Cognitive Science courses
Related Courses That May Count toward the Major (PDF from print YCPS)
Director of undergraduate studies: to be announced
FACULTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Professors Woo-kyoung Ahn (Psychology), Stephen Anderson (Linguistics), Amy Arnsten (School of Medicine), John Bargh (Psychology), Paul Bloom (Psychology), Hal Blumenfeld (School of Medicine), Marvin Chun (Psychology), Michael Della Rocca (Philosophy), Ravi Dhar (School of Management), Julie Dorsey (Computer Science), Carol Fowler (Adjunct) (Psychology), Robert Frank (Linguistics), David Gelernter (Computer Science), Tamar Gendler (Philosophy), Laurence Horn (Linguistics), Marcia Johnson (Psychology), Dan Kahan (Law School), Frank Keil (Psychology, Linguistics), Lawrence Marks (Psychology), Gregory McCarthy (Psychology), Drew McDermott (Computer Science), Nathan Novemsky (School of Management), Rhea Paul (School of Medicine), Kenneth Pugh (School of Medicine), Ian Quinn (Music), Holly Rushmeier (Computer Science), Brian Scholl (Psychology), Sun-Joo Shin (Philosophy), Zoltán Szabó (Philosophy), Fred Volkmar (School of Medicine), Xiao-Jing Wang (School of Medicine), David Watts (Anthropology), Bruce Wexler (School of Medicine), Karen Wynn (Psychology), Raffaella Zanuttini (Linguistics), Steven Zucker (Computer Science)
Associate Professors Keith Chen (School of Management), Jeremy Gray (Psychology), Joshua Knobe (Philosophy), Daeyeol Lee (School of Medicine), James Mazer (School of Medicine), Kevin Pelphrey (School of Medicine), Maria Piñango (Linguistics), Laurie Santos (Psychology), Brian Scassellati (Computer Science)
Assistant Professors Daylian Cain (School of Management), June Gruber (Psychology), Gaja Jarosz (Linguistics), Hedy Kober (School of Medicine), John Morrell (Mechanical Engineering), George Newman (School of Management), Kristina Olson (Psychology), Ève Poudrier (Music), Joseph Simmons (School of Management)
Lecturer Eric Mandelbaum (Philosophy)
Cognitive science explores the nature of cognitive processes such as perception, reasoning, memory, attention, language, decision making, imagery, motor control, and problem solving. The goal of cognitive science, stated simply, is to understand how the mind works. Cognitive science is an inherently interdisciplinary endeavor, drawing on tools and ideas from fields such as psychology, computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and neuroscience. Approaches include empirical studies of the ontogenetic and phylogenetic development of cognitive abilities, experimental work on cognitive processing in adults, attempts to understand perception and cognition based on patterns of breakdown in pathology, computational and robotic research that strives to simulate aspects of cognition and behavior, neuroscientific investigations of the neural bases of cognition using neural recording and brain scanning, and the development of philosophical theories of the nature of mind.
Introductory courses An introductory survey course, CGSC 110, is normally taken by the end of the fall term of the sophomore year and prior to admission to the major. An introductory survey course in psychology, linguistics, computer science, neuroscience, or philosophy should also be taken by the end of the fall term of the sophomore year.
Requirements of the major Fifteen course credits are required for the major, including the two introductory courses and the senior colloquium and project. The remaining twelve term courses are chosen from an approved list that includes courses in psychology, linguistics, computer science, neuroscience, and philosophy bearing on the study of the mind and its relation to the brain. Beyond these core areas, the program also draws on relevant courses in anthropology, art, biology, economics, and music. Majors take four courses in one core field, three in another, two in a third, and one in a fourth, with the remaining two courses selected (with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies) from courses relevant to the student's program in Cognitive Science. The particular selection of courses must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies in order to assure overall coherence and breadth. Courses taken Credit/D/Fail may not be counted toward the requirements of the major, except with permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
Specific programs will vary considerably depending on the student's choice of areas of concentration, as well as the offerings of participating departments from year to year. Themes that have structured course work in the major in recent years include irrationality, visual neuroscience, the self and moral cognition, language, cognition and the arts, and connecting the brain and behavior.
Senior requirement In the senior year, majors take the senior colloquium and project, CGSC 490 and 491. In the fall term students begin researching and writing a senior essay under the guidance of an appropriate faculty member in an area of cognitive science. In the spring term students complete the senior essay. Throughout the senior year, students meet regularly with one another and with the faculty in the context of this course to discuss current work in cognitive science and their own developing research projects.
Application to the major Students apply to enter the major at the end of the fall term of the sophomore year. Applications must be made in writing to the director of undergraduate studies no later than Friday, December 7, in 109 K. Applications must include both an official or unofficial transcript of work at Yale that lists fall-term 2012 courses and a brief statement of purpose, which serves to indicate academic interests and expected focus within the areas of the Cognitive Science major. Application forms and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the program's Web site. Applicants will be notified of decisions concerning admission to the major in January 2013.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR
Prerequisites CGSC 110 or equivalent; 1 intro survey course in related discipline, as specified
Number of courses 15 course credits (incl prereqs and senior req)
Distribution of courses 4 term courses from one core field, 3 from another, 2 from a third, and 1 from a fourth; 2 addtl term courses from relevant area
Senior requirement CGSC 490, 491
