As evidenced by the opening of a school of nursing, John Carroll University has recently made some advances in the field of medical education. These advances continue with the recent introduction of a major in neuroscience, allowing for many new opportunities for students.

Though the neuroscience major began officially being offered in the spring of 2025, the upcoming fall semester will mark its official launch to the JCU community. Neuroscience has been a possible concentration of various STEM degrees for many years, but the dedicated major will allow a far more focused and specialized study for students interested in the field.

Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Rodney Hessinger, who has a Ph.D. in history, shared some of the university’s reasoning behind this major’s introduction. He believed it necessary, as the field of neuroscience “has been expanding rapidly over the past couple of decades” both in terms of scientific advancement and student interest. 

Hessinger said that, since JCU has been offering a neuroscience concentration since 1978, it is “at the leading edge” of the field. Up until now, students majoring in chemistry, biology or psychology could choose this concentration, an option that is still available. However, students particularly interested in the field will find the dedicated major more helpful.

With several current members of the JCU faculty experienced in the field of neuroscience, the major is a way to share their “own native expertise” with students, Hessinger said. A few new courses will be added to the curriculum, including an introductory neuroscience class and some advanced ones.

Students who choose to major in neuroscience will also be presented with many new research opportunities with specialized instructors, such as Tom Frazier, who has a Ph.D in psychology, and Pam Vanderzalm, who has a Ph.D. in biology. Vanderzalm’s work has centered on the neurocircuitry of insects, whereas Frazier focuses on autism research. Even within the same major, there are still many different paths a student can take.

With the addition of a neuroscience major to the university, students at JCU have even more opportunities to excel in the field of STEM. For any further questions, Rodney Hessinger can be contacted at rhessinger@jcu.edu.