UF Neuroscience
Online BMN Handbook
revised April 10, 2026
Welcome
Whether you are pursuing the Biomedical Neuroscience Master’s or Graduate Certificate, you are part of a growing community of students from a wide range of personal, academic, and professional backgrounds with a shared interest in the brain and nervous system. We have created this handbook to aid you as you progress through our program. It should be noted that this handbook does NOT include ALL University Graduate School or College of Medicine policies but references those that are most pertinent to students in our program.
Mission and Vision
Mission Statement
The field of neuroscience is rapidly evolving and has significant impact across medicine, public health, policy, sports medicine, the military, and the pharmaceutical industry. As our understanding of the brain deepens, particularly in relation to aging, neurodegenerative disease, affective disorders, and addictive behaviors, there is an increasing need for professionals equipped with a strong foundation in neuroscience.
The mission of the Online Biomedical Neuroscience Program is to provide students pursuing either the Master’s Degree or Graduate Certificate, with a comprehensive understanding of normal brain function across the lifespan, as well as the functional and pathological changes underlying major neurological disorders. Courses are designed not only to deliver current, relevant neuroscience content but also to develop professional communication skills critical to careers in this interdisciplinary field. Graduates will be well-prepared to contribute to addressing society’s most pressing neurological and mental health challenges through further education or impactful work in:
- Health Care
- Medical Industry
- Science Writing
- Education
- Government Science Advocacy
- Consulting
- Law and Policy
Vision Statement
The Biomedical Neuroscience Online Program, comprising both the Master’s Degree and the Graduate Certificate, is part of a growing number of high-quality, flexible online offerings at the University of Florida, a member of the Association of American Universities and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Our program is designed for postbaccalaureate students pursuing advanced degrees in health-related fields, as well as professionals in healthcare, research, and education who are seeking to deepen their neuroscience expertise and advance in their careers. Courses are developed and taught by University of Florida faculty with expertise in their subject areas and a strong commitment to instructional quality. Students also benefit from dedicated academic support to help them navigate the program and reach their goals. We are proud to offer one of the highest quality online neuroscience programs available and remain committed to continually improving the experience to meet the needs of our broad and evolving student population.
BMN Handbook Contents
Suggested Bridging Courses and Resources
Program Faculty and Staff
Jeremy J Flint
Nick Musselwhite Ph.D.
Melissa F Naidu MAE, CAPM
Matthew R Sarkisian
Program Courses
BMN Courses
| Term | Course | Instructor | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|---|
| F – Fall (Aug-Dec) S – Spring (Jan-Apr) XA – Summer A (May-June) XB – Summer B (June-Aug) XC – Summer C (May-Aug) | *M – Required for Masters *C – Required for Certificate **M – Masters only | *P – Not required, but HIGHLY SUGGESTED | |
| F | *M *C GMS 6007 Fundamentals of Neuroscience (3cr) | Flint, Musselwhite | prereq for all other courses |
| S | *M *C GMS 6705 Functional Human Neuroanatomy I (3cr) | Mandel, Musselwhite | |
| F, XC | *M GMS 7795 Functional Human Neuroanatomy II (2cr) | Mandel, Musselwhite | GMS 6705 |
| F | *M GMS 6021 Organization & Development of the Nervous System (2cr) | Sarkisian | *P GMS 6007 |
| S | *M GMS 6797 Neuroscience Professional Survival Skills (3cr) | Flint | |
| XC | *M **M GMS 6790 New Developments in Neuroscience (2cr) | Flint | |
| ALL | *M **M GMS 6910 Comprehensive Neuroscience Capstone Project (2cr) | Flint | final semester |
| S | GMS 6073 Disorders of the Developing Nervous System (1cr) | Sarkisian | GMS 6021 |
| ALL | GMS 6713 Neurobiology of Behavioral Disorders (3cr) | Mandel, Giusti-Rodriguez | *P GMS 6021 & GMS 7795 FHN II |
