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From understanding how memories are formed to exploring the biological basis of behavior, neuroscience seeks to answer some of the most fascinating questions about what makes us human. As discoveries in neuroscience continue to transform medicine, technology, education, and mental health, interest in the field has grown rapidly among St. Olaf College students.

Starting in the fall of 2026, St. Olaf students will be able to pursue these questions through a new major in neuroscience. The major will prepare students for a wide range of careers and post-graduate pathways in research, health care, biotechnology, data science, education, and science communication, as well as advanced study in neuroscience and related fields.

“The launch of the neuroscience major at St. Olaf is the culmination of decades of intentional work and dedication from our talented faculty, students, and alumni,” says Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Tarshia Stanley. “Offering St. Olaf students the opportunity to major in neuroscience supports our mission in that there is yet another opportunity for Oles to explore and practice vocational discernment.”

The first class of St. Olaf students to be able to declare their major in neuroscience will be the Class of 2030. Taught and fostered by leading-edge faculty, students will have the opportunity to gain applicable research and professional experience during their four years on campus. Students will learn foundational concepts, as well as approaches and modern tools that are being used today. An important facet of St. Olaf’s Neuroscience Program is ethics, societal relevance, and the broader human experience incorporated throughout the classroom experience. 

“We believe this major will open new opportunities for students to explore questions about the brain, behavior, health, and human experience while developing the analytical, collaborative, and creative skills needed for the future,” says Director of Neuroscience and Associate Professor of Biology Norman Lee.

By participating in St. Olaf’s faculty-led research, students can develop essential skills in how academic research is designed, conducted, and analyzed across a range of disciplines. These disciplines include biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and beyond. Students may explore questions related to sensation and perception, cognition and behavior, aging and health, neural computation, animal communication, environmental influences on the brain, and the relationship between brains, behavior, and society. 

Recent student-faculty research at St. Olaf illustrates the breadth of questions explored through neuroscience. Students have contributed to studies investigating how evolution shapes auditory processing and communication in animals, as well as research examining the neural and physiological mechanisms underlying social perception, bias, and cognitive control in humans. Through these experiences, students engage directly with the scientific process, develop valuable research skills, and have opportunities to contribute to scholarly publications while addressing questions with implications for both the natural world and human society. 

“The St. Olaf neuroscience concentration undoubtedly set me on my academic career trajectory, and set me up for success,” says Brock Carlson ’18, a postdoctoral research associate in psychology at the University of Minnesota. “The concentration prepared me to work as a research assistant in a neurophysiology lab and to apply for graduate school.”

“I am especially grateful for the funding I received from the Neuroscience Program to travel to the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting,” he says. “This conference helped me find my first job after St. Olaf, and it introduced me to the professors that would later train me in graduate school.” 

Through the neuroscience major, students will become science communicators and critical thinkers. This will be accomplished through learning how to visualize data, creating scientific posters and giving oral presentations for academic and non-academic audiences. Neuroscience students will have opportunities to attend national and international conferences, network with thought-leading academics, and present their undergraduate research. Through faculty-led projects, students may have the opportunity to contribute leading-edge research and published work. 

As the 53rd major at St. Olaf, neuroscience builds upon decades of developing intentional and purposeful classes and research opportunities for past, current, and future students. Since the 2000s, St. Olaf has offered a neuroscience concentration for interested students — and the major will provide future students with even more opportunities. Additionally, college faculty have supported:

• the student-led, undergraduate journal of neuroscience, Impulse
• The St. Olaf chapter of Nu Rho Psi, the National Honor Society in Neuroscience
• student research presented at the Society for Neuroscience
• faculty and student participation in MidBrains, the annual Midwest regional neuroscience conference for undergraduate students to present their research, network, and hear from academic thought-leaders
• and the weekly on-campus fellowship group, NeuroNibbles.

“I truly credit my undergraduate experiences in the psychology major and the neuroscience concentration with sparking my interest in auditory neuroscience,” says Jane Mondul ’13, an assistant professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences at Purdue University. During her undergraduate experience at St. Olaf, she gained three years of research experience in Associate Professor of Psychology Jeremy Loebach‘s Speech and Cognition Lab.

Mondul continues, “I now run my own independent research program that investigates the effects of sound experience on the structure and function of the auditory system, using a combination of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral techniques.” 

Learn more about St. Olaf’s Neuroscience Program.