Skills you’ll develop
While studying Behavioural Neuroscience, you’re gaining a deep understanding of the biological basis of behaviour and exploring the structure and function of the brain and nervous system. You’ll develop important skills and learn advanced research methods to gain a multidisciplinary understanding of behavior and cognition as they relate to nervous system function.
These skills may include:
- Critical observation and evaluation of nervous system dysfunction, ranging from psychiatric to neurological conditions
- Design and execution of neuroscience experiments with human participants or animal subjects
- Research and critical evaluation of biomedical literature
- Application of specialized knowledge related to neurological diseases and disorders
- Application of ethical considerations in neuroscience research, decision making, and consideration of societal implications
- Verbal and written communication of technical and scientific data aimed at neuroscientific and non-neuroscientific audiences
- Technical usage of computational modeling, neuroimaging, and statistics
Career possibilities
Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including health and biomedical research and development, machine learning, pharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare, government and regulatory affairs, non-profit, education, consulting, and others.
There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Read through the job titles below for ideas. Some career options may require further education or training.
Visit the National Occupational Classification website to research basic requirements and responsibilities of jobs in your field.
- Addictions and mental health counsellor
- Anesthesiologist
- Artificial intelligence designer
- Behaviour interventionist
- Biochemist
- Biomedical engineering technologist
- Biostatistician
- Biotechnology technician
- Child and youth worker
- Clinical counsellor
- Clinical research associate
- Cognitive therapist
- Correctional service officer
- Disability case manager
- Electroneurophysiology technologist
- Food scientist
- Geneticist
- Healthcare consultant
- Health policy development officer
- Hospital administrator
- Life skills instructor
- Medical illustrator
- Microbiologist
- Neural stem cell researcher
- Neurologist
- Neuropathologist
- Nurse
- Optometrist
- Patent officer
- Pharmacist
- Occupational therapist
- Teacher/Professor
- Physical therapist
- Psychologist
- Public health director
- Scientific research manager
- Scientific writer
- Social worker
- Speech language pathologist
- Toxicologist
- Veterinary neurologist
Make the most of your specialization
Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help clarify understanding of your values and interests.
- UBC Neuroscience Club
Learn about neuroscience research through weekly journal club meetings, student-led seminars, and an annual conference. - UBC Psychology Students’ Association
Sign up for resume and CV workshops, meet your Psychology professor, and attend fun events. - UBC Cognitive Systems Society
Meet students with an interest in neuroscience, artificial intelligence, human-computer interfaces, and robotics. - UBC Science Co-op
Gain work experience in behavioural neuroscience between study terms. - UBC Life Sciences Institute
Browse research opportunities, events, programs and student competitions in life sciences. - UBC Undergraduate Research Opportunities club
Find a mentor, learn how to get into research, or receive help on publishing your manuscript. - Departmental research opportunities
Reach out directly to faculty members to ask about potential research positions. - Vancouver Coastal Health volunteer opportunities
Get volunteer experience in hospitals and health centres. - Fraser Health volunteer opportunities
Volunteer in local communities through healthcare opportunities. - UBC PATHS
Attend events and help raise awareness and funds for common neurodegenerative diseases. - UBC Peer Support
Support other students while developing your active listening, problem solving, and empathy skills. - UBC Speech and Linguistics Student Association
Check out volunteer opportunities and attend career talks and social events. - UBC Undergraduate Journal of Psychology
Showcase your research by submitting papers to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Build your network
Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.
The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.
- American Neurological Association
- American Psychological Association
- Brain Canada Foundation
- British Neuroscience Association
- Canadian Association for Neuroscience
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Canadian Medical Association
- Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation
- Canadian Society for Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Science
- Centre for Brain Health
- Cognitive Neuroscience Society
- Cognitive Science Society
- International Behavioural Neuroscience Society
- International Brain Research Organization
- International Neuropsychological Society
- International Society for Neurochemistry
- Neuroscience News
- Psychonomic Society
- Society for Neuroscience
- Society for Psychophysiological Research
Connect with alumni on LinkedIn
Find UBC Behavioural Neuroscience graduates on LinkedIn to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.
More information
From your Science degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Science degree.