| XB | GMS 6750 Molecular Pathobiology of Neural Disease (1cr) | Mandel, Musselwhite, Vedam-Mai | GMS 7795 FHN II |
| ALL | GMS 6796 Aging and the Brain (3cr) | Kumar | *P GMS 6705 |
| XA | GMS 6793 Neuroimaging I (1cr) | Flint | |
| XB | GMS 7795 Neuroimaging II (1cr) | Flint | GMS 6793 |
| F | GMS 7795 Homeostasis and the Brain (3cr) | Musselwhite | GMS 7795 FHN II |
| S | GMS 6720 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory I (2cr) | Mandel, Musselwhite, Kumar | GMS 7795 FHN II |
| XC | GMS 6721 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory II (2cr) | Mandel, Musselwhite, Kumar | GMS 6720 |
| XB | GMS 7795 Neuroscience of Pain (1cr) | Musselwhite | GMS 6705 |
| F | GMS 7795 Neurobiology Sleep (1cr) | Pena | GMS 6705; *P GMS 7795 FHN II |
| XB | GMS 7795 Nobel Prizes in Neuroscience (1cr) | Mandel | |
| XB, F | GMS 7795 Physiology of Neuroplasticity (1cr) | Kumar | |
| XB, F | GMS 7795 Foundations of Addiction Science (2cr) | Bruijnzeel |
Suggested Course Sequence
The course sequence below is structured to help students complete the certificate program within one year (three semesters) and the master’s program within two years (six semesters).
We recommend students take no more than two courses per semester, as the online Biomedical Neuroscience courses are graduate-level, academically rigorous, and require significant time and energy. We also recognize that most of our students are working professionals balancing academic, work, and personal responsibilities.
Students who wish to take a heavier course load do so at their own discretion and must make sure to maintain the required 3.0 program GPA.
When planning your schedule, it is important to consider course prerequisites and the semester(s) in which courses are offered (see Program Courses). You are always welcome to reach out to program staff for assistance with schedule planning.
Certificate Suggested Schedule
| Year | Semester | Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Fall | *GMS 6007 Fundamentals of Neurosciences (3cr) |
| Spring | *GMS 6705 Functional Human Neuroanatomy I (3cr) Elective(s) |
|
| Summer | Elective(s) |
Online MS Suggested Schedule
Communication
All students will need to set up a Gatorlink account when joining the University of Florida. Your Gatorlink username and password will give you access to services at the University, such as email, one.uf, computers in Academic Technology labs, library services, etc. You should check your Gatorlink email account often as program staff will contact you regarding your academic record this way. Personal emails (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) should not be used for University business and your Gatorlink email should not be forwarded to a personal email account.
It is important to stay in contact with the program staff and your course instructors. All students will be added to a Canvas course shell that will contain information about the program, registration, program announcements, and other useful links to University resources. You may also use this canvas portal to message the Program Directors if needed. Student questions posted to individual course assignments (comment sections; discussion boards) rather than sent directly to the instructor can be easily overlooked, so these are not effective methods by which to communicate with instructors.
A great help to course instructors would be for all students in the program to update their Canvas Profile.
Graduation Requirements
All students must submit a degree application on one.uf by the published deadline for the term in which they expect to graduate. Students who do not submit a degree application by the deadline must register and apply to graduate the following term.
Masters
Completion of 30 course credits and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required to earn the Master’s degree. Masters students are required to be registered for at least 3 credits Fall/Spring or 2 credits Summer during the semester they intend to graduate.
Upon graduation, the transcript will state:
- Awarded Master of Science; Major Medical Sciences; Concentration Biomedical Neuroscience
Certificate
Completion of 12 course credits and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required to earn the Graduate Certificate.
