The field of Cognitive Science uses scientific methods of experimentation, computational modeling, and brain imaging to study mental abilities such as perception, action, memory, cognition, speech, and language, as well as the development and evolution of those processes. Students must become knowledgeable in four areas of emphasis: perception, cognition, language, and cognitive neuroscience, as well as a set of methods relevant to Cognitive Science research. Students then create their own focus area of study, potentially integrating coursework from the Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences department with a diverse subset of fields including Anthropology, Applied Math, Education, Neuroscience, and Philosophy. The A.B. program is primarily for students interested in studying human mental processes and acquiring a research orientation to the study of the mind. The Sc.B. program is designed for students who wish to develop a stronger background in Cognitive Science and requires students to engage in a specific research project in the focus area of their choosing. We recommend that prospective concentrators register for one of the gateway courses and at least one other core course in their first or second year.
I. Standard program for the A.B. degree: 13 courses
| Gateway | ||
| CLPS 0020 | Approaches to the Mind: Introduction to Cognitive Science (formerly COGS 0010) (or alternative, with permission of Concentration Advisor) | 1 |
| Required core courses | ||
| CORE IN COGNITION | ||
| CLPS 0200 | Human Cognition (formerly COGS 0420) | 1 |
| CORE IN LINGUISTICS | ||
| CLPS 0030 | Introduction to Linguistic Theory (formerly COGS 0410) | 1 |
| CORE IN PERCEPTION | ||
| CLPS 0500 | Perception and Mind (formerly COGS/PSYC 0440) | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| CORE IN COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| The Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience | ||
| Mind and Brain: Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience (formerly COGS 0720) | ||
| Required courses in skills and methodology | ||
| One Experimental Laboratory such as: | 1 | |
| Research Methods in Psychology (formerly PSYC 1090) | ||
| Techniques in Physiological Psychology (formerly PSYC 1030) | ||
| Laboratory in Cognitive Processes (formerly COGS 1530) | ||
| Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Theory and Practice (formerly PSYC 1840) | ||
| Visualizing Vision (formerly COGS 1440) | ||
| Laboratory in Developmental Psychology (formerly COGS 1610) | ||
| Laboratory in Psycholinguistics (formerly COGS 1450) | ||
| One Basic Computation Course such as: | 1 | |
| Computational Cognitive Science | ||
| Neural Modeling Laboratory (formerly COGS 1020) | ||
| Computational Cognitive Neuroscience (formerly COGS 1460) | ||
| Introduction to Scientific Computing and Problem Solving | ||
| Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Computer Science | ||
| Computer Science: An Integrated Introduction | ||
| Computer Science: An Integrated Introduction | ||
| One course in Statistical Analysis such as: 1 | 1 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Psychology (formerly COGS/PSYC 0090) | ||
| Statistical Inference I | ||
| Required Capstone | 1 | |
| Senior Seminar in Cognitive Science (formerly COGS 1950) | ||
| Electives 2 | 4 | |
| Choose four from the following: | ||
| Sociolinguistics, Discourse and Dialogue | ||
| Topics in Chaotic Dynamics | ||
| Statistical Inference I | ||
| Statistical Inference II | ||
| Statistical Analysis of Time Series | ||
| Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Computational Probability and Statistics | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Biology of Hearing | ||
| Neural Systems | ||
| Developmental Neurobiology | ||
| Neural Basis of Cognition | ||
| Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Learning and Conditioning (formerly PSYC 0900) | ||
| Human Thinking and Problem-Solving (formerly COGS 0480) | ||
| Making Decisions (formerly COGS 0500) | ||
| Brain Damage and the Mind (formerly PSYC 0470) | ||
| Perception, Illusion, and the Visual Arts (formerly COGS 0110) | ||
| Making Visual Illusions | ||
| Child Development (formerly PSYC 0810) | ||
| Children's Thinking: The Nature of Cognitive Development (formerly COGS 0630) | ||
| Language and the Mind (formerly COGS 0450) | ||
| Animal Cognition (formerly PSYC 1800) | ||
| Psychology of Timing (formerly PSYC 1790) | ||
| Thinking (formerly COGS 1520) | ||
| Human Memory and Learning (formerly COGS 1560) | ||
| Human and Machine Learning (formerly COGS 1680) | ||
| Concepts and Categories (formerly COGS 1870) | ||
| Reasoning and Problem Solving (formerly COGS 1880) | ||
| Causal Reasoning (formerly COGS 1860C) | ||
| The Neural Bases of Cognition (formerly PSYC 1880) | ||
| Mechanisms of Motivated Decision Making | ||
| Ecological Approach to Perception and Action (formerly COGS 1380) | ||
| Psychology of Hearing (formerly PSYC 1190) | ||
| Computational Vision | ||
| 3D Shape Perception (formerly COGS 1860B) | ||
| Human Factors (formerly COGS 1160) | ||
| History and Theories of Child Development (EDUC 1710) | ||
| Cognitive Development (formerly COGS 1180) | ||
| Psychology in Business and Economics | ||
