to start in Fall 2022. This doctoral program is a research-focused program where students develop a specific research focus, conducting supervised research within their mentor's lab as well as developing their own lines of research through independent research projects. Students accepted into the program receive four years of funding as follows: tuition scholarship for up to the domestic rate + $25,200 annual stipend + health insurance option. 

We actively encourage applications from diverse applicants, including deaf and hard of hearing students, students with disabilities, and students from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Educational Neuroscience is a growing field that focuses on children's learning and cognitive development. Meaningful discoveries will be communicated with society. Students in our pioneering, bilingual American Sign Language-English program gain state-of-the-art cognitive neuroscience training in how humans learn, with a focus on the neuroplasticity of visual learning.

Students in the PEN program become experts in at least one cutting edge cognitive neuroscience method (e.g., fNIRS, EEG, fMRI), study neuroethics, and gain strong critical analysis and reasoning skills in science. Students will develop their own research project under close mentorship from faculty while becoming experts in both neuroimaging and behavioral experimental science. 

As an interdisciplinary program housed in VL2, PEN enjoys a close relationship with its national resource hubs:

• Action & Brain Lab (ABL)
• Brain and Language Center for Neuroimaging  (BL2)
• Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab (CAN)
• Early Education and Literacy Lab  (EL2)
• Motion Light Lab  (ML2)
• Numeracy and Educational Neuroscience Lab (NENS)
• Translation in the Science of Learning Lab  (TL2)

PEN students benefit from Gallaudet University’s local university consortium, which provides students access to courses taught in the Washington, D.C. area, and a national network of cognitive neuroscience labs throughout the world.

PEN students can expect to receive fellowship support through a combination of University and grant funding, direct mentoring support from individual advisors, and opportunities to apply for additional resources through a fund managed by the VL2 Student Network.

Ready to take the plunge? Start your  online application   TODAY!

For information on how to apply and admission criteria, visit  our application requirements page . ​​Contact us at  [email protected] .

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Fully-funded phd positions in educational neuroscience @ gallaudet university.

The PhD in Educational Neuroscience (PEN) Program at Gallaudet University is inviting prospective students to apply to our Ph.D. program to start in Fall 2021. The program provides four years of full funding (tuition scholarships + $25,200 annual stipend + health insurance option).

Educational Neuroscience is a growing field which focuses on vital aspects of learning in the developing child with a disciplinary commitment to communicate discoveries in ways that are meaningful for societal benefit. Students in our pioneering, bilingual American Sign Language-English program gain state-of-the-art cognitive neuroscience training in how humans learn, with a focus on the neuroplasticity of visual learning processes. PEN students become experts in at least one cutting-edge cognitive neuroscience method (e.g., fNIRS, EEG, fMRI), study neuroethics, gain strong critical analysis and reasoning skills in science, receive leadership training through the VL2 Student Network to become academic/professional leaders on the world stage, and develop their own research program under close mentorship from our faculty. While becoming experts in both neuroimaging and behavioral experimental science, students also learn powerful and principled ways that science can be translated for the benefit of education and society.

We actively encourage applications from diverse applicants, including deaf and hard of hearing students, students with disabilities, and students from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds.

PEN is an interdisciplinary program housed in the National Science Foundation-Gallaudet University Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2) and enjoys a close relationship with its four national resource hubs: Petitto Brain and Language Laboratory for Neuroimaging (BL2), Early Education and Literacy Lab (EL2), Motion Light Laboratory (ML2), and Translation in the Science of Learning Lab (TL2.)

PEN students also benefit from Gallaudet University’s local university consortium, which provides students access to courses taught in the Washington D.C. area. PEN students also have access to a national network of more than 20 cognitive neuroscience labs throughout the world, through formal Memoranda of Understanding.

PEN students can expect to receive fellowship support through a combination of University and grant funding, direct mentoring support from individual advisors, and opportunities to apply for additional resources through a fund managed by the VL2 Student Network.

The PEN program faculty and directors consist of:

Dr. Laura-Ann Petitto (Chair, PEN Steering Committee)

Focus: bilingualism in the brain, biological bases of language, language acquisition, cognitive neuroscience, fNIRS, thermal infrared camera, and eye tracking.

