Cognitive Science
Office of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs
203 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4670
Phone: 716.645.2245
Fax: 716.645.3640
Web: cas.buffalo.edu/programs/idp/ugrad/
Lee Dryden
Director
About the Program
The Cognitive Science concentration of the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary major is designed for students who are interested in pursuing interdisciplinary study in such cognitive fields as philosophy, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, and computational linguistics. It is the study of how the mind works, both in its conceptual organization and in its computational and neural infrastructure. For more information please see the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Degree Programs.
About Our Degrees
Acceptance Criteria
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum grade of “B-” in PSY 342.
Acceptance Information
Deadlines: Rolling
Number of accepted majors (2004-2005): 3
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 16
Degree Requirements
See the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Courses
Each of the interdisciplinary degree programs offers a curriculum that allows students to combine coursework from three or more departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. There are also options to incorporate courses from other areas of the university, allowing students to obtain a broad range of skills and education.
The typical class size for:
Freshman/introductory courses is: 40-100
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 30-150
Upper level/advanced courses is: 10-45
In the IDP, what do teaching assistants (TA’s) do?
Many courses in the social sciences interdisciplinary program’s curricula originate in other departments, where teaching assistants may be assigned instructional or grading duties.
Suggested Introductory Courses
- CSE 113-CSE 114 Introduction to Computer Science I–II
- LIN 207 Language, Society and the Individual
- PHI 108 Knowledge and Reality
- PSY 101 Introductory Psychology
- PSY 207 Psychological Statistics
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Faculty
Thirty-six faculty members in cognitive science represent eleven academic departments within the College of Arts and Sciences as well as departments from other areas of the university, such as industrial engineering and computer science and engineering.
Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities
The Interdisciplinary Degree Programs (IDP) offer an opportunity to focus studies on a particular topic whose breadth and diversity overlap several departments in the College of Arts and Sciences.
In the Cognitive Science concentration, students have the option of completing a senior thesis. During the course of one semester in the senior year, the student works in collaboration with a cognitive science faculty member to perform research on an original topic and produce a written report.
Extracurricular Activities
See the UB Student Association.
Complementary Programs and Courses
Minors that Complement Cognitive Science
- Anthropology
- Computer Science
- Linguistics
- Math
- Philosophy (general minor, logic minor, philosophy of science minor)
- Speech and Hearing Science
Career Information and Further Study
This program provides a good background for graduate work. Students look towards entering masters and PhD. programs in anthropology, communicative disorders and sciences, computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology.
Additional Resources
Center for Cognitive Science
Links to Further Information About This Program
- Undergraduate Catalog
- Undergraduate Admissions
- Graduate Admissions
- Office of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs
- College of Arts and Sciences
Last Modified: Tuesday, 7-Nov-2006 10:26:05 EST