Neuroscience in Europe 2027

Our perception of the world around us and our behaviors toward it are the results of complex interactions between our brains, those around us, and the surrounding environment. This program will help students to examine the influence of culture on the relationship between brain and behavior through a variety of activities and experiences as we travel in countries including England, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Activities will include didactic instruction, program-integrated assignments, and visits to sites of local and cultural significance. This will expose students to different ideas about how to think about the mind. The final aim of the program is to improve students’ global fluency and cultural awareness and help students become global learners. Students of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, and we value a diverse group of learners.

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Courses

Students are required to enroll in 6 credit hours from the following:

PSYCH 370—Sensation & Perception (3 credit hours)
PSYCH 375—Cognition (3 credit hours)
PSYCH 430R—Capstone (3 credit hours)
NEURO 449R—Undergraduate Research Experience (3 credits hours)

The study abroad experience is built around PSYCH 370 and PSYCH 375. Preference will be given to students who have not taken these courses. If a student has not previously taken those courses, they must enroll in both. If a student has already completed one of these two courses, they may instead fulfill the second requirement by taking either PSYCH 430R or NEURO 449R.

Students may not take any other courses on this program, including BYU Online courses, without approval by the program director and ISP.

Cost

$8,400-8,900

Includes Latter-day Saint, undergraduate full tuition (increased cost for graduate students and non–Latter-day Saint students), housing, group transport, a modest allowance for meals, group activities, and international health insurance.

Does not include airfare to and from the program, cell phone international data plan, or other personal expenses.

Funding Sources

Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs.

Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will be considered for a Study Abroad scholarship.

Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants.

Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships).

Preparation

Students are required to take one of the following prerequisite courses prior to departure:

NEURO 205—Neurobiology
PSYCH 381—Behavioral Neurobiology

Accepted students are required to participate in an international cross-cultural preparation course (IAS 201R, 1 credit hour). This class will be held during the Winter 2027 semester.

Part-time BYU students and non-BYU students will need to pay an additional tuition fee. Accompanying spouses need to be credit-bearing participants on the program. Spouses will also need to apply online and take the preparation course.

International study programs are physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing and you must be in good health to participate. These programs often take place in international locations that do not have the same level of safety and services in terms of transportation, living conditions, residential accommodations, food, public behavior, and policing that you may be used to on campus. If you have further questions or concerns on this, please see our travel policy.

Housing

Students stay in apartments, hotels, or hostels. All housing and travel will be arranged by the program.

Travel

Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program sites. Airline reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent.

BYU Travel
280 HRCB
(801) 422-6293
travel@byu.edu

Application Process

Students must be 18 years of age or older to participate.

Complete the online application here. A nonrefundable $35 application fee is required; applicants will be interviewed once the application is complete.

Students will be notified via e-mail of their acceptance into the program. The first payment is due upon acceptance; please refer to the Payment Information page.

Priority Deadline: 1 October 2026
Application Deadline: 1 November 2026

Program Adjustments

International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost.

If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU Financial account.

ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.

Faculty

Rebekka Matheson (she/her) received her MD from the University of Rochester. Her clinical work emphasized neurology, psychiatry, and addiction medicine. Her research experience includes the neuroanatomy of reward circuity and deep brain stimulation for psychiatric disease.

1030 KMBL
(801) 422-2954
rebekka_matheson@byu.edu

Jared Nielsen (he/him) received his PhD from the University of Utah and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. He currently has projects that investigate how the brain is affected in individuals with autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a variety of neurological conditions.

1070 KMBL
(801) 422-5294
jarednielsen@byu.edu

Contact Us

International Study Programs
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu

ISP Student Handbook

To see the student handbook, click here.

Payment Schedule

To see the payment schedule, click here.

Neuroscience in Europe

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FAQ

More Information

Courses

Cost

Funding Sources

Preparation

Housing

Travel

Application Process

Program Adjustments

Faculty

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ISP Student Handbook

Payment Schedule