The Bates Program in Neuroscience’s curriculum is built around active, learning-by-doing experiences.
The program trains students to draw on perspectives from physiology, psychology, biology, and quantitative approaches to consider topics such as molecular and cellular mechanisms, neural circuits, computation, and behavior. Students develop skills through laboratory courses and research practice, and the major culminates with a senior capstone or thesis that emphasizes rigorous, independent inquiry.
Thomas Pinette
Academic Administrative Assistant
Bonney Science Center
Phone: 207-755-5928
tpinette@bates.edu
Students graduate as thoughtful and responsible consumers and producers of neuroscientific knowledge, providing a versatile foundation for careers in healthcare, research, biotechnology, and academia. Graduates frequently pursue roles as physicians, neuroscientists, research technicians, and counselors, or work in specialized areas like pharmaceutical sales, science writing, and AI-driven interface development.
of 2020-2024 Bates graduates are employed and/or attending graduate school — settled into their next opportunity within 6 months of graduation.
“During my sophomore year Cognitive Neuroscience lab in Pettengill, my life was changed when my professor introduced me to a career I’d never heard of where I could help people, solve puzzles, and continue learning throughout my life. My mentors at Bates mapped out the path for me and supported me every step of the way. Now, 8-plus years of training later, I am practicing and so in love with my work.“
— Hannah Weiss ‘15
Students choose neuroscience at Bates for mentored, high-touch scientific practice. We provide close faculty guidance as students learn to design studies, work with data, and communicate their findings. Students graduate prepared to think critically about the nervous system, conduct and communicate original research, and integrate scientific understanding with ethical and societal perspectives. We offer a truly hands-on approach to neuroscience; students in our program routinely participate in active research programs and mentored projects with our faculty.
The neuroscience faculty is composed of professors from around the world who have studied and researched the subject at renowned institutions. Specialties include computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, cellular biochemistry, and neurobiology. In teaching, they are committed to an immersive, hands-on approach and are passionate about including Bates students in their research and work.
Each year the graduating class at Bates picks a faculty or staff person to offer the Baccalaureate Address. The Class of 2026 selected Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies Stephanie Kelley-Romano.
On Sunday, May 31, 2026, 480 Bates students became Bates alumni, ready to face uncertainty with the support of the lessons they’ve learned at Bates, both in and out of the classroom.
The skies were changeable but the mood was resoundingly upbeat on Sunday, May 31, as 480 members of the Class of 2026 celebrated their Bates graduation surrounded by family and friends, and bolstered by speeches that dwelled on bright promises, both those already delivered and those to come.
