Prerequisites: Though Mind and Brain is not a prerequisite for this course, some of you have a fair amount of background in the brain, biology, or pharmacology. The first two weeks of the class will be easier for you. For others, there is quite a bit of reading and studying you need to do before we can embark on the main content of the course – psychoactive drugs. We all need to have the same vocabulary so we can talk about the biological and behavioral effects of different classes of psychoactive drugs. Please work hard learning the material so you can keep up!

Credits = 4  What “credits” really mean. Generally speaking, each credit is an hour spent in class plus 3 hours outside of class. A 4-credit course would be 4 hours in class and 12 hours homework per week. In actuality, you have <3 hours in-class time for this course per week, and should budget at least 9 hours per week for studying for this course. That said, putting in the time does not guarantee that you will learn the material. You need to be sure your studying methods are effective, that you self-assess your own knowledge, and that address any weaknesses by seeking out assistance in a timely manner. This course is not graded on a curve, and I would be thrilled if each student earned an A.