Petitto Brain and Language Laboratory for Neuroimaging (BL2)

Dr. Thomas Allen (Program Director)

Focus: deaf education, statistics, psychometrics, longitudinal research. Early Education and Literacy Lab (EL2)

Dr. Melissa Herzig (Assistant Program Director)

Focus: translation of science, assessment, literacy development. Translation in the Science of Learning Lab

Dr. Lorna Quandt (Assistant Professor)

Focus: action, gesture, embodied cognition, visual perception, EEG, virtual reality. Action & Brain Lab

Dr. Ilaria Berteletti (Assistant Professor)

Focus: math and numeracy in the brain, fMRI. Numeracy and Educational Neuroscience Laboratory

Dr. Rachel Pizzie (Assistant Professor)

Focus: emotion and anxiety in academic environments, psychophysiology, fMRI. Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab

Ready to take the plunge? Start your online application TODAY!

For information on how to apply and admission criteria, visit our application requirements page. Contact us at [email protected] .

Have any questions about our application or program? Text Heidi Z. Foster, Graduate Admissions Counselor @ (202) 751-3131

The deadline to apply for the PEN program is February 15, 2021. Early applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

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Neuroscience Education

Harvard delivers neuroscience education and training at multiple levels.

Graduate Programs

The Harvard PhD Program in Neuroscience (known as PiN) is an interdepartmental PhD program that offers options for thesis research throughout Harvard, including labs at Harvard Medical School, the Cambridge campus and Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals. Currently there are over 150 affiliated faculty members and over 100 students enrolled in PiN. These students come from diverse scientific, personal and cultural backgrounds. 

Harvard also offers these related graduate programs:

• Harvard PhD in Molecules, Cells & Organisms
• Harvard PhD in Biological and Biomedical Sciences
• Harvard PhD in Biophysics
• Secondary PhD Field in Mind, Brain & Behavior
• Harvard Graduate School of Education (GSE),   Ed.M in Mind, Brain & Education 
• Harvard Systems Biology PhD Program
• Immunology PhD Program at Harvard Medical School concentration in Neuroimmunology

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate students have a variety of opportunities to explore neurobiology and neuroscience.  Harvard offers undergraduate general studies courses in neurobiology, as well as majors or concentrations across disciplines related to the brain sciences.

• Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences Courses in Neurobiology 
• Neurobiology Concentration
• Mind, Brain & Behavior Track or Secondary
• Life Science Concentrations for Undergraduates

Welcome to Stanford Neurosciences

The Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program (IDP) offers interdisciplinary training leading to a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. The primary goal of the program is to train students to become leaders in neuroscience research, education and outreach. Graduates of the program will be innovators, investigators, and teachers whose programs and pursuits are founded on research. The signature feature of the Stanford Neurosciences IDP is the combination of outstanding faculty researchers and exceedingly bright, energetic students in a community that shares a firm and longstanding commitment to understanding the nervous system at all its levels of function.

Program News

Admissions Information Session

Join us virtually to learn more about the Stanford Neurosciences PhD program and the admissions process.

Monday, October 2, 2023

11:00 am - 12:00 pm PST

Registration:  https://stanford.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pD6dbNZZTpyFF8mlFAxNYQ

Thank You, 2022-23 Student Reps and Committee Members!

2022-23 was a busy and engaging year in the program. Thank you to the Student Reps and Committee Members who led the way in bringing the community together!

Krishna Shenoy, engineer who reimagined how the brain makes the body move, dies at 54

Shenoy was a pioneer of neuroprosthetics, a field that paired chips implanted in the brain with algorithms able to decipher the chatter between neurons, allowing people with paralysis to control computers and mechanical limbs with their thoughts. Read more

Virtual Information Session - Monday, October 3, 2022

Virtual Information Session - Monday, October 4, 2021

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Tirin Moore wins 2021 Pradel Research Award

Dr. Shah elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg elected to National Academy of Medicine

Incorporating Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Training for our incoming class

Thomas R. Clandinin elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Kevin Guttenplan recognized by Biosciences Excellence in Teaching Award

Karl Deisseroth wins 2020 Heineken Prize for Medicine 

Daniel Cardozo Pinto wins Gilliam Prize 

President Marc Tessier-Lavigne donates Gruber Neuroscience Prize money to support Neuro grads who are under-represented 

The Educational Neuroscience Initiative at the  Stanford Graduate School of Education  is aimed at creating a new form of actionable research that links school-based educational innovation with advances in the neuroscience of emerging math and reading.

