Cognitive Science Degrees

Two degrees with one common core

We offer two undergraduate degrees, the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.). They appeal to students from a variety of backgrounds and interests who wish to enter a growing field offering many career possibilities.

Our students investigate the concept of intelligence and study the mechanisms of learning and reasoning. The curriculum enables you to make connections among various domains of study, including psychology, the physical and natural sciences, philosophy, and linguistics. Work with faculty typically involves undertaking individual research experiments and projects in cognitive laboratories.

We emphasize the acquisition of skills in our program—from computer programming to laboratory research to learning how to make scientific presentations.

Common core course sequence

Our B.A. and B.S. degrees both begin with a common core: a five-course cognitive science sequence. As you advance through this core, you can decide whether to pursue the B.A. or the B.S. degree—the courses are likely to give you a strong sense of which path to take to completion.

  • Q240: Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive and Information Sciences
  • Q350: Mathematics and Logic for the Cognitive and Information Sciences
  • Q260: Programming for the Cognitive and Information Sciences
  • Q370: Experiments and Models in Cognition
  • Q320: Computation in the Cognitive and Information Sciences

Focal areas

Each degree also requires a focus comprised of three courses that gives you depth of knowledge about one aspect of cognitive science. These subject areas include:

  • Cognition
  • Computation
  • Informatics
  • Foundations (for the B.A. degree only)
  • Language
  • Logic
  • Neuroscience

Learn about our B.A. degree in the Student Portal

Learn about our B.S. degree in our Student Portal