| Language Processing (formerly COGS 1410) | ||
| Syntactic Theory and Syntactic Processing (formerly COGS 1420) | ||
| Language and the Brain (formerly COGS 1480) | ||
| Neuroimaging and Language (formerly COGS 1840B) | ||
| Introduction to Discrete Structures and Probability | ||
| Models of Computation | ||
| Introduction to Computer Graphics | ||
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Building Intelligent Robots | ||
| Emotion, Cognition, Education | ||
| Adolescent Psychology | ||
| Neuroengineering | ||
| Linear System Analysis | ||
| Communication Systems | ||
| Image Understanding | ||
| Consciousness | ||
| Decision Theory: Foundations and Applications | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Mathematical Logic | ||
| The Problem of Free Will | ||
| British Empiricists | ||
| Epistemology | ||
| Philosophy of Language | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Philosophy of Biology | ||
| Advanced Deductive Logic | ||
| Total Credits | 13 | |
| 1 | Note: Students cannot use an AP Statistics course in lieu of this requirement. APMA0650 and SOC 1100 will not fulfill this requirement. |
| 2 | In most cases, electives must be at the 1000-level and must show coherence and provide the concentrator with depth in one or more focus areas. Only one course below the 1000-level can be included in this list, and only with permission of the concentration advisor. Students are strongly encouraged to work out their program of electives with the concentration advisor. |
II. Standard program for the Sc.B. degree: 18 Courses
| Gateway: | ||
| CLPS 0020 | Approaches to the Mind: Introduction to Cognitive Science (formerly COGS 0010) (or alternative, with permission of the Concentration Advisor) | 1 |
| Require Core Courses: | ||
| CORE IN COGNITION | ||
| CLPS 0200 | Human Cognition (formerly COGS 0420) | 1 |
| CORE IN LINGUISTICS | ||
| CLPS 0030 | Introduction to Linguistic Theory (formerly COGS 0410) | 1 |
| CORE IN PERCEPTION | ||
| CLPS 0500 | Perception and Mind (formerly COGS/PSYC 0440) | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| CORE IN COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| The Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience | ||
| Mind and Brain: Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience (formerly COGS 0720) | ||
| Required courses in skills and methodology: | ||
| One Experimental Laboratory course such as: | 1 | |
| Research Methods in Psychology (formerly PSYC 1090) | ||
| Techniques in Physiological Psychology (formerly PSYC 1030) | ||
| Experimental Analysis of Animal Behavior and Cognition (formerly PSYC 1200) | ||
| Laboratory in Cognitive Processes (formerly COGS 1530) | ||
| Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Theory and Practice (formerly PSYC 1840) | ||
| Visualizing Vision (formerly COGS 1440) | ||
| Laboratory in Developmental Psychology (formerly COGS 1610) | ||
| Laboratory in Psycholinguistics (formerly COGS 1450) | ||
| One Basic Computation Course such as: | 1 | |
| Computational Cognitive Science | ||
| Neural Modeling Laboratory (formerly COGS 1020) | ||
| Computational Cognitive Neuroscience (formerly COGS 1460) | ||
| Introduction to Scientific Computing and Problem Solving | ||
| Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Computer Science | ||
| Computer Science: An Integrated Introduction | ||
| Computer Science: An Integrated Introduction | ||
| One course in Statistical Analysis, such as: 1 | 1 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Psychology (formerly COGS/PSYC 0090) | ||
| Statistical Inference I | ||
| Required Capstone: | 1 | |
| Senior Seminar in Cognitive Science (formerly COGS 1950) | ||
| Electives 2 | 4 | |
| Choose four from the following: | ||
| Sound and Symbols: Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology | ||
| Sociolinguistics, Discourse and Dialogue | ||
| Topics in Chaotic Dynamics | ||
| Statistical Inference I | ||
| Statistical Inference II | ||
| Statistical Analysis of Time Series | ||
| Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Computational Probability and Statistics | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Biology of Hearing | ||
| Neural Systems | ||
| Developmental Neurobiology | ||
| Neural Basis of Cognition | ||
| Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Learning and Conditioning (formerly PSYC 0900) | ||
| Human Thinking and Problem-Solving (formerly COGS 0480) | ||
| Making Decisions (formerly COGS 0500) | ||
| Brain Damage and the Mind (formerly PSYC 0470) | ||
| Perception, Illusion, and the Visual Arts (formerly COGS 0110) | ||
| Making Visual Illusions | ||
| Child Development (formerly PSYC 0810) | ||
| Children's Thinking: The Nature of Cognitive Development (formerly COGS 0630) | ||
| Language and the Mind (formerly COGS 0450) | ||
| Animal Cognition (formerly PSYC 1800) | ||
| Psychology of Timing (formerly PSYC 1790) | ||
| Thinking (formerly COGS 1520) | ||
| Human Memory and Learning (formerly COGS 1560) | ||
| Human and Machine Learning (formerly COGS 1680) | ||
| Concepts and Categories (formerly COGS 1870) | ||
| Reasoning and Problem Solving (formerly COGS 1880) | ||
| Causal Reasoning (formerly COGS 1860C) | ||
| The Neural Bases of Cognition (formerly PSYC 1880) | ||
| Mechanisms of Motivated Decision Making | ||