We partner with  local schools  to bring unique neuroscience learning opportunities to students, and explore how changes in the brain's neural circuitry support emerging skills that are foundational to education, and how school experiences help to change, shape and tune brain circuitry that are critical to the emergence of the educated mind.  Embedding EEG research within schools and infusing developmental cognitive neuroscience insights into educational approaches provide the basis for the new form of research we call Educational Neuroscience. 

This initiative also supports cutting-edge developments in the use of  Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEP)  and  Reliable Components Analysis  to track changes in neural circuits over the course of schooling experiences, as well as novel ways of connecting large scale developmental cognitive neuroscience datasets with corresponding evidence of educational opportunity, inequity, and change.

Brainwave Learning Center

Middle School Research Assistant Program

Recent news, putting neuroscience in the classroom: how the brain changes as we learn.

Bruce and Liz's article on neuroscience in the classroom is out on PEW Trend Magazine.

April 13, 2020

Educational Neuroscience on "Science of Reading: The Podcast"

Bruce talks about combining neuroscience with education on Amplify's "Science of Reading" podcast.

March 18, 2020

Stanford GSE features the Brainwave Learning Center

The Brainwave Learning Center at Synapse School is featured in an article published by the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

August 07, 2019

Neuroscience, PhD

School of medicine.

The Department of Neuroscience offers an interdisciplinary program designed to train doctoral students for independent research and teaching in neuroscience. It is the goal of the program to ensure that candidates for the Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. degrees obtain a background covering molecular, cellular, systems, and cognitive approaches to neuroscience, as well as receive training that brings them to the forefront of research in their particular area of interest. A series of core courses in neuroscience, along with advanced electives, seminar series, laboratory rotations, and original independent dissertation research, form the Neuroscience Graduate Training Program.

Students enter the program from different backgrounds and the laboratories in which they elect to work cover different disciplines; therefore, the program is tailored to fit the needs of individual students. The academic year at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is divided into four quarters plus a summer semester. Courses are designed so that students have ample time to become involved in laboratory rotations. These laboratory rotations expose the student to a variety of current research techniques in neuroscience and provide an opportunity for the student to select a laboratory in which to conduct dissertation research. Scheduling of the three rotations is adjusted to make the most convenient schedule for each student. The rotations are usually completed by the end of the first full year in the program. Most students begin their thesis research at the beginning of their second year.

For more information, please visit The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience webpage: http://neuroscience.jhu.edu.

Financial Aid

The program provides tuition remission plus a stipend at or above the National Institutes of Health Predoctoral level for all students. All entering and first-year students are encouraged to apply for individual fellowships such as those sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Vivien Thomas PhD Scholars at JHU The  Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI)  is a new endowed fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for PhD students in STEM fields. It provides full tuition, stipend, and benefits while also providing targeted mentoring, networking, community, and professional development opportunities. Students who have attended a historically black college and university ( HBCU ) or other minority serving institution (MSI) for undergraduate study are eligible to apply. More information about the VTSI program is available at this link:  https://provost.jhu.edu/about/vivien-thomas-scholars-initiative/ . To be considered for the VTSI, all application and supplementary materials must be received by  December 1st .

Admission Requirements

We use a holistic approach to evaluating applicants and look forward to reading your application. We are most enthusiastic about applicants who have taken full advantage of the opportunities available at their undergraduate institution and through other summer or postbac experiences. Our class size is typically ~18 students per year.

Applicants are expected to have received a B.S. or B.A. prior to enrolling in the graduate program. Laboratory research experience prior to enrollment is also desirable. If you have research experience, please describe your research in your Statement of Interest and Career Objectives and indicate the number of months engaged in full-time and part-time research on your CV. Students who do well in our program typically have a strong academic foundation in areas of biological or physical sciences. Some of the courses that prepare students well include general biology, neuroscience, mathematics through calculus, general physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, statistics, engineering, or computer science.

NOTE: The Neuroscience Program DOES NOT require GRE scores. 