Upon successful completion, the transcript will state:
- Completed Graduate Certificate; Biomedical Neuroscience
Grade and GPA Requirements
The only passing grades for graduate students are A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, and S. Letter grades of C-, D+, D, Dor E are not considered passing at the graduate level, although the grade points associated with these letter grades are included in grade point average calculations. Grade points are not given for S and U grades; S and U grades are not used to calculate grade point averages. All letter-graded courses eligible to count toward the master’s or certificate, are used to calculate the cumulative grade-point average.
The Graduate School defines unsatisfactory progress in graduate programs as failure to maintain a B average (3.00) in all coursework attempted. All graduate students must have a final cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher to earn the Master’s degree or Graduate Certificate.
Registration
Each semester, students will complete a course registration survey in Canvas to notify staff of the course(s) they wish to take the following semester. Seats in the course(s) you choose are guaranteed. If you have questions about course selection, contact the program office as soon as possible. Students cannot register themselves and will always be registered by program staff.
Students must log into one.uf with your Gatorlink username and password each semester to check for registration holds. Program staff cannot register students if there are holds on their account. Some of the most common holds include updating emergency contact information, completing registration preparation, and financial holds for past due debt. If you are unable to remove a hold yourself, make sure to reach out to the program office as soon as possible.
Registration deadlines for each semester are posted on the Graduate School Academic Calendar. Changes to your registration after the posted drop/add deadline may result in late registration fees.
Enrollment Break
Circumstances may arise wherein a student may need to take time off from coursework. You may remain unregistered for up to two consecutive semesters and return in the third. Students who are not registered for three consecutive semesters must reapply to the University.
Please note that all coursework for the program must be completed within seven years. After this time, previously completed courses may need to be retaken.
Repeating Coursework
With few exceptions, the policy of the Biomedical Neuroscience Programs is that program courses should not be retaken. Thus, it is very important for students to put forth their best effort on the first attempt.
If a course is retaken, grades from both attempts will be included in the cumulative GPA. No credit is awarded for a failed first attempt. Credit is awarded for the second attempt only if the grade is passing. To improve your GPA through a retake, the second grade must be higher than the first. Third attempts are not permitted.
Capstone Project (Master’s Only)
Students must compile three (3) or more elements/assignments from their time in the program into a portfolio. These portfolio elements may include capstone chapters which have passed editorial review prior to fall 2024, VoiceThread projects which you developed in the Fundamentals course, and other selected essay assignments you have completed in program courses. The completed portfolio should include three (3) or more of these elements.
Here is a list of examples of how your portfolio can be put together:
- First Chapter* + Second Chapter + Narrative*** (three elements total)
- First Chapter + VT Project** + Narrative (three elements total)
- First Chapter + First Element (essay/poster/project)** + Second Element (essay/poster/project) + Narrative (four elements total)
- VT Project + First Element (essay/poster/project) + Second Element (essay/poster/project) + Narrative (four elements total)
*All capstone chapters included in the portfolio must have passed editorial review PRIOR to fall 2024.
**All VT projects, essay submissions, poster and presentation projects must have received a grade of 84% or greater (B) to be eligible for inclusion in your portfolio. If you are unsure about the suitability of an element in terms of its eligibility for inclusion, you must contact the instructor in whose course the assignment was completed and assessed.
Narrative. While this material cannot and is not intended to replace the content of an in-person defense, it will serve to contextualize the elements of your portfolio build and help those reading your portfolio understand why you chose each element.
The narrative should include a description of each element, an explanation of what role each plays in your personal and/or professional development, and (if possible) how the elements in your portfolio relate to one another.
Transfer of Credit
Students who have successfully completed the Graduate Certificate in Biomedical Neuroscience will be able to transfer credits for all courses they completed in that program with a B or better to the UF Biomedical Neuroscience Master’s program. Course credits from other UF online certificate programs will be considered for transfer on a case-by-case basis. The decision to allow transfer of credit from other programs will primarily depend on whether the course is clearly relevant to neuroscience.
