Level I Requirements

FIRST EXAMINATION- This examination covers the student's ability to think, synthesize information, and solve problems in Neuroscience. It should be noted that a student will be deemed not to be making satisfactory progress if 45 credits are accumulated before passing the First Examination. (Please refer to Section V for complete details of this examination.)

Philosphy of the Neuroscience 1st exam: Examinations may include all relevant subject matter agreed to by the Examination Committee including areas of neuroscience and behavior; basic vertebrate neuroanatomy and neurocytology; basic neurophysiology (e.g., excitation, conduction, neural transmission); sensory and motor systems; internal control of animal behavior by the nervous system and hormones; learning and memory.

WHEN THE EXAMINATION IS TO BE TAKEN - The examination is given at the GC. The date of the examination is determined annually. In recent years, the examination has been administered during the middle of August. Students are expected to take this examination after their first year in the program but may take the examination earlier with the permission of their campus advisory committee. Students who do not take this examination at that time will be judged as having failed the examination.

*Advisory Committees may consider that there is a valid reason for a student to delay taking this examination. Deferment of the examination may be granted by the Executive Officer in Biology after such a request has been made in writing by the advisory committee and recommended by the local campus Graduate Studies Committee or the graduate deputy chair.

PREPARATION FOR THE FIRST EXAMINATION - Reading lists and topical outlines for the First Examination and copies of previous examinations are available from the Executive Officer or the local graduate deputy chair (usually by April).

FORMULATION AND GRADING OF THE FIRST EXAMINATION - For each area there shall be a subcommittee of the Executive Commit-tee comprised of doctoral faculty responsible for the administra-tion of the First Examination. The membership of each committee will be a chair, designated by the Executive Officer upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee and advisory committee chairs, plus at least five other faculty. The faculty members will be recruited from the doctoral faculty at large and must reflect a diversity of research special-ities and represent at least three campuses, where possible. In the construction and grading of the examination, the committee may solicit the assistance of other CUNY doctoral faculty.

At least two graders will independently evaluate and comment on each question. In the event that differences in judgment exist that are not readily reconciled, a third grader will be called upon. The performance of each student is individually evaluated by the Executive Committee following recommendation from the subprogram advisory committee.

MECHANICS OF THE EXAMINATION - Students and their advisory committee will decide together which of the four examina-tion areas is most suitable for the student. The examination will consist of four two-hour sessions distributed over a two-day period. An application form (please see sample form, Appendix N) must be completed and signed by both the student and the local deputy chair, and submitted to the Program Office by May 31.

The First Examination will be graded on a 100-point scale and designed in such a way that a passing grade is a score of 70 or higher. Students who achieve less than a 70 will be permitted one additional opportunity to take and pass any of the four examinations at the next time they are given.


FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND RESEARCH TECHNIQUES - An individual's research mentor and advisory committee with the approval of the Executive Committee may require a student to acquire the functional mastery of computer programming or a working knowledge of a foreign language or languages in which there is a substantial body of literature relevant to the student's research. Should the student be required to develop such skills, the Executive Officer must be notified of this requirement, in writing by the student's mentor, no later than the student's fourth semester.