Undergraduate Program

What is Cognitive Science?
Cognitive Science is the study of human knowledge, of which one aspect is the study of how knowledge is acquired, stored, and represented in the mind, including the mind’s underlying biological mechanisms.  Another aspect of Cognitive Science concerns how knowledge is understood, remembered, communicated, and used in the performance of activities, including the acquisition and application of skills and information.  This latter aspect provides the practical applications of Cognitive Science, and thereby ensures a demand for graduates in academic and industrial markets.  The field is deeply rooted in the histories of Philosophy, Psychology, Biology, Linguistics, Mathematics and other fields, but its contemporary shape emerged since 1950.  Three important characteristics of the field are: (a.) The primary mode of explanation in Cognitive Science is the development of computational models of cognitive structures and processes. (b.) The primary mode of testing or evaluation in Cognitive Science is by studies using scientific methods including experiments and observations of behavior. (c.) A number of traditional disciplines have contributed important methods and insights to cognitive science, making research and the institutional organization of the field highly interdisciplinary.

Who Can Enroll in this Program?
Undergraduate students majoring in Psychology, Philosophy, Linguistics, Computer Science, Speech/Language/Hearing Science, or Architecture and Planning may be interested in extending the breadth of their undergraduate studies to include the cognitive sciences and earn a certificate in cognitive science. Undergraduate students usually apply for admission to the program during their sophomore year. Earning the certificate involves meeting course requirements.

How Do I Enroll in the Program?
Students are encouraged to enroll in the program during their sophomore year and typically no later than the beginning of their junior year.  Applications are accepted year round. There is an enrollment form for the program, which is available from each member of the Curriculum Committee, the ICS main office in Muenzinger D414, or download the form here.  Students interested in the program should meet with the faculty fellows from their major department and fill out the enrollment form.  The ICS Academic Program Director will approve the enrollment on the basis of the information provided by the student on the form.  The students enrolled in the program are encouraged to meet with the faculty fellows from their major department at least once a year to review their progress in the program.

What Careers are Opened to Students with Undergraduate Training in Cognitive Science?
Training in Cognitive Science prepares students admirably well for many of the fields that are targeted as the major growth fields of the twenty-first century: telecommunications, information processing, medical analysis, data retrieval, education, and multimedia.  As the world is enveloped by the information age, cognitive scientists will be uniquely positioned to deal with this information.