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; Anne
DePrince, Janice Keenan, Daniel
McIntosh, Bruce Pennington,
George Potts,
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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