Program Requirements

A year-long core course provides an integrated overview of molecular and cellular neuroscience, neuroanatomy and systems, and cognitive neuroscience. This course is aimed at providing Neuroscience graduate students with a foundation for posing meaningful questions in their area of interest.  During the first two years, students are required to take 6 graduate level core courses that provide rigorous training in principles of neuroscience research. In addition, students in the first year attend research symposia and complete lab rotations to introduce them to research. Students in the program are also required to participate in core program activities such as seminars, journal clubs, a quantitative analysis boot camp, career development courses and various program events. In addition, each student selects advanced electives offered by members of the Neuroscience Training Program or other departments at the Medical School.

Seminar Program

The Neuroscience Training Program conducts several seminar series to ensure that students are exposed to recent work by researchers from across the country and the world as well as by Hopkins faculty and fellows. Graduate trainees participate actively in these series throughout their training, including inviting and hosting three speakers each year. A weekly lecture is given by an outstanding researcher in some field of neuroscience. Seminars are selected so that an overall balance of subject matter is covered yearly. Students are given an opportunity to meet with each speaker for questions and discussion. Weekly lunchtime talks are presented on current literature by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Since an ability to communicate scientific work clearly is essential, graduate students receive close guidance in preparing and evaluating their journal club presentations. Once a month, the faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students from one laboratory present and discuss the ongoing research in that laboratory. This provides an informal setting to discuss research being conducted in the laboratories of the Neuroscience Training Program and gives advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows a forum for presenting their work.

Requirements for the PhD Degree

A minimum residency of two academic years is required. During the course of graduate study, the student must successfully complete the required course requirements. An oral examination, conducted as prescribed by the Doctor of Philosophy Board, must be completed by the end of the second year. The student must then conduct original research and describe this research in a written thesis dissertation, which must be approved by the students Thesis Committee and the Doctor of Philosophy Board.

Training Facilities

The Training Program is centered in the Department of Neuroscience. The Training Program utilizes laboratory facilities located in the Department of Neuroscience plus several other basic and clinical departments closely associated with the Neuroscience Department. All of these laboratories are within a short distance of each other. Modern state of the art facilities for research in molecular biology, neurophysiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology, and morphology are available. The Mind/Brain Institute, located on the Homewood Campus of the University, is a group of laboratories devoted to the investigation of the neural mechanisms of higher mental function and particularly to the mechanisms of perception. All of the disciplines required to address these questions are represented in the Institute. These include neurophysiology, psychology, theoretical neurobiology, neuroanatomy, and cognitive science. All of the faculty in the Mind/Brain Institute are members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program.

Combined M.D./Ph.D. Program

A subset of the current predoctoral trainees in the Neuroscience Program are candidates for both Ph.D. and M.D. degrees. Applications for admission to the combined program are considered by the M.D./Ph.D. Committee of the School of Medicine. Application forms for the School of Medicine contain a section requesting information relevant to graduate study. Applicants interested in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program should complete this section also, and indicate specifically their interest in the “Neuroscience Training Program”. If application to the combined M.D./Ph.D. program proves unsuccessful and the applicant wishes to be considered for graduate studies, they must notify the Admissions Office of the Neuroscience Training Program by separate letter.

Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience

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Study the Brain and the Mind

The PhD in Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCaN) is a multidisciplinary, interdepartmental program that applies biological and psychological principles to behavior and cognition . In this program, you will gain academic expertise through laboratory experience and core coursework while broadening your knowledge and research skills through electives and special seminars.

We apply a flexible approach to your education, providing a broad-based curriculum, specialized research training , and quality teaching opportunities. Our doctoral students concentrate on one of the traditional areas of behavior, cognition, or neuroscience or combine portions of these areas for individually tailored regimens specifically suited to their interests.

Our faculty members are active scientists with fully equipped laboratories who provide individual mentorship throughout the program. You will receive in-depth, apprenticeship-style training, working closely with faculty. Our complete program of classes, research, teaching practica, and grantsmanship training will prepare you for an academic teaching position and to perform independent and funded research in behavioral neuroscience.

This program is designated as a STEM degree program.

Rigorous, Research-Centered Education

The BCaN PhD is a rigorous and uniquely flexible 54-credit hour program. Focusing on one of the traditional areas of behavior, cognition, or neuroscience or combining elements of these areas, you will develop an individualized course of study to pursue your academic and research interests.

You will build a solid foundation in biology and psychology through required and elective coursework and take advantage of faculty expertise by engaging in special topic seminars. In the course of your in-depth laboratory research training, you will perform original experiments under the guidance of a faculty member. With this apprenticeship-style training, your master’s thesis, and your dissertation research, you will engage in research every semester . This combination of an advanced scientific education and extensive hands-on experience will prepare you for your research career .

