Neural Engineering (NE) Track

Neural Engineering is an exciting new field, which applies engineering techniques to understand, repair, replace, enhance, or otherwise exploit the properties of neural systems. The neural engineering track is designed to prepare the students for the fundamental understanding of both neuroscience and engineering principles.

This graduate track has a specific menu of courses to satisfy the “Life Science” and “Track Courses” requirement for the PhD.

Life Science Requirements:  neural track students are required to take one cellular level and one systems level neuroscience course to fulfill their life science requirement. 

For molecular neuroscience, choose between 1) BIOENG 2585  ( Quantitative Cellular Science 3 credits); and 2) NROSCI 2100  and NROSCI 2101  (Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology I and II, 8 credits); both are offered in the fall.

For systems neuroscience, choose between 1) BIOENG 2586  (Quantitative Systems Neuroscience, 3 credits) and 2) NROSCI 2102  (Systems Neurobiology, 6 credits); both are offered in the spring. 

There are four different combinations of possibilities:

• BIOENG 2585  and BIOENG 2586 , equaling 6 credits
• BIOENG 2585  and NROSCI 2102 , equaling 9 credits
• NROSCI 2100 , NROSCI 2101  and BIOENG 2586 , equaling 11 credits
• NROSCI 2100 , NROSCI 2101  and NROSCI 2102 , equaling 14 credits 

These courses are typically taken during the first year.  Students without a biology background will need to take foundational biology courses (e.g., BIOENG 2520 ) before taking any of the cellular and systems neuroscience courses. Students who have taken graduate-level equivalent neuroscience courses can petition to take other more advanced life science courses.

Track Courses Requirement:  please select at least three track courses from the following courses:

• BIOENG 2540 - NEURAL BIOMATERIALS AND TISSUE ENGINEERING  
• BIOENG 2615 - INTRODUCTION TO NEURAL ENGINEERING   
• BIOENG 2650 - LEARNING & CONTROL OF MOVEMENT  
• BIOENG 2810 - BIOMATERIALS & BIOCOMPATIBILITY  
• BIOENG 2811 - MICROFABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NEURAL INTERFACE DEVICES   
• ECE 2556 - NEURO-SIGNAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS  
• ECE 2646 - LINEAR SYSTEM THEORY  
• ECE 2680 - ADAPTIVE CONTROL  
• ECE 3650 - OPTIMAL CONTROL  
• NROSCI 2005 - COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE  
• NROSCI 2011 - FUNCTIONAL NEUROANATOMY  
• NROSCI 2012 - NEUROPHYSIOLOGY  
• NROSCI 2039 - PROCESSING IN NEURAL CIRCUITS  
• CMU 10-601 - MACHINE LEARNING
• CMU 15-883 - COMPUTATIONAL MODELS OF NEURAL SYSTEMS
• CMU 18-612 - NEURAL TECHNOLOGY: SENSING AND STIMULATION
• CMU 36-759 - COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE METHODS
• CMU 42-631 - NEURAL DATA ANALYSIS
• CMU 42-632 - NEURAL SIGNAL PROCESSING

Elective Courses Requirement:  a minimum of 6 credits are required in this category. By taking the track-specific life science courses, (total of 14, or 11 or 9 credits, depending on which option you take) the students in this track would satisfy the 6 life science credits with extra credits that can be counted as elective credits.  Any additional graduate level courses approved by the advisor can be considered as electives.

Center for Neural Basis of Cognition (http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/):  the majority of NE track students are members of CNBC and participate in the CNBC graduate training program (http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/training/).  All three of the CNBC core courses can be considered track or elective courses.  If you are in CNBC, you must satisfy both BIOENG and CNBC requirements before graduation.

For more information, please contact the Track Coordinator.