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Cognitive Neuroscience Specialty Degrees

Cognitive Neuroscience is a broad, multidisciplinary field aimed at understanding the relation between mind and brain. The Cognitive Neuroscience program is a joint effort between the Biological Sciences and Psychology departments. There are three options for earning a degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. The first two options constitute specialized major/minor coursework in Psychology and Biological Sciences. There are B.A. and B.S. versions of each option. The B.A. degree provides maximum flexibility for a student who wishes to take a broad spectrum of courses from diverse disciplines. Students in these programs may be considering postgraduate work in Psychology or Biology, or in professional schools, such as law, business, physical therapy or rehabilitation.

The B.S. degree also provides broad training but is specifically intended for pre-med students (particularly Option A). The goal in this track is to streamline the requirements for the Cognitive Neuroscience program so that students may complete the additional prerequisites required for application to medical school (I.e., two years of chemistry, one year of physics, and an optional year of calculus).

The third option, Cognitive Neuroscience double major in Psychology and Biological Sciences, provides maximum immersion in both disciplines with an emphasis on brain-behavior relations. There are also B.A. and B.S. degrees for this option.

Option A: Cognitive Neuroscience/Biology
Option B: Cognitive Neuroscience/Psychology
Option C: Cognitive Neuroscience / Double Major in
Psychology & Biology

Faculty in the Cognitive Neuroscience Specialty Degrees Program

Rob Roberts, program coordinator, Department of Psychology;
Robert Dores, John Kinnamon, Department of Biological Sciences; Julia Dmitrieva, Anne P. DePrince, Benjamin L. Hankin, Janice M. Keenan, Iris Mauss, Daniel N. McIntosh, Bruce F. Pennington, George R. Potts, Jeremy R. Reynolds, Ralph J. Roberts, Kelly Snyder, Sarah E. Watamura, Department of Psychology.

Specialty Degree Options in Cognitive Neuroscience

  • BS or BA in Cognitive Neuroscience/Biological Sciences

  • BS or BA in Cognitive Neuroscience/Psychology

  • BS or BA in Cognitive Neuroscience/Biological Sciences and
    Psychology (double major)


Option A

COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE/BIOLOGY

(for students interested in an emphasis in Biology)

Biology Major Courses (47 credits minimum)
(usual B.A./B.S. Requirements -
Undergraduate Handbook section: Biological Sciences)

Required Courses:

  • BIOL 1010.1, BIOL 1010.2, BIOL 1010.3 Concepts in Biology

  • BIOL 1020.2, BIOL 1020.2, BIOL 1020.3 Concepts Lab

  • BIOL 2120 Cell Structure and Function

  • BIOL 2125 Cell Structure and Function Lab

  • BIOL 2510 General Genetics

  • BIOL 2010 General Ecology
  • A minimum of three of the following four courses:

    • BIOL 3640 Introductory Neurobiology

    • BIOL 3641 Systems Neuroscience

    • BIOL 3642 Neuropharmacology

    • BIOL 3650 Endocrinology
  • An additional 7 credits at the 2000 or 3000 level in elective courses in biology.

  • 2-credit seminar in Cognitive Neuroscience I

Psychology Minor Courses (20 credits minimum):
(usual minor Requirements -
Undergraduate Handbook section: Psychology)

Prerequisite:

  • SOCS 1710 or 1750 (Psychology: Mind and Behavior; Usually taken as Foundations requirement)

Courses for the minor (22 credits minimum)

  • PSYC 2031 Cognitive Neuroscience

  • PSYC 2040 Cognition & Learning OR PSYC 2130 Neural Bases of Perception
  • PSYC 3254 Neural Networks OR PSYCH 3036 Social Neuroscience OR PSYC 2150 Motivation & Emotion
  • At least one Elective:

Courses in above list not already taken or:

  • PSYC 2740 Social Psychology

  • PSYC 2500 Abnormal Psychology

  • PSYC 510 Personality

  • PSYC 2050 Child Development

  • 2-credit seminar in Cognitive Neuroscience II

Option B

Cognitive Neuroscience/Psychology

(for students interested in an emphasis in Psychology)

Psychology Major Courses (42 credits)
(Usual B.A./B.S. Degree requirements; see Undergraduate Bulletin: Psychology)

Required Courses

  • SOCS 1710 or 1750 (Psychology: Mind and Behavior; Usually taken for University Foundations requirement)

  • PSYC 2300 Statistics

  • PSYC 3050 Research Methods OR PSYC 2750-2752 Jr. Honors Seminar

  • One course from each of the following five categories (5 courses total):

    • COGNITION

      • PSYC 2060 Memory

      • PSYC 2040 Cognition and Learning

      • PSYC 3030 Cognitive Science

    • NEUROSCIENCE

      • PSYC 2031 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience

      • PSYC 2130 Neural Bases of Perception

    • DEVELOPEMENTAL

      • PSYC 2050 Child Development

    • SOCIAL

      • PSYC 2740 Social Psychology

      • PSYC 2150 Motivation and Emotion

    • CLINICAL

      • PSYC 2500 Abnormal Psychology

      • PSYC 2510 Personality

      • PSYC 2520 Intro. to Clinical Psychology

      • PSYC 2530 Child Psychopathology

  • At least 1 of the following electives:

    • PSYC 3254 Neural Networks

    • PYSC 3036 Social Neuroscience

    • PSYC 2031 Cognitive Neuroscience OR PSYC 2130 Neural Basis of Perception (whichever was not taken for the Psychology major Neuroscience core content requirement listed above)

  • 2-credit seminar in Cognitive Neuroscience II
  • Additional Psychology classes that may be needed to reach the required 42 hour minimum

Psychology Major Courses (Usual B.A./B.S. Degree requirements; see Undergraduate Bulletin: Psychology) (42 credits)

 

Biology Minor Courses (20 credits minimum)
(Usual minor Degree requirements; see Undergraduate Bulletin: Biological Sciences)

  • BIOL 1010.1 Concepts I and BIOL 1010.2 Concepts II <or> Molecules to Mankind 1, 2, 3 (Usually taken for the University Foundations requirement)

  • BIOL 2120 Cell Structure and Function

  • BIOL 2125 Cell Structure and Function Lab

  • At least two of the following courses:


    • BIOL 3640 Introduction to Neurobiology

    • BIOL 3641 Systems Neuroscience

    • BIOL 3642 Neuropharmacology

  • One other Biology course (if Concepts or Molecules taken for Foundations)

  • 2-credit seminar in Cognitive Neuroscience I

  • Note: Students interested in applying to medical school are required to take:
    • the year-long sequence in Concepts in Biology or Molecules to Humankind

    • two years of Chemistry (this will exceed the credit hours required for a minor)

    • one year of Physics

    • one year of Calculus is recommended

Option C

Cognitive Neuroscience / Double Major in
Psychology & Biology

(usual University requirements for B.A. or B.S. double major; see Undergraduate Bulletin)

Biology Major: Follow Major coursework listed in Option A above
Psychology Major: Follow Major coursework listed Option B above

A student may elect to do the double major and also complete the pre-med requirements listed above. This endeavor requires careful planning. Given the number of courses required for the double major and the pre-med requirements, as well as the Undergraduate University requirements, a student may encounter scheduling conflicts that are unavoidable.

 

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