Students who enter the program without an MA in psychology will complete one over the course of the doctoral program. Students are admitted for full-time study only. See complete Admissions & Course Requirements .

Active Scientists Dedicated to Your Success

BCaN is a multidisciplinary research program , and our faculty works in diverse areas of specialization. The faculty includes distinguished experts from our psychology, biology, chemistry, health studies, computer science, and physics departments. The small program size allows you to work closely with our dedicated faculty. Rather than rotating through different laboratories, you will work with a single mentor throughout the program. With this one-on-one mentorship , you will develop the laboratory and professional skills necessary to succeed in your field of interest.

Study and Work in the Neuroscience Research Hub

Boasting a number of private and public research institutions, the capital area is a national hub for neuroscience research . AU’s strategic position in DC and our affiliations with prestigious area institutions such as the National Institutes of Health, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Georgetown Medical School provide countless resources and opportunities for collaboration.

The world’s largest neuroscience conference, the Society for Neuroscience meeting, is held in DC once every three years, providing AU students with the unique opportunity to attend lectures by leading experts, present their own findings , and network with researchers from around the world.

Your Path to a Successful Career

Our graduates typically take post-doctoral positions in clinics or laboratories. There, they utilize their skills and training to pioneer exciting new research in their fields of expertise. Those with a passion for teaching find plenty of opportunities to share their insights with students of every level.

Though our graduates work around the world, some choose to stay in the nation’s capital. The DC area offers career paths in research and science policy , at federal agencies, or at area institutions such as the National Science Foundation, American Association for the Advancement of Science, or the MITRE Corporation. No matter the path they take, students leave the program with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.

Program Overview

The Online Graduate Certificate in Mind, Brain & Education at the University of Kansas is designed for educational practitioners seeking to explore how research from the learning sciences has the potential to inform the field of education. Students learn how the latest findings in educational neuroscience bear on fundamental questions of education, such as how people learn and what can we do to improve learning. The certificate draws on basic and applied interdisciplinary research from the disciplines of neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science to explore human learning and development and to understand how research in these fields will generate innovative approaches to teaching, learning, and education.

Career Outcomes in Mind, Brain, & Education

Completion of the certificate in Mind, Brain, and Education represents an additional credential for graduate students from a variety of academic fields who are preparing for careers in research and teaching or professional practice. The cornerstone of this certificate centers on understanding the neural mechanisms of learning and development and the role of experience in shaping the brain through the lifespan.

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Vibrant Campus Environment

In the heart of the United States, the city of Lawrence revolves around KU and its students.

Graduate Student Funding

The Office of Graduate Studies at KU provides both internal and external funding resources to support students.

Professional Development

Graduate students will leave KU with a professional and academic network of faculty and staff.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship

Program applicants and current students can apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) in the Department of Educational Psychology.

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Flexible, High-Quality Programs to Advance Your Career

Find an Online Program Corporate Partners Graduate Admissions

Today’s work landscape is constantly evolving, making it challenging to stay a step ahead and successfully differentiate yourself as the “best candidate” for that promotion or new position.

Early and mid-career professionals need to keep their skills and industry knowledge up to date, acumen sharp, and build connections that will help them excel in their field and achieve their career goals. And they need the ability to do it on their own time–while working full time and enjoying home life–without settling for a lower quality education.

Clarkson’s online master’s, certificate and micro-credential programs offer the high-quality and reputable education we’re known for – taught by experienced faculty with decades of teaching and industry experience – in a flexible and easily accessible format.

Because in 2024, it isn’t just about “work-life” balance. It’s about work-life-study balance.

Office of Graduate Admissions   Email : [email protected]   Phone : 518-631-9831

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Online Graduate Programs

Clarkson University’s fully online degree programs, courses and continuing education options allow you to advance your career through every stage — whether you’re new to the workforce and looking to set yourself up for future opportunities or a seasoned professional looking to land a promotion.

We created our online graduate programs with professionals in mind. As you have unique lives and personal objectives for advancing your education, our online programs offer maximum flexibility so you can earn a reputable degree that fits into your daily life. 

