MBB Secondary Field

information contact: Shawn Harriman, shawn_harriman@harvard.edu

Knowledge about mind, brain, and behavior is expanding exponentially. Recent years have witnessed a growing excitement about the possibility that complex domains of mental function and behavior will soon be susceptible to scientific elucidation. Important findings have arisen from traditional disciplines of inquiry, and indeed these traditional disciplines have proven remarkably successful at expanding knowledge. These successes, however, also bring into relief the limits of disciplinary inquiry, and the critical importance of inter-disciplinary links and developments, bringing to the fore new technologies and theories.

The Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative (MBB) was established to bring the perspectives of neuroscience into sustained and constructive dialogue with those of other natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. In designing its undergraduate programs, MBB has brought together a diverse group of faculty from Harvard’s different schools and disciplines, and has taken advantage of the intellectual innovations possible in new combinations of these traditional disciplines. In addition to the MBB tracks that allow students to integrate the study of mind/brain/behavior with their concentration studies, MBB offers a secondary field for students from any concentration who wish to study mind/brain/behavior largely independently from their concentration.

Requirements: 5 half-courses

Science of Living Systems 20: Psychological Science
(generally recommended first year)
(NOTE: Students from the classes of 2012 or 2011 who have taken Science B-62 (The Human Mind) or students from the class of 2010 or earlier who have taken Science B-29 (Evolution of Human Nature) may use that course to fulfill this requirement))
Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) 80, Neurobiology of Behavior
(generally recommended sophomore year)
Interdisciplinary Seminar
(recommended junior year)
Selected from a list that varies each year.
Two Mind/Brain/Behavior Courses
Selected from a list that varies each year.
Note: By prior petition, MBB courses may include courses taken abroad, undergraduate courses not on the list, or graduate courses in anthropology, computer science, history of science, philosophy, linguistics, and psychology.

Other Information

All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and one half-course may overlap with core and/or concentration requirements. Students are also encouraged to attend the MBB sophomore symposium and junior symposium, and are welcome to join the student organization Harvard Society for Mind/Brain/Behavior (HSMBB).

Advising Resources and Expectations

Students who plan to pursue a secondary field in MBB, or are considering doing so, should e-mail education program coordinator Shawn Harriman as early as possible, ideally during the first or sophomore year, to allow MBB to keep them informed of important policies, events, and other opportunities. Shawn can also answer general questions, and will sign the official secondary field paperwork once the required courses have been completed.

Students are also strongly encouraged to meet with MBB faculty to discuss their interests and course options, and MBB has recently created a Board of Faculty Advisors to provide you with general advice, about the kinds of courses you might take, about MBB and its constituent disciplines, methodologies, and questions; about how to become involved in MBB research; and about career development. This year's board consists of faculty from Harvard Medical School who have been involved in a broad range of MBB programs over a number of years; to schedule an appointment with one of these advisors, e-mail them. Names, website, and e-mail addresses for these advisors:

Professor Verne Caviness
http://www2.massgeneral.org/ncs/neuro_faculty_caviness.htm
caviness@helix.mgh.harvard.edu

Professor Albert Galaburda
http://sitenav.bidmc.harvard.edu/display.asp?leaf_id=4346
agalabur@bidmc.harvard.edu

Professor Margaret Livingstone
http://neuro.med.harvard.edu/faculty/livingstone.html
margaret_livingstone@hms.harvard.edu

Professor Robert Stickgold
http://sleep.med.harvard.edu/people/faculty/220/Robert+Stickgold+PhD
rstickgold@hms.harvard.edu

Professor Mark Tramo
http://www.brainmusic.org/BoardPage/Board.html#Tramo
mark_tramo@hms.harvard.edu

Secondary Field Approval

Once you have completed your course work for the MBB secondary field - or, if you are a second-semester senior, once you have enrolled in courses that will complete the MBB secondary field - you should file your application. You can print out the application using the secondary fields web tool, which is linked from the top of http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~secfield/forms.html. This application requires an MBB signature, which should be provided by Shawn Harriman. E-mail Shawn (shawn_harriman@harvard.edu) to arrange a time to get the signature. Please attach a copy of your course record to your e-mail, or bring a print copy to Shawn's office (14 Story Street, room 404) a day before getting your signature. Once you have the MBB signature, you should file your form with the registrar. This year seniors must submit their secondary field form to the registrar by March 16th, 2009.