Fall 2010-2011 Information for First-Year Students Considering Mind/Brain/Behavior

Welcome to Harvard and welcome to Mind/Brain/Behavior!<

The Mind/Brain/Behavior (MBB) interfaculty initiative offers a number of opportunities for undergraduates: • activities open to all students interested in mind, brain, and behavior
• a secondary field program of study open to all undergraduates
• tracks of study in several concentrations

Benefits

Students in MBB benefit from a variety of opportunities.

All students interested in MBB
• are part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary community of scholars (faculty, postdoctoral and other researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students), brought together with a variety of community-wide lectures and panels each year
• may participate in the Harvard Society for Mind/Brain/Behavior, a very active and diverse student organization

Students in MBB tracks or the MBB secondary field
• get enrollment priority in MBB interdisciplinary seminars
• may take part in the annual junior symposium, a day of talks and discussions with leading scholars from Harvard and beyond
• are eligible for research fellowships to conduct thesis research the summer before the senior year
• take part in interdisciplinary senior workshops groups where MBB track students can explore the broader implications of their (thesis) research
• receive occasional invitations to conferences, colloquia, and speaker receptions

Courses

All MBB programs include a set of three foundational courses.

• first year: Science of Living Systems 20, Psychological Science
• fall semester: Jason Mitchell, Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-11:30 plus weekly section, Emerson 105
• spring term: Steven Pinker, Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30-4 p.m. plus weekly section

• sophomore year: Molecular and Cellular Biology 80, Neurobiology of Behavior
• fall term, Joshua Sanes and Jeff Lichtman, Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-2:30 plus weekly section, Geological Lecture Hall (100 Peabody Museum/University Museums)

• junior year: Interdisciplinary Seminars
• both terms, options from a set of both MBB-specific and departmental courses (listings on website)
In addition, a variety of departmental courses count toward MBB tracks and the MBB secondary field.

As above, most first-years interested in MBB should take Science of Living Systems 20, Psychological Science, this year.

If you are considering an MBB track, the related concentration may have additional courses it recommends you take this year (e.g., Life Science 1a for most Neurobiology students). Consult with the relevant concentration for details.

Beyond MBB and concentration exploration, most of your other course work is likely to be dedicated to fulfilling college first-year requirements and for some of your pre-medical requirements. If you have additional space in your schedule, you are welcome to look through the short MBB chapter in the course catalog.

Although more likely to be taken by upperclass students, MBB 90r (Supervised Resaerch) is a course you might consider if you are highly motivated to gain research experience early on. In most situations, students considering MBB tracks should conduct such research through a tutorial course (e.g., 91r, 910r) in their intended home concentration, but occasionally MBB 90r will be appropriate. In most cases, it will be appropriate for students considering a secondary field in MBB.

Programs: MBB Tracks (MBB Study Integrated with Concentration)

Students in computer science, history and science, human evolutionary biology, linguistics, neurobiology, philosophy, and psychology may focus their concentration studies in topics in mind/brain/behavior by enrolling in an MBB track. Students in tracks complete the foundational courses (SLS 20, MCB 80, interdisciplinary seminar, as previously noted), and also complete additional concentration-specific course requirements as detailed in concentration and MBB websites. Some tracks may allow substitutions or modifications of the foundational requirements.

MBB track students must also submit a senior honors thesis and must participate in the junior symposium and senior workshops. Students who complete a track are eligible to be considered for departmental honors and receive a Certificate in Mind/Brain/Behavior awarded at the MBB senior ceremony during Commencement Week.

Programs: MBB Secondary Field (MBB Study that can be Independent of Concentration)

Students in any concentration may pursue an MBB secondary field. Five half-courses are required: the three foundational courses previously noted (SLS 20, MCB 80, interdisciplinary seminar) plus two mind/brain/behavior electives (options noted on MBB website). MBB secondary field students are also welcome to participate in the junior symposium. Students who complete a secondary field will have this program noted on their transcript and participate in the MBB senior ceremony during Commencement Week.

Special Events

The larger MBB community gathers several times each semester for a variety of exciting events. In recent years these events have included cross-disciplinary conversations, discussion of recent faculty publications, and series of lectures by distinguished guests to Harvard. As specific events are organized, we will e-mail you details and hope you will be able to join us for them.

Advising

General MBB questions can be answered by Education Program Coordinator Shawn Harriman (shawn_harriman@harvard.edu), who can also answer general and specific questions about the MBB secondary field. Questions about MBB tracks are best answered by advisors in the relevant concentrations. In addition, members of the MBB Board of Faculty Advisors are available to discuss questions about the intellectual content of and research opportunities in mind, brain, and behavior. Details are provided on the MBB website.

The Harvard Society for Mind/Brain/Behavior (HSMBB)

HSMBB is an integral part of the MBB undergraduate program, and is dedicated to building a community among MBB students. HSMBB activities include regular seminars led by faculty and other researchers, communi-teas providing opportunities for students and faculty from across MBB to meet and chat, and the publication The Harvard Brain. To be informed about these and other HSMBB activities, join its mailing list at http://lists.hcs.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/hsmbb-list.

HSMBB starts this year with two seminars you are encouraged to attend.

Tuesday, September 14th, 4-5 p.m., Kresge Room
Professor Daniel Schacter (FAS/Psychology)

Tuesday, September 21st, 5:30-7 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., location to be announced
Professor Steven Pinker (FAS/Psychology)

Additional Information

If you have any questions about any of this or about any other MBB activities, feel free to check our website for details (http://mbb.harvard.edu) or to e-mail me (shawn_harriman@harvard.edu). The website provides details or links to track and secondary field requirements, MBB courses, research opportunities faculty and other Harvard researchers have asked us to post for undergraduates, and MBB in general. In addition, MBB sends out an e-newsletter with information updates about monthly during the academic year. If you are receiving this letter, you are on the mailing list for these newsletters.

We at MBB wish you a productive semester, and look forward to meeting you and helping you explore your interests in mind, brain, and behavior.