You can feel confident knowing you'll leave Clarkson with a valuable set of skills. In 2023, the Princeton Review included us in their "Best Career Services" and "Best Alumni Network" rankings. *And, for students prioritizing high earnings and economic mobility over other factors, Clarkson ranked tenth nationally for universities with less than 10,000 students and more than fifty percent STEM graduates in the New York Times 2023 rankings .

How Online Learning at Clarkson Works

We’re a community of collaborative innovators striving to make an impact through our work — whether in the lab, the boardroom or the field. That mindset remains steadfast no matter where we are: in our online courses, students continue growing their skills alongside other driven, creative individuals while learning from world-renowned faculty.

Fully Online

We currently offer 10+ master’s programs and 13 certificate programs that can be completed fully online. These programs allow you to further your education in a number of areas like engineering, computer science, data science and business.

Course Structure

Our online graduate degree programs combine synchronous and asynchronous learning. Typically, you’ll participate in one live virtual class each week; however, we record the lecture for those unable to attend this time slot. As a result, some students are able to complete their degrees entirely asynchronously.

Part- And Full-Time Study

Most working professionals are interested in part-time study. Our online graduate programs are flexible, so you can take just one course at a time, take on a full-time course schedule, or take time off if needed. Your academic advisor will help you plan out your course schedule and make changes to your degree plan, if needed.

Online Courses and Professional Development

We’re here whenever your skills need a refresh. And, as America’s Corporate Partner University, we collaborate with employers to create fully online professional development programs for their workforce.

Individual Courses

Clarkson offers fully online or paired online courses to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. Check availability for the fall, spring and summer semesters.

Advanced Certificates

Broaden your knowledge base or pivot to an emerging field. For candidates holding a bachelor’s degree, our advanced certificates introduce you to business fundamentals or applications in supply chain management, human resources, data analytics, healthcare management and other areas. And if you decide to move forward with a master’s degree upon completion of the certificate, you can apply those credits towards your degree!

Micro-Credentials

Specialize your engineering and technical knowledge, explore the foundations of leadership or get a glimpse of what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. Taught by Clarkson faculty, our micro-credentials are open to alumni and working professionals, as well as current students. Contact the Office of Micro-credentials at [email protected] for more information.

Take the Next Step

Access a Clarkson education at any professional stage, in a format convenient to you.

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From neurons to learning and memory

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Mark Harnett, an associate professor at MIT, still remembers the first time he saw electrical activity spiking from a living neuron.

He was a senior at Reed College and had spent weeks building a patch clamp rig — an experimental setup with an electrode that can be used to gently probe a neuron and measure its electrical activity.

“The first time I stuck one of these electrodes onto one of these cells and could see the electrical activity happening in real time on the oscilloscope, I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!’” Harnett says.

Harnett, who recently earned tenure in MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, now studies the electrical properties of neurons and how these properties enable neural circuits to perform the computations that give rise to brain functions such as learning, memory, and sensory perception.

“My lab’s ultimate goal is to understand how the cortex works,” Harnett says. “What are the computations? How do the cells and the circuits and the synapses support those computations? What are the molecular and structural substrates of learning and memory? How do those things interact with circuit dynamics to produce flexible, context-dependent computation?”

“We go after that by looking at molecules, like synaptic receptors and ion channels, all the way up to animal behavior, and building theoretical models of neural circuits,” he adds.

Influence on the mind

Harnett’s interest in science was sparked in middle school, when he had a teacher who made the subject come to life. “It was middle school science, which was a lot of just mixing random things together. It wasn’t anything particularly advanced, but it was really fun,” he says. “Our teacher was just super encouraging and inspirational, and she really sparked what became my lifelong interest in science.”

When Harnett was 11, his father got a new job at a technology company in Minneapolis and the family moved from New Jersey to Minnesota, which proved to be a difficult adjustment. When choosing a college, Harnett decided to go far away, and ended up choosing Reed College, a school in Portland, Oregon, that encourages a great deal of independence in both academics and personal development.

“Reed was really free,” he recalls. “It let you grow into who you wanted to be, and try things, both for what you wanted to do academically or artistically, but also the kind of person you wanted to be.”

While in college, Harnett enjoyed both biology and English, especially Shakespeare. His English professors encouraged him to go into science, believing that the field needed scientists who could write and think creatively. He was interested in neuroscience, but Reed didn’t have a neuroscience department, so he took the closest subject he could find — a course in neuropharmacology.

