Cognitive Science, B.S.
The Major in Cognitive Science
Overview
The Psychology Department offers a B.S. degree in Cognitive Science. The field of cognitive science has grown out of increasingly active interaction among psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, philosophy, and neuroscience. All of these fields share the goal of understanding intelligence. By combining these diverse perspectives, students of cognitive science are able to understand cognition at a deep level. Because this major is administered by the Psychology Department, it focuses on human cognition and the experimental study of the human mind as illuminated by the techniques of the above disciplines.
Curriculum
The Cognitive Science major is only offered as a B.S. degree and has been revised starting the Fall 2026/Spring 2027 semester. Students complete a Cognitive Science Core, one pathway, and a 3-course concentration.
As a note, students who completed psychology courses under the old numbering system will still have those courses count towards the requirements previously specified.
The Psychology Department website has more information regarding research for credit opportunities available to undergraduates. Please reach out to Emilie O'Leary, emilier@andrew.cmu.edu with additional questions.
Cognitive Science Core
| Foundations of Cognition and Neuroscience | Units | |
| 85-110 | Cognitive Psychology | 9 |
| 85-170 | Foundations of Brain and Behavior | 9 |
| 18 | ||
| Research Methods | Units | |
| 85-300 | Introduction to Research Methods | 9 |
| Statistics | ||
| 36-309 | Experimental Design for Behavioral & Social Sciences | 9 |
| or 85-309 | Statistical Concepts and Methods for Behavioral and Social Science | |
| or 36-225 | Introduction to Probability Theory | |
| or 36-218 | Probability Theory for Computer Scientists | |
| Mathematics* | Units | |
| 21-111 | Differential Calculus | 10 |
| 21-112 | Integral Calculus | 10 |
| or 21-120 | Differential and Integral Calculus | |
- *
Please see mathematics placement policy. Additional mathematics may be required depending on pathway chosen below. Students who place out of 21-120 will have fulfilled the calculus requirement
| Computing Requirement | Units | |
| 15-112 | Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science | 12 |
| or 02-120 | Programming for Scientists | |
| Advanced Cognitive Modeling - Complete 18 units | Units | |
| 85-412 | Cognitive Modeling | 9 |
| 85-414 | Cognition in the Age of AI | 9 |
| 85-419 | Introduction to Parallel Distributed Processing | 9 |
| 85-426 | Reverse engineering brains and machines | 9 |
Cognitive Science Pathways (Required to choose one)
New starting Fall 2026, students who declare the cognitive science major have the opportunity to choose between two pathways within the cognitive science major. Choosing one is required to complete the major. You may choose between Computational Intelligence which focuses on models of cognition and intelligent systems or Neural Cognition allowing students to explore neural systems underlying perception, learning and cognition. There are absolutely no substitutions allowed within a pathway. You will have the opportunity to specialize in additional content through the 3 course concentration, explained further below.
Choose:
| Computational Intelligence | Units | |
| 85-210 | Language, AI, and Thought | 9 |
| or 85-213 | Human Information Processing and Artificial Intelligence | |
| 21-127 | Concepts of Mathematics | 12 |
| 15-122 | Principles of Imperative Computation | 12 |
| 15-150 | Principles of Functional Programming | 12 |
| 45 | ||
OR Choose:
| Neural Cognition | Units | |
| 85-270 | Computational Approaches for Neuroscience Questions or 85-21x or 85-27x | 9 |
| 03-362 | Cellular Neuroscience | 9 |
| or 03-363 | Systems Neuroscience | |
| 85-370 | Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Methods | 9 |
| or 85-403 | Data Science for Psychology and Neuroscience | |
| 85-471 | How the Brain Makes Meaning | 9 |
| or 85-472 | Cognitive Neuropsychology | |
| 36 | ||
Science Requirement
The Cognitive Science program requires one additional science courses beyond Dietrich College's General Education requirements or additional majors or minors declared.
| These can be selected from any one of the following areas. | ||
| 03-xxx | Biology | |
| 09-xxx | Chemistry | |
| 33-xxx | Physics |
Cognitive Science Concentration
(3 courses, concentration approval required)
These three courses are chosen in conjunction with your advisor to form a coherent area of concentration from the course list under "Cognitive Science Concentration" in the current Undergraduate Catalog. Before proceeding with the choice of courses, students must fill out the concentration form, obtained from Emilie O'Leary in Baker Hall 339, with a description of the concentration area and the planned set of three courses. Courses not represented on the list may, with pre-approval of advisor and department, be used to satisfy part of this requirement. The three courses are not required to be within any single category below but be coherent within the major and the focus may vary across disciplinary boundaries. Courses taken for the major requirements can not be double counted in the concentration.
Additional Major in Cognitive Science
In order to complete a double major in Cognitive Science, a student must fulfill the major requirements as listed under the Cognitive Science major. Please email Emilie O'Leary in order to declare the additional major.