Cognitive Science (BA)

College of Arts and Sciences

Program Website

Program Description

Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the fundamental workings of cognition and the mind. It investigates perception, action, language, knowledge, development, and thinking from multiple perspectives—theoretical, experimental, and computational—with the aim of gaining a better understanding of human cognition and the nature of intelligent systems. The nature of mental representations and their acquisition and use are important themes, as are the comparison between human and artificial intelligence, and the relation between human cognition and its biological foundations. The major will make it possible for students to cultivate unique interests within cognitive science by allowing them to create novel course combinations that transcend the typical departmental boundaries.

Academic Standards

Program Policies

Majors are required to take three core courses that provide introductions to cognitive science and relevant methods, as well as a selection of upper-level courses that provide interdisciplinary breadth and depth within the field. Students have the opportunity to participate in lab/field/independent study and complete an honors thesis.

The major requires 40 credits, comprising of at least 12 courses. All courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students must earn a grade of C- or better to count a course toward the major.

Admission to the Major

Admission to the major is granted to students in good standing, who have passed COGST 1101 or COGST 2350 and two additional cognitive science courses with grades of C+ or better (the two additional courses can be crosslisted).

Major Application Procedures

Inquiries concerning the cognitive science major should be made to the Cognitive Science program manager, Julie Simmons-Lynch, jes257@cornell.edu, (607) 255-6431, who will provide application materials and introductory advising.

  • In addition to assisting in the student’s selection of courses, the program manager and/or a faculty advisor serve as a general source of information about the field of Cognitive Science, independent research, and relevant resources around the university.

The current director of undergraduate studies is Sarah Murray, Linguistics, sarah.murray@cornell.edu.

Honors Program

The honors criteria described here will start for all graduates in the 2026-2027 academic year.

The honors program in Cognitive Science is designed for exceptionally motivated students who wish to pursue independent research within a specific area of cognitive science. A student’s GPA, research, and coursework will be taken into account before being accepted into the honors program. The honors project will be conducted in close mentorship with a cognitive science faculty member. Students will produce a thesis of their work and complete an oral defense.

To join the honors program, students must apply at the end of their junior year. Admittance will require a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the major, and a letter of support from a faculty member who will serve as the mentor for the student's thesis project. Students admitted to the honors program must register for 3 or 4 credits of an honors research course in both fall and spring semesters of their senior year.

Special Academic Options

Colloquia

The field sponsors a series of lectures and colloquia by internationally recognized scholars. Students are encouraged to meet with the speakers for informal discussion during their visits.

Film Series

Each spring the program hosts Sprocket, the Cognitive Science Film Series in conjunction with COGST 1101. The evening, complete with pizza and conversation, is free and open to the Cornell community.

Funding

Travel funding for conferences and workshops is available to major students.