Course Offerings
278a Uris Hall
(607) 255-6431
cogst@cornell.edu
cogsci.cornell.edu
Cognitive Science focuses on the nature and representation of knowledge. It approaches the study of perception, action, language, and thinking from several perspectives—theory, experiment, and computation—with the aim of gaining a better understanding of human cognition and the nature of intelligent systems. The comparison between human and artificial intelligence is an important theme, as is the nature of mental representations and their acquisition and use. Cognitive Science draws primarily from the disciplines of computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. The field of Cognitive Science is represented by faculty members in the following departments: Communication, Computer Science, Design and Environmental Analysis, Economics, Education, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Human Development, Information Science, Linguistics, Mathematics, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Neurobiology and Behavior, Philosophy, Psychology, and Sociology, as well as the Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Undergraduate Program
An undergraduate minor in Cognitive Science in the College of Arts and Sciences provides a framework for the design of structured, individualized programs of study in this ever-growing interdisciplinary field. Such programs of study are intended to serve as complements to intensive course work in a single discipline as represented in an individual department and is open to students in all colleges at Cornell. For further information on the undergraduate program, contact Tamar Kushnir, director of undergraduate studies (tk397@cornell.edu) and/or Julie Simmons-Lynch, program manager, (607) 255-6431 or cogst@cornell.edu.
Graduate Program
Cornell offers a graduate field minor in Cognitive Science. Cornell’s unique program of graduate training, which seeks to tailor an optimal program of study and research for each individual, fosters interdisciplinary committees. It is the norm for students interested in Cognitive Science to combine faculty members from our many fields listed above on common committees. For further information on the graduate field of Cognitive Science, contact Morten Christiansen, director of graduate studies (mhc27@cornell.edu) and/or Julie Simmons-Lynch, program manager, 278a Uris Hall, Office of Cognitive Science, (607) 255-6431 or cogst@cornell.edu.