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Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

BS in Cognitive Neuroscience

In Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Stephen Mitroff’s Science in the District seminar, first-year students visit D.C. institutions including the Transportation Security Administration and MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital.
In Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Stephen Mitroff’s Science in the District seminar, first-year students visit D.C. institutions including the Transportation Security Administration and MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital.

In the innovative Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience program, students gain fluency in cognitive neuroscience, develop their analytical thinking and refine their ability to present compelling scientific arguments in both written and oral form. High-achieving students often assist in undergraduate research, external internships and honors seminars in special topics.

In the classroom, cognitive neuroscience students learn the fundamental theories, methods and results involved in neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience and the study of complex behavior.

 

Paul Scotti

"My passion for cognitive neuroscience is a result of the quality of my instructors … and being able to conduct my own research as an undergraduate."

Paul Scotti
BA '17

Cognitive Neuroscience in Action

Guangying Wu in lab with mice
 
 

Quieting the Voices of Schizophrenia

Assistant Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Guangying Wu is trying to pinpoint the the misfiring neurons that cause agonizing internal noise for people with schizophrenia. His research enlisted the help of student researchers, colleagues in other scientific disciplines and a pack of genetically engineered mice.

Course Requirements

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Program-specific curriculum:

Required
11 to 14 credits in introductory natural science courses, including 8 credits in biological sciences and 3 or 6 credits in mathematics.
BISC 1111Introductory Biology: Cells and Molecules
BISC 1112Introductory Biology: The Biology of Organisms
MATH 1220
& MATH 1221		Calculus with Precalculus I
and Calculus with Precalculus II
or MATH 1231 Single-Variable Calculus I
Two courses (6 credits) in analytical methods selected from the following:
CSCI 1011Introduction to Programming with Java
CSCI 1012Introduction to Programming with Python 1
DATS 1001Data Science for All
PUBH 3201Introduction to Bioinformatics
STAT 1127Statistics for the Biological Sciences 2
Three gateway courses (9 to 10 credits) that introduce core concepts, selected from the following:
ANAT 2160Human Functional Neuroanatomy
ANTH 1005The Biological Bases of Human Behavior
BISC 2320Neural Circuits and Behavior
PHIL 1153The Meaning of Mind
PHIL 2045Introduction to Logic
PSYC 2014Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 2015Biological Psychology
SLHS 2106Neural Substrates of Speech, Language, and Hearing
SLHS 2131Language Acquisition and Development
SLHS 2135Language: Structure, Meaning, and Use
Six intermediate content courses (18 credits), which must include two courses from cellular/molecular/systems neuroscience group and four from the cognitive science/cognitive neuroscience group:
Cellular/molecular/systems neuroscience
ANTH 3413Evolution of the Human Brain
BISC 2220Developmental Neurobiology
BISC 3320Human Neurobiology
PSYC 3181Introduction to Psychopharmacology
Cognitive science/cognitive neuroscience
ANTH 3503Psychological Anthropology
PHIL 3121Symbolic Logic
PHIL 3153Mind, Brain, and Artificial Intelligence
PSYC 3115Developmental Psychopathology
PSYC 3118Neuropsychology
PSYC 3119Cognitive Science in the District
PSYC 3120Neuroscience of Consciousness
PSYC 3121Memory and Cognition
PSYC 3122The Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC 3124Visual Perception
PSYC 3127Social and Affective Neuroscience
PSYC 3128Health Psychology
PSYC 3180Seminar in Cognitive Science
SLHS 3116Brain and Language
SLHS 3117Hearing and Perception
SLHS 3132Literacy
SLHS 3133Autism
One research/laboratory experience (3 to 4 credits) in the Biology (BISC), Psychological and Brain Sciences (PSYC), or supervised internships/independent research projects taken for course credit in PSYC or Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) departments: 3
BISC 2452
& BISC 2453		Animal Behavior
and Animal Behavior Laboratory
PSYC 4106WResearch Lab in Sensation and Perception
PSYC 4107WResearch Lab in Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC 3591Supervised Research Internship
PSYC 4591Independent Research
SLHS 4196Independent Study (taken for at least 3 credits)
Four advanced content courses (12 to 16 credits) selected from the following:
ANTH 3401Human Functional Anatomy
ANTH 3402Human Evolutionary Anatomy
ANTH 3412Hominin Evolution
or ANTH 3412W Hominin Evolution
ANTH 3491Topics in Biological Anthropology 4
ANTH 3501Anthropology of Development
ANTH 3601Language, Culture, and Cognition
ANTH 3603Psycholinguistics
ANTH 3691Special Topics in Linguistic Anthropology 4
ANTH 3995Undergraduate Research 4
BISC 3165Biochemistry I
BISC 3166Biochemistry II
BISC 3209Molecular Biology
BISC 3320Human Neurobiology
BISC 4132Advanced Cellular-Molecular Biology
BISC 4171Undergraduate Research 4
or BISC 4171W Undergraduate Research
BISC 4172 4
or BISC 4172W Research Internship and Writing in Biology
CHEM 2151
& CHEM 2153		Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 2152
& CHEM 2154		Organic Chemistry II
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
CHEM 4195Undergraduate Research 4
PHIL 3121Symbolic Logic
PHIL 3151Philosophy of Science
or PHIL 3151W Philosophy and Science
PHIL 3152Theory of Knowledge
PHIL 3153Mind, Brain, and Artificial Intelligence
PHIL 3251Philosophy of Biology
PHIL 4196Topics in Theory of Knowledge 4
PHIL 4199Readings and Research 4
or PHIL 4199W Readings and Research
PSYC 3116Brain and Language
PSYC 3118Neuropsychology
PSYC 3119Cognitive Science in the District
PSYC 3120Neuroscience of Consciousness
PSYC 3121Memory and Cognition
PSYC 3122The Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC 3124Visual Perception
PSYC 3180Seminar in Cognitive Science
PSYC 3198Current Research Issues 4
PSYC 3199Current Topics in Psychology 4
PSYC 3591Supervised Research Internship 4
PSYC 4106WResearch Lab in Sensation and Perception
PSYC 4107WResearch Lab in Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC 4591Independent Research 4
PSYC 4997Honors Seminar
PUBH 3201Introduction to Bioinformatics
SLHS 3117Hearing and Perception
SLHS 3132Literacy
SLHS 3133Autism
SLHS 4196Independent Study 4
STAT 3119Design and Analysis of Experiments

1 CSCI 1012 is recommended but not required to fulfill this requirement.

2If a student wishes to take a Statistics course to fulfill this requirement, STAT 1127 is recommended but an equivalent STAT course may be substituted.

3The research/laboratory experience requirement can also be fulfilled by taking any of the independent research courses offered by the associated departments. Courses that can be taken to fulfill the requirement are listed in the advanced content section with the footnote 4. All courses so noted can be taken multiple times and each enrollment can be applied to either the advanced content or the research experience requirement. Note that each independent research course can be applied to either the lab or the elective requirement and not to both at the same time.

4These courses could have GPA requirements and require the permission of the instructor. Students should contact the relevant departments for more information. Each course must be taken for a total of at least 3 credits to count toward the requirement.