Courses in which a B- or below was earned and courses in which were graded on a pass/fail basis may not be transferred into the Masters.
Courses cannot be transferred in to complete the Graduate Certificate.
Course Delivery
All courses in our programs are taught online and asynchronously through Canvas. All courses have assignments that are due at specific times during the semester. Times are based on Eastern Standard Time. Students requesting a Zoom conference will meet with instructors synchronously.
It is recommended that students try to complete assignments well before the posted deadline to avoid computer or internet disruptions. Instructors can see what time an assignment was accessed and submitted. Missing a deadline due to last-minute submission issues is not considered a valid reason for requesting an extension. Please plan ahead to avoid technical or timing problems.
Late work will not be accepted unless you have obtained a deadline extension from the course instructor.
Requests for extension due to technical difficulties must be made within 24 hours of the issue and be accompanied by a UF Helpdesk ticket number.
Lockdown Browser
Our program will require the use of the Respondus LockDown Browser for all course quizzes and exams. This application provides another level of security for online testing. The LockDown Browser disables all functions of the student’s computer other than the test being taken so students cannot copy/paste, search the internet, or access any documents on their computer while using LockDown Browser.
It is recommended to download and install LockDown browser upon starting the program. If students do not have LockDown Browser installed on their computers, they will be prompted to download and install when accessing a test.
If you encounter problems with LockDown Browser, the Windows and Mac versions of LockDown Browser have a “Help Center” button located on the toolbar. Use the “System & Network Check” to troubleshoot issues.
If you are still unable to resolve a technical issue with LockDown Browser, contact the UF Help Desk at (352) 392-4357.
Honorlock
Honorlock is an online proctoring and student authentication service used to monitor exams within Canvas. It utilizes artificial intelligence in combination with your webcam and screen to ensure academic integrity during assessments.
Honorlock is currently used for University of Florida graduate students enrolled in the online Neuroscience program.
Honorlock is fully browser-based and does not require advance scheduling.
To use Honorlock, students must:
- Use the Google Chrome browser
- Install the Honorlock Chrome extension
Students will be prompted to install the extension when accessing an Honorlock-enabled exam in Canvas. For setup instructions and guidance, please refer to the Honorlock Student Guide.
If you experience technical issues or need assistance, Honorlock offers 24/7 support:
- Live Chat (recommended): Available at honorlock.com/support
- Email: support@honorlock.com
- Phone: +1 (844) 243-2500
Support is also available in real time during your exam.
Technology Requirements
Access to and on-going use of a computer is required for all students. The University of Florida expects each student entering a UF Online program to acquire appropriate computer hardware and software. Competency in the basic use of a computer is required. Course work will require use of a computer and a broadband/high-speed connection to the internet. A hard-wired ethernet connection to the internet is preferable to wireless as Wi-Fi is often not stable enough to support a reliable connection while taking quizzes or exams. Academic advising, registration, official university correspondence, and other services require access through the Internet. UF does not recommend students rely on tablet devices, mobile phones, or Chromebook devices as their primary computer.
By participating in this program, you agree that course assignments cannot be excused or submitted late due to your
computer not meeting the minimum system requirements below.
Suggested Minimum System Requirements
| Windows Hardware Configuration: | Macintosh Hardware Configuration: |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 Professional or Education | OS X 10.13 (High Sierra) or newer |
| Intel i5 7th Gen or better processor | Intel i5 7th Gen or better processor |
| 8GB RAM or better memory | 8GB RAM or better memory |
| 256GB Solid State Drive or bigger | 256GB Solid State Drive or bigger |
| Camera, microphone, and speakers | Camera, microphone, and speakers |
| Intel Dual-Band Wireless-AC | Dual-Band Wireless-AC |
| TPM (Trusted Platform Module) for encryption | Anti-Virus/Malware Software (AVG, Avast) |
| Anti-Virus/Malware Software • Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center, AVG, Trend, TotalAV |
Financial Aid
The Department of Neuroscience currently does not provide financial assistance to Online Program students. Many students may be able to obtain financial assistance from their current employer. Masters students seeking federal student loans must complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as possible.
