2011-12 General Catalog

273 Social Sciences 2
(831) 459-2002
http://psych.ucsc.edu

Program Description

Cognitive science has emerged in the last few decades as a major discipline that promises to be increasingly important in the 21st century. Focused on achieving a scientific understanding of how human cognition works and how cognition is possible, its subject matter encompasses cognitive functions (such as memory and perception), the structure and use of human language, the evolution of the mind, animal cognition, artificial intelligence, and more.

The cognitive science degree provides a strong grounding in the principles of cognition through courses in cognitive psychology, and, in addition, provides breadth in the interdisciplinary aspects of cognitive science such as anthropology, linguistics, biology, philosophy, and computer science. Graduates will be well prepared for advanced training in research fields of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience, technology industries such as human-computer interface, and health fields in the treatment of brain disorders.

The cognitive science major is intended for students wishing to enter doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) programs in cognitive psychology, cognitive science, or cognitive neuroscience to pursue careers in research; enter the field of public health to work with individuals with neurological disorders and learning disabilities; or to enter the field of human-computer interface design; or pursue other related careers.

The Department of Psychology administers the program and student major advising.

Preparation for the Major

Students who are not prepared to begin the calculus requirement should take preparatory courses offered by the mathematics and applied mathematics departments, including pre-calculus.

Requirements for the Cognitive Science Major

The undergraduate degree program in cognitive science is a program offering a course of study leading to the bachelor of science (B.S.) degree. Fifteen courses (75 credits) are required. Because some courses have additional prerequisites, students should read the descriptions of courses carefully, noting the prerequisites for courses of interest to them.

Lower-Division Requirements:

PSYC 2, Introduction to Psychological Statistics

PSYC 20, Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Calculus (one of AMS 11A, MATH 11A, 19A or 20A)

Computer Programming (one of CMPE 13/L, CMPS 5C, 5J, 5P, 12A)

Upper-Division Requirements:

PSYC 100, Research Methods in Psychology (7 credits)

Core Courses: students must complete three of the following:

PSYC 121, Perception

PSYC 123, Behavioral Neuroscience

PSYC 125, Psychology of Language

PSYC 129, Human Learning and Memory

Cognitive Psychology Electives: students must complete three additional upper-division Psychology courses from the following list. One of the core courses that is not used to satisfy the core courses requirement may be used to satisfy this requirement:

Any of PSYC 120139 (i.e., the Cognitive Series)

PSYC 104, Development in Infancy

PSYC 105, Children's Thinking

PSYC 119F, Language Development

PSYC 181, Psychological Data Analysis

PSYC 194, Advanced Cognitive Research

PSYC 195A, Senior Thesis

PSYC 204-252, graduate cognitive courses, by petition

Interdisciplinary Electives ? students must complete four interdisciplinary electives from lists of courses pre-approved by the Psychology Department. The electives fall into four groups: Evolution; Artificial Intelligence and Human-Computer Interaction; Linguistics; Philosophy. Three of the four electives must be selected from the same group. Students are responsible for planning their course of study to complete any necessary prerequisites for electives they wish to take. Possible sequences of interdisciplinary courses, including prerequisites, are given below.

Group 1: Evolution

Anthropology 1, 101, 106, 194B, Biology: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 20C, 129, 140

Group 2: Artificial Intelligence and Human-Computer Interaction

Computer Engineering 8, 80A, 131, Computer Science 20, 80B, 80K, 80V

Group 3: Linguistics

Linguistics 50, 53, 80D, 101, 102, 105, 111 (formerly Linguistics 55), 112 (formerly Linguistics 52), 113, 116, 117, 125

Group 4: Philosophy

Philosophy 100B (formerly Philosophy 93), 100C (formerly Philosophy 94), 121, 123, 133, 135, 138, 141

Major Admission Requirements

Students may petition to declare the cognitive science major once they have completed the lower-division requirements. Students admitted to the major must have a 3.00 grade-point average (GPA) in the lower-division requirements, with no single grade lower than C and no course taken P/NP. Transfer students may substitute equivalent courses from other institutions. Students receiving a C or lower in one of the lower-division courses may contact the department for possible substitutions.

Comprehensive Requirement

UCSC requires that every student satisfy a senior exit/comprehensive requirement prior to graduation. Cognitive Science students will satisfy this requirement by receiving a passing grade in either a cognitive seminar (PSYC 139A-G), or research experience (PSYC 194B, Advanced Cognitive Research, or PSYC 195, Senior Thesis).

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that majors upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement in cognitive science is satisfied by completing Psychology 100, Research Methods in Psychology, and one of the following seminars: Psychology 119F, 139F, 139G, and 139H. Please refer to updated information at http://reg.ucsc.edu/catalog/html/disciplinarycommunicationchart.html.

Honors

Honors in the cognitive science major are awarded to graduating seniors whose academic performance is judged to be consistently excellent by a committee of psychology faculty. Highest honors in the major are reserved for students with consistently excellent academic performance and an honors-level senior thesis.

Cognitive Science Course Planners

Following are two recommended academic plans for students to complete the Cognitive Science major. Plan 1 assumes typical curriculum selections. Plan 2 assumes the maximum number of prerequisites.

[Return to Top]

Revised: 8/13/12