Declare by sophomore year, plan earlier
Dartmouth does not require a major until sophomore year, but Neuroscience encourages planning by the end of the first year.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth
Dartmouth Neuroscience: a major planned early and declared by sophomore year
Dartmouth admits students to the College and does not require a major to be declared until sophomore year, but its Neuroscience page encourages potential majors to begin planning by the end of the first year. The major is administered by the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, with core courses on the measurement of behaviour and the brain and adaptive electives that can emphasise computation or molecular biology. For an A-level or IB applicant, the questions are how the major is entered and how Dartmouth's testing routes work for students outside the United States. This guide makes no claim about admission to the major.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Dartmouth says about Dartmouth Neuroscience
Taken from Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences' Neuroscience major page, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Dartmouth's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Administered by PBS
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences administers the major, with research possible across medicine and engineering.
Adaptive electives
Electives can emphasise computational methods or cell and molecular biology, depending on interests.
No modified major for the class of 2026 and later
The page says the Neuroscience major cannot be modified for the class of 2026 and later.
A-Levels and the IBDP named
Students from outside the US may meet the testing requirement through five routes, including predicted or final A-Levels or IBDP results.
Official sources
- Dartmouth Admissions: Majors & Minorsadmissions.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Psychological and Brain Sciences: Neuroscience Majorpbs.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences' Neuroscience major page, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Dartmouth's Organization, Regulations and Courses pages, the neuroscience checklists and flowchart, the approved electives list, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the department says the major is
The Neuroscience major is administered by the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Core courses give a strong background in the measurement of behaviour as it relates to the brain, followed by electives for a broad understanding of neuroscience and the techniques used to study the brain. The electives list is described as adaptive: students might choose Computer Science and Mathematics electives for computational methods, or electives in cell or molecular biology. Research can involve faculty in the School of Medicine and the Thayer Engineering School, subject to approval. This guide did not read the checklists or electives list.
Is it the right major?
Neuroscience, Psychology or Biology
Dartmouth describes each as a separate major, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Neuroscience fits if
you want the brain as the subject, with measurement of behaviour at the core.
Computer Science or Mathematics electives fit if
you lean towards computational neuroscience.
Biology fits if
your interest is cell and molecular biology more broadly; this guide did not read the Biology pages.
Admission and testing
Five testing routes for students outside the US
Dartmouth says students who attended high school in the US must submit SAT or ACT results, while students from outside the US can meet the requirement in one of five ways, which include predicted or final British A-Level results and predicted or final IBDP results. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Dartmouth's.
Which side of neuroscience draws you?
The page says electives can lean computational or molecular.
Are you willing to plan early?
Potential majors are encouraged to begin by the end of the first year.
Which testing route fits your school?
Dartmouth lists five routes for students outside the US.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Dartmouth's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Dartmouth's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 31 October 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Dartmouth has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Dartmouth for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the PBS Neuroscience major page and choose a testing route.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Dartmouth College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Dartmouth College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
When do I declare Neuroscience at Dartmouth?
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year, though Neuroscience encourages planning by the end of the first year.
Which department runs it?
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.
Can Neuroscience be a modified major?
The page says the Neuroscience major cannot be modified for the class of 2026 and later.
Does Dartmouth accept A-Levels and the IB for testing?
Yes. Students from outside the US can meet the requirement through five routes, including predicted or final A-Levels or IBDP results.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Students who attended high school in the US must submit them; students outside the US have five routes.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Dartmouth's wording with no entry-year label. Check Dartmouth's pages again when Dartmouth publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Dartmouth Neuroscience
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their interest in the brain, whether they lean towards computational or molecular electives and their testing route, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.