| Ecological Approach to Perception and Action (formerly COGS 1380) | ||
| Psychology of Hearing (formerly PSYC 1190) | ||
| Computational Vision | ||
| 3D Shape Perception (formerly COGS 1860B) | ||
| Human Factors (formerly COGS 1160) | ||
| History and Theories of Child Development (EDUC 1710) | ||
| Cognitive Development (formerly COGS 1180) | ||
| Cognitive Development in Infancy (formerly COGS 1620) | ||
| Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (formerly COGS 1190) | ||
| The Developing Brain (formerly PSYC 1750C) | ||
| Perceptual Development | ||
| Child Language Acquisition (formerly COGS 1430) | ||
| Psychology in Business and Economics | ||
| Language Processing (formerly COGS 1410) | ||
| Syntactic Theory and Syntactic Processing (formerly COGS 1420) | ||
| Language and the Brain (formerly COGS 1480) | ||
| Neuroimaging and Language (formerly COGS 1840B) | ||
| Directed Reading in Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences (formerly COGS 1980) | ||
MOST TOPICS IN COURSES IN CLPS (See Concentration Advisor for details) | ||
| Introduction to Discrete Structures and Probability | ||
| Models of Computation | ||
| Introduction to Computer Graphics | ||
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Building Intelligent Robots | ||
| Emotion, Cognition, Education | ||
| Adolescent Psychology | ||
| Neuroengineering | ||
| Linear System Analysis | ||
| Communication Systems | ||
| Image Understanding | ||
| Consciousness | ||
| Decision Theory: Foundations and Applications | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Mathematical Logic | ||
| The Problem of Free Will | ||
| British Empiricists | ||
| Epistemology | ||
| Philosophy of Language | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Philosophy of Biology | ||
| Advanced Deductive Logic | ||
| At least one semester of Independent Study CLPS 1970, OR participation in a directed reading related to Cognitive Sciences (CLPS 1980) OR participation in an ISP or GISP related to Cognitive Science (subject to approval from the concentration advisor). See Section IV for more details. | 1 | |
| A coherent program of at least four (4) additional courses in the life sciences (e.g., cognitive science, psychology, or biology), physical sciences, mathematics, and/or applied mathematics that supports the student's area(s) of study. | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
III. Degrees with Honors
Students interested in honors under either the A.B. or ScB. programs should identify a faculty honors sponsor and sign up with the concentration advisor during Semester 6. Although there is no minimum grade point average to enter the program, admission to the program is limited to students who have accumulated a strong academic record and is at the discretion of the department. It is expected that honors candidates will conduct a year-long research project under the direction of a faculty sponsor in the CLPS department culminating in a written thesis and oral examination at the end of Semester 8. Students doing honors work must enroll for CLPS 1970 or for two terms, typically in semesters 7 and 8.
IV. Independent Study
Independent Study is encouraged for the A.B. degree and required for the Sc.B. degree. Students should sign up for CLPS 1970 or CLPS 1980 with a faculty advisor who is a member of the CLPS Department. Arrangements should be made in Semester 6 for students expecting to do independent study during Semesters 7 and/or 8. CLPS1970 or CLPS1980 can count as electives for the concentration requirements.
Cognitive Science concentrators may use at most two credits of CLPS 1970 or CLPS 1980 towards their degree. Students in the A.B. program can use these two credits to satisfy electives. Students in the Sc.B. program must use one of these credits to satisfy the Independent Study requirement (Requirement B in Section II above), and may use the second to satisfy an elective or one of the four additional courses (Requirement C in Section II).
V. Comments
Both the A.B. and the Sc.B. programs in Cognitive Science reflect recent national trends in the field and the breadth of the course offerings and faculty research interests at Brown. A broadly trained cognitive scientist must possess certain methodological skills, including knowledge of computational methods and research methods (statistics and laboratory techniques), which are incorporated in our skills and methodology requirement. In addition, a cognitive scientist must be conversant in the four major focus areas studied in the field: perception, cognition, languages and cognitive neuroscience. Electives ensure that concentrators have the opportunity to investigate at least one particular area in depth. Finally, the concentration provides an integrative experience to all of its concentrators through the capstone senior seminar. The program is designed to provide the flexibility for each student to design a program that will meet her/his needs and interests.
The Sc.B. program is designed for students who wish to bring a stronger background in general science and a research orientation to their study of cognitive science. Sc.B. candidates must also acquire first-hand experience in doing cognitive science research through an independent study project.