Welcome to the Neuroscience major at the University of Maryland!
I am very proud to be the Undergraduate Director for NEUR. This is a very personal calling for me. It is the major I would have wanted to be when I was a student at the University of Maryland, College Park (1997- 2001). In addition to being the Undergraduate Director, I also teach NEUR405: Neuroscience Laboratory, thus, I have had the opportunity to teach (among others) every single student who has graduated from our major. I see parts of myself in so many of our students, and I am both driven and delighted to provide them with a rich, rigorous, and exciting academic program.
The 2025-2026 academic year is the Neuroscience major’s sixth year, and we are excited to continue to grow and innovate. We currently have 460 majors and 319 alumni. Although the NEUR major is relatively new, the University of Maryland has a long and well respected history of neuroscience that we are proud to share with our undergraduates.
Through our required NEUR series courses, major electives, and supporting coursework, we provide students with a strong and versatile neuroscience background. Both within and beyond the traditional classroom we strive to create an intellectual community to nourish the minds of future neuroscientists, and to help them find their place in the world.
Within the classroom our course directors are amazing. In addition to consistently earning high marks through peer and student evaluations, they repeatedly utilize TLTC innovation grants and other mechanisms to elevate existing courses and create new academic opportunities for our students.
Beyond the classroom our students are supported by experienced and dedicated advising staff. Our advising team takes a holistic approach, supporting the whole student. We provide our students with opportunities to build community through events like Fall Welcome, Spring Field Day, Undergraduate NEUR Research Day, and study halls. NEUR students plan for their future during NEURxNACS Coffee Chats, career panels, and research opportunities (including the NEUR Honors Program). They build leadership skills through the NEUR Ambassadors and Undergraduate Learning Assistants programs. And, as an interdisciplinary major, NEUR students benefit from the vast resources of both the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the College of Computer, Math and Natural Sciences.
It is amazing to see how much we have achieved, and I am eager to see the wonderful things our students, faculty, and staff will continue to do. As I said, I see parts of myself in so many of our students. We are invested and cannot wait to see all the wonderful things NEUR students will discover and accomplish.
Be well,
Dr. Hilary Bierman
Principal Lecturer
Director, Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience
UMD Class of 2001
