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Elective Courses


The NBB major requires seven electives. You can fulfill this requirement in one of four ways:

  • 7 Regular electives
  • 6 Regular electives + 1 Limited elective
  • 5 Regular electives + 2 Research electives
  • 4 Regular electives + 2 Research electives + 1 Limited elective

For course descriptions, go to Emory Course Atlas and enter the course title (e.g., "NBB 370").

Electives are offered by different programs, departments, and schools. While this does not affect your progress through the major, note that many elective courses are not offered on a regular basis and new ones may be added at the last moment. Check the most recent posting of NBB courses on the Current Course Offerings page.

Special- and variable-topic courses from non-NBB departments do not always count as electives. Pre-approved topics are listed among the electives below; ask your NBB advisor about other topics, or check for them on the Current Course Offerings page. Variable-topic courses are numbered ANT 385, BIOL 385, PSYC 385, PSYC 473, PSYC 474, PSYC 475, and PSYC 476. 

Anthropology
  • ANT 210 Human Biology: A Life Cycle Approach
  • ANT 285 Nature, Nurture, Sexualities
  • ANT 285 Other topics require written approval from NBB
  • ANT 302 Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • ANT 305 The Human Brain
  • ANT 306/306W Primate Mating Strategies
  • ANT 307 Human Evolution
  • ANT 310 Communication in Primates
  • ANT 311 Nutritional Anthropology
  • ANT 316 Evolution of Human Brain and Mind
  • ANT 317 (NBB 317) Human Social Neuroscience
  • ANT 319 (NBB 319) Anthropology of Fatherhood
  • ANT 321 Anthropology of Human Reproduction
  • ANT 323 Sex Differences: Biological Bases
  • ANT 333 Disease & Human Behavior
  • ANT 334 Evolutionary medicine
  • ANT 338/338W Global Health: Biosocial Model
  • ANT 339 Defining Health: Biocultural Perspective
  • ANT 385 Human Brain Evolution
  • ANT 385 Medical Ethics and Technology
  • ANT 385 Other topics require written approval from NBB
  • ANT 450/450W The Evolution of Childhood
  • ANT 455W Current Issues in Primatology
Biology
  • BIOL 241 Evolutionary Biology
  • BIOL 320 (PSYC 320) Animal Behavior
  • BIOL 325 (PSYC 325) Primate Social Psychology 
  • BIOL 336 Human Physiology
  • BIOL 348 Mechanisms of Animal Behavior
  • BIOL 385 Topics require written approval from NBB
  • BIOL 402/402W Neuroscience Live
  • BIOL 410 Perception and Consciousness
  • BIOL 434 (PHYS 434) Physical Biology
  • BIOL 440/440W (PSYC 440/440W) Animal Communication
  • BIOL 450 (IBS 534) Computation Neuroscience
  • BIOL 460 (NBB 460) Building Brains
  • BIOL 465 RNA and Biotechnology
  • BIOL 475 Biology of the Eye
Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology
  • NBB 220 (MUS 220) The Musical Brain (formerly NBB 300 / MUS 309)
  • NBB 270R Special Topics in NBB (all topics)
  • NBB 280 Intro to Neuroethics
  • NBB 299 Explore NBB Research
  • NBB 317 (ANT 317) Human Social Neuroscience
  • NBB 319 (ANT 319) Anthropology of Fatherhood
  • NBB 321 (PSYC 321) Behavioral Neuroendocrinology of Sex
  • NBB 350 Animal Welfare (No longer offered)
  • NBB 361W Neurophysiology Laboratory
  • NBB 370R Special Topics in NBB (all topics)
  • NBB 380 Advanced Neuroethics
  • NBB 381 (PSYC 381) Neuroeconomics: Decision-Making
  • NBB 404W Roots of Modern Neuroscience Seminar
  • NBB 414 (PSYC 414) Brain and Cognitive Development
  • NBB 424 Medical Neuropathology
  • NBB 425 (PSYC 425) Brain Imaging
  • NBB 426 (PSYC 426) Neuropharmacology & Placebo
  • NBB 460 (BIO 460) Building Brains
  • NBB 470R Special Topics in NBB (all topics)
  • NBB 471R Global Topics in NBB (all topics)
  • NBB 480 Applied Neuroethics
  • NBB 481 (ECON 481) Neuroeconomics
Psychology
  • PSYC 207 Brain & Behavior
  • PSYC 209 Perception and Action
  • PSYC 215 Cognition
  • PSYC 223 Drugs and Behavior
  • PSYC 302 Human Learning and Memory
  • PSYC 303 Evolution of Acquired Behavior
  • PSYC 309 (LING 309) Brain and Language
  • PSYC 313 Neuropsychology and Developmental Disabilities
  • LING 317 (PSYC 317) Introduction to Psycholinguistics