“That class totally blew my mind. It was just fascinating to think about all these pharmacological agents, be they from plants or synthetic or whatever, influencing how your mind worked,” Harnett says. “That class really changed my whole way of thinking about what I wanted to do, and that’s when I decided I wanted to become a neuroscientist.”

For his senior research thesis, Harnett joined an electrophysiology lab at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), working with Professor Larry Trussell, who studies synaptic transmission in the auditory system. That lab was where he first built and used a patch clamp rig to measure neuron activity.

After graduating from college, he spent a year as a research technician in a lab at the University of Minnesota, then returned to OHSU to work in a different research lab studying ion channels and synaptic physiology. Eventually he decided to go to graduate school, ending up at the University of Texas at Austin, where his future wife was studying public policy.

For his PhD research, he studied the neurons that release the neuromodulator dopamine and how they are affected by drugs of abuse and addiction. However, once he finished his degree, he decided to return to studying the biophysics of computation, which he pursued during a postdoc at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus with Jeff Magee.

A broad approach

When he started his lab at MIT’s McGovern Institute in 2015, Harnett set out to expand his focus. While the physiology of ion channels and synapses forms the basis of much of his lab’s work, they connect these processes to neuronal computation, cortical circuit operation, and higher-level cognitive functions.

Electrical impulses that flow between neurons, allowing them to communicate with each other, are produced by ion channels that control the flow of ions such as potassium and sodium. In a 2021 study , Harnett and his students discovered that human neurons have a much smaller number of these channels than expected, compared to the neurons of other mammals.

This reduction in density may have evolved to help the brain operate more efficiently, allowing it to divert resources to other energy-intensive processes that are required to perform complex cognitive tasks. Harnett’s lab has also found that in human neurons, electrical signals weaken as they flow along dendrites, meaning that small sections of dendrites can form units that perform individual computations within a neuron.

Harnett’s lab also recently discovered, to their surprise, that the adult brain contains millions of “ silent synapses ” — immature connections that remain inactive until they’re recruited to help form new memories. The existence of these synapses offers a clue to how the adult brain is able to continually form new memories and learn new things without having to modify mature synapses.

Many of these projects fall into areas that Harnett didn’t necessarily envision himself working on when he began his faculty career, but they naturally grew out of the broad approach he wanted to take to studying the cortex. To that end, he sought to bring people to the lab who wanted to work at different levels — from molecular physiology up to behavior and computational modeling.

As a postdoc studying electrophysiology, Harnett spent most of his time working alone with his patch clamp device and two-photon microscope. While that type of work still goes on his lab, the overall atmosphere is much more collaborative and convivial, and as a mentor, he likes to give his students broad leeway to come up with their own projects that fit in with the lab’s overall mission.

“I have this incredible, dynamic group that has been really great to work with. We take a broad approach to studying the cortex, and I think that’s what makes it fun,” he says. “Working with the folks that I’ve been able to recruit — grad students, techs, undergrads, and postdocs — is probably the thing that really matters the most to me.”

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30 Best universities for Psychology in Moscow, Russia

Updated: February 29, 2024

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• Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
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Below is a list of best universities in Moscow ranked based on their research performance in Psychology. A graph of 406K citations received by 66.7K academic papers made by 30 universities in Moscow was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Moscow State University

For Psychology

2. National Research University Higher School of Economics

3. Moscow Medical Academy

4. Russian National Research Medical University

5. RUDN University

6. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

7. National Research Nuclear University MEPI

8. Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

9. Moscow State Pedagogical University

10. Finance Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation

11. Bauman Moscow State Technical University

12. Moscow State Institute of International Relations

13. N.R.U. Moscow Power Engineering Institute

14. Moscow Aviation Institute

15. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

16. Russian State University for the Humanities

17. State University of Management

18. Russian State Social University

19. National University of Science and Technology "MISIS"

20. Moscow State Linguistic University

21. New Economic School

22. Russian State University of Oil and Gas

23. mendeleev university of chemical technology of russia.

24. Moscow Polytech

25. Moscow State University of Railway Engineering

26. National Research University of Electronic Technology

27. Moscow State Technological University "Stankin"

28. Pushkin State Russian Language Institute

29. Russian State Agricultural University

30. Moscow International University

Universities for Psychology near Moscow

Psychology subfields in moscow.