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Cognitive Science Major

Cognitive Science is a diverse field which is unified and motivated by a single basic inquiry: What is cognition? How do people, animals, or computers ‘think,’ act, and learn? In order to understand the mind/brain, cognitive science brings together methods and discoveries from neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, and computer science. UCSD has been at the forefront of this exciting new field and our Department of Cognitive Science was the first of its kind in the world. It is part of an exceptional scientific community and remains a dominant influence in the field it helped create.

The UC San Diego Department of Cognitive Science offers both a B.A. degree and a B.S. degree. Students are given the opportunity to take classes offered from the department, as well as from several other interdisciplinary departments across the campus.

Check out these links for more information on Major requirements and Areas of Specializations:

Areas of Specialization

A major may elect to receive a B.S. in cognitive science with a specified area of specialization. The areas of specialization are intended to provide majors with guidance in choosing elective courses and to make the specific interests and training of the major clear to prospective employers and graduate schools. Specifying an area of specialization is optional. Students should take into consideration when planning for their specialization that approved courses are not necessarily offered every year. The specialization will be listed on your transcript.

The areas of specialization are:

Approved Electives (PDF)

Approved Specialization Electives (PDF)