  • PSYC 320 (BIOL 320) Animal Behavior
  • PSYC 321 (NBB 321) Behavioral Neuroendocrinology of Sex
  • PSYC 322 Biological Basis of Learning and Memory
  • PSYC 324 Sleep & Dreaming, Brain & Mind
  • PSYC 325 (BIOL 325) Primate Social Psychology
  • PSYC 335 Cognitive Neuroscience
  • PSYC 350 Behavior Modification
  • PSYC 352 Genetics of Human Behavior
  • PSYC 363 Data Mining the Mind
  • PSYC 381 (NBB 381) Neuroeconomics: Decision-Making
  • PSYC 385 Perinatal Brain Development
  • PSYC 385 Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision
  • PSYC 385 Neurobiological Basis of PTSD
  • PSYC 385 Sleep and Dreaming, Brain and Mind
  • PSYC 385 Psychology and Neuroscience of Sports and Exercise
  • PSYC 385 Other topics require written approval from NBB
  • PSYC 414 Brain and Cognitive Development
  • PSYC 415 Sleep and Dreaming
  • PSYC 420/420W Psychobiology of Visual Perception
  • PSYC 425 (NBB 425) Brain Imaging
  • PSYC 426 (NBB 426) Neuropharmacology & Placebo
  • PSYC 427 Hormones, Brain and Behavior
  • PSYC 440/440W (BIOL 440/440W) Animal Communication
  • PSYC 473 The Origin of Schizophrenia
  • PSYC 473 Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • PSYC 473W Neurobiology of PTSD
  • PSYC 473/483W Other topics require written approval from NBB
  • PSYC 474/484W Topics require written approval from NBB
  • PSYC 475/485W Topics require written approval from NBB
  • PSYC 476/486W Topics require written approval from NBB
Other Departments
  • CHEM 468WTopics require written approval from NBB
  • ECON 481 (NBB 481) Neuroeconomics
  • ECS 490W Order Exposed: Environments and How They Shape Us
  • ECS 490W Seeing Things Differently: Addressing Stigma Through Research
  • ECS 490 ORDER Risk and Resilience in Shape Identity
  • ECS 490W Emory College Seminar iSearch: Illuminating Identity
  • ECS 490WR Other topics require written approval from NBB
  • ENG 386/386W Literature and Science (requires written approval from NBB)
  • ENG 389/389W Topics require written approval from NBB
  • ENVS 385/385W Topics require written approval from NBB
  • IDS 385/385W Topics require written approval from NBB
  • LING 309 (PSYC 309) Brain and Language
  • LING 317 (PSYC 317) Introduction to Psycholinguistics
  • MUS 220 (NBB 220) The Musical Brain (formerly NBB 300 / MUS 309)
  • PHIL 205 Introduction to Biomedical Ethics (no longer offered)
  • PHIL 425/425W Philosophy of Science
  • PHIL 440/440W Philosophy of Mind
  • PHIL 482W Topics require written approval from NBB
  • PHYS 227 Modern Medical Physics
  • PHYS 380/385 Topics require written approval from NBB
  • PHYS 434 (BIOL 434) Physical Biology
  • REL 200 Sacred Drugs (formerly REL 270 Sacred Drugs)
  • REL 370 Topics require written approval from NBB
Oxford Campus
  • NBB_OX 202 Introduction to Neuroethology
  • NBB_OX 223 (PSYC_OX 222) Introduction to Clinical Neuroscience
  • NBB_OX 304 (PSYC_OX 304) Hormones and Behavior
  • NBB_OX 499R Mentored Research in NBB
  • BIOL_OX 340E Independent Research & Discovery in Biology
  • LING_OX 317 Psycholinguistics
  • PSYC_OX 222 (NBB_OX 223) Introduction to Clinical Neuroscience
  • PSYC_OX 223 Drugs and Behavior
  • PSYC_OX 304 (NBB_OX 304) Hormones and Behavior
  • PHIL_OX 382R Philosophy of Mind

To count as electives, two semesters must be taken for 4 credits each. That would count as two electives. Any less counts as zero electives. A maximum of two electives can come from research courses (additional courses still count for college credit).

  • NBB 495A Honors Research
  • NBB 495BW Honors Research
  • NBB 499R Undergraduate Research

Only ONE of these may be used as an NBB elective.

  • BIOL 205 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy with Lab
  • BIOL 250 Cell Biology
  • BIOL 264 (BIOL_OX 264) Genetics: A Human Perspective (with Discussion Section)
  • BIOL 301 Intro Biochemistry I
  • CHEM 203 (CHEM_OX 203) Advanced Reactivity
  • CHEM 204 (CHEM_OX 204) Macromolecules
  • CHEM 221/221Z Organic Chemistry I (with lab)
  • CHEM 222 Organic Chemistry II (with lab)
  • CHEM 301 Biochemistry I
  • CHEM 302 Biochemistry II
  • CS 153 Computing for Bioinformatics
  • MATH 207 Probability and Stats w/ Applications