- Federal loans are dependent on the number of credits taken each semester.
- Part-time registration for financial aid is 5 credits fall/spring, 4 credits summer.
- To be considered full-time, graduate students must register for 9 credits Fall/Spring, 6 credits Summer.
- To be considered part-time, but not eligible for most financial aid, students must take 3 credits fall/spring, 2 credits summer.
- Certificate students are not eligible for federal financial aid but may be eligible to receive financial aid funding
from alternative or private educational loans or find external scholarships through sites like FastWeb, Bold.org, or
the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder.
Contact the UF Office of Student Financial and Scholarships for more information.
Certificate students are not eligible for federal financial aid but may be eligible to receive financial aid funding from alternative or private educational loans or find external scholarships through sites like FastWeb, Bold.org, or the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder.
Contact the UF Office of Student Financial and Scholarships for more information.
Academic Honesty
UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with your class instructor.
Students Requiring Accommodations
Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic accommodations should connect with the Disability Resource Center. It is important for students to share their accommodation letter with their instructors and discuss their access needs, as early as possible each semester.
Student Grievance Procedure
The following is reprinted from UF Regulation Number: 4.012
The complete regulation can be found here: https://policy.ufl.edu/regulation/4-012/
- The University of Florida is committed to a policy of treating all members of the University community fairly in regard to their personal and professional concerns. The procedures outlined below are designed and intended to provide students with a fair and expeditious resolution of their disputes with University of Florida faculty and/or staff.
- A grievance is defined as dissatisfaction occurring when a student believes that any decision, act or condition affecting him or her is illegal, unjust, or creates unnecessary hardship. Such grievances may concern, but are not limited to, the following: academic problems (excluding grades, except when there is an allegation of illegal discrimination or where a grade penalty has been imposed without proper authority), mistreatment by any University employee, wrongful assessment of fees, records and registration errors, student employment, and violation of University of Florida Regulation 1.006.
- Prior to invoking the formal grievance procedures described below, the student is strongly encouraged to discuss his or her grievance with personnel in the University Ombuds or Dean of Students office. The University Ombuds office assists students in resolving problems and conflicts that arise in the course of interacting with University of Florida personnel or other students. The Dean of Students office assists students with complaints about these and other aspects of University life.
- Generally, the student will begin the grievance process by discussing his or her grievance with the person(s) alleged to have caused the grievance. Additionally, or in the alternative, the student may wish to present his or her grievance in writing to the person(s) alleged to have caused the grievance. In either case, the person alleged to have caused the grievance must respond to the student either orally or in writing.
- The discussion with the person alleged to have caused the grievance or, if the student elects not to have such a discussion, the filing of a written grievance with the appropriate supervisor should be held or filed by the aggrieved student as soon as the student first becomes aware of the act or condition that is the basis of the grievance. A student who has a discussion first should file a written grievance with the appropriate supervisor, if he or she intends to do so, promptly after the discussion.
Suggested Bridging Courses & Resources
Biological Foundations of Neuroscience
- OpenStax: Biology: Free, college-level biology textbook
- HarvardX: Principles of Biochemistry (edX)
- Intro to Human Biology: available at most community colleges or platforms like Coursera
Brain & Behavior
- Coursera: Medical Neuroscience (Duke University): A rigorous graduate-level course focused on human neuroanatomy and function.
- BrainFacts.org: Interactive neuroscience basics
- HarvardX: Fundamentals of Neuroscience: A free, comprehensive series on edX covering electrical properties of neurons, sensory systems, and cognitive functions.
Cognitive & Behavioral Science
- MIT OpenCourseWare: Introduction to Psychology
- Noba Project Modules: Free, peer-reviewed psychology topics