2017-2018 Catalog

Major Requirements

A total of at least 48 units to be distributed as follows:

COURSEWORK

COGS 101Introduction to Cognitive Science

4 units

COGS 201Empirical Methods in Cognitive Science

4 units

COGS 242Computational Approaches to Cognition

4 units

COGS 306/PSYC 306Cognitive Psychology

4 units

PHIL 225Formal Logic

4 units

COGS 490Senior Seminar in Cognitive Science

4 units

Neuroscience

Students must select either

COGS 104Introduction to Neuroscience

4 units

Or

COGS 320Cognitive Neuroscience

4 units

Linguistics

Students must select one course from the list below:

COGS 330Linguistics for Cognitive Science

4 units

LING 301Introduction to Linguistics

4 units

LING 350/PSYC 351Psycholinguistics

4 units

Philosophy

Students must select one course from the list below:

PHIL 360Philosophy of Mind

4 units

PHIL 365Philosophy of Science

4 units

PHIL 370Philosophy of Language

4 units

PHIL 375Theory of Knowledge

4 units

PHIL 380Wittgenstein

4 units

Additional Electives

Students must select three additional courses to complete the major. 

Electives can be drawn from courses offered through the department, the list above, can be a course cross-listed with cognitive science, or can come from the list below. A total of 4 units can be applied to the major from either directed research or independent study. 

All students are encouraged to take a statistics course (e.g. BIO 268, MATH 146, or PSYC 201). Those students intending to do an empirical project for their senior comprehensives or who intend to go on to graduate school in cognitive science or in a related field should discuss course choices with their advisor.

BIO 240Vertebrate Physiology

4 units

BIO 268Biostatistics

4 units

BIO 320Developmental Biology

4 units

BIO 333Neurobiology

4 units

BIO 378Animal Behavior

4 units

COMP 311Data Structures and Algorithms

4 units

COMP 353Information Theory

4 units

ECON 305Game Theory

4 units

ECON 340Behavioral Economics

4 units

KINE 301Human Anatomy II

4 units

KINE 304Human Physiology

4 units

KINE 310/PSYC 310Motor Learning and Control

4 units

LING 355Sociolinguistics

4 units

MATH 146Statistics

4 units

MATH 150Statistical Data Analysis

4 units

MATH 186Network Models

4 units

MATH 330Probability

4 units

MATH 350Mathematical Logic

4 units

MATH 352Computability and Complexity

4 units

MATH 354/PHIL 320Set Theory and Foundations of Mathematics

4 units

MATH 370Numerical Analysis

4 units

MATH 392Mathematical Models in Biology

4 units

PHIL 250Bioethics

4 units

PHIL 305Topics in Modern Philosophy

4 units

PHIL 325Metalogic

4 units

PHIL 355Philosophy of Space and Time

4 units

PSYC 111/COGS 111The Origins of Knowledge

4 units

PSYC 201Statistics in Psychological Science

4 units

PSYC 302Perception

4 units

PSYC 322LPhysiological Psychology Laboratory

2 units

PSYC 403Psychophysiology

4 units

PSYC 444Thinking and Reasoning

4 units

SECOND-STAGE WRITING REQUIREMENT

To pass the second-stage writing requirement students must attain a B- or better in a 300-level fundamental course or 300-level cognitive science class by the end of their junior year.

COMPREHENSIVE REQUIREMENT

In the senior year the student carries out a project or writes a thesis on a topic in Cognitive Science related to their prior coursework. The project or thesis is coordinated with the work of the Cognitive Science Senior Seminar. All majors take the Senior Seminar in the fall semester of the senior year.

HONORS

Honors in Cognitive Science may be awarded to graduating seniors who demonstrate excellence in their course work and distinction in their senior comprehensive project. To be eligible, students must have a 3.5 grade point average in the major and a 3.25 overall grade point average. In addition, the comprehensive project or thesis must be judged as a "pass with distinction."