Concentrations
Biochemistry and Biophysics Concentration
Much of today's scientific effort is directed toward an understanding of biological processes from the physical and chemical points of view. Curricular initiatives at Haverford, begun as a result of a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, led to the development of biologically oriented courses of study in the chemistry and physics departments. The concentration in biochemistry and biophysics recognizes current and undoubtedly enduring trends in interdisciplinary science by establishing in the curriculum a formal program of classroom and laboratory training at the interface between the physical and biological sciences.
To be a member of the concentration a student must major in one of the three sponsoring departments: biology, chemistry, or physics. On the student's transcript, the concentration may be recorded as one in biochemistry, biophysics, or biochemistry/biophysics, depending on the individual program of study. However, students may not obtain both a chemistry minor and a biochemistry concentration, and the y may not obtain both a physics minor and a biophysics concentration.
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Scientific Computing
Many disciplines in the natural and social sciences include a significant sub-discipline that is explicitly computational. Examples include astronomy, biology, chemistry, economics, and physics. In some fields, such as biology, the use of computation has become so widespread that basic literacy in computation is increasingly important and may soon become required. The concentration in scientific computing gives students an opportunity to develop a basic facility with the tools and concepts involved in applying computation to a scientific problem, and to explore the specific computational aspects of their own major disciplines.
Three of the six courses required for the concentration focus exclusively on computing (see Requirements A and B below): one is an introduction to computer science and programming, and the other two focus on the general issues of the use of computation in a broad range of scientific disciplines. For the remaining three courses in the concentration, students choose from a list of elective courses (see Requirement C), within the rule that 2-3 courses for the concentration must also count toward the student's major. Finally, the student must also complete a project-based experience, possibly during the completion of one of the courses (Requirement D).
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Neural and Behavioral Sciences
The desire to understand human and animal behavior in terms of nervous system structure and function is long standing. Historically, this task has been approached from a variety of disciplines including medicine, biology, psychology and physiology. The field of neuroscience emerged as an interdisciplinary approach, combining techniques and perspectives from these disciplines to yield new insights into the workings of the nervous system and behavior.
The concentration in the neural and behavioral sciences is designed to allow students to pursue their interests in behavior and the nervous system across disciplines. The concentration is offered by the Departments of Biology and Psychology at Bryn Mawr and the Departments of Biology and Psychology at Haverford College. Students undertaking the concentration must major in one of these four departments.
The concentration consists of two components. Students must satisfy the requirements of the department in which they major, with appropriate modifications related to the concentration (consult departmental advisers listed above). For the concentration itself, students must take a series of courses that represent the background in the neural and behavioral sciences and other sciences common to all approaches to the nervous system and behavior. All students, regardless of major, must fulfill the requirements of the core program