First-year Focus
What is Cognitive Science?
Cognitive Science is the scientific study of the mind, brain, and intelligent systems. This interdisciplinary field combines knowledge and expertise from computer science, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, and biology.
Cognitive Science is one of the most exciting and rapidly developing fields in modern science. The human mind is truly one of the great remaining frontiers of exploration. If you apply yourself, within a few months you could be making your own contributions to advancing the surrounding understanding of human thought and behavior.
The Cognitive Science Program at Northwestern offers a major as a part of the Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences. Cognitive Science is also an excellent minor for any student who wants study mental processing within a broad interdisciplinary perspective.
WHAT TO DO WITH A MAJOR IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE?
Many students choose a cognitive science major in preparation for further education at the graduate level. Training in cognitive science will provide the student with a solid foundation for graduate-level work in any area of cognitive studies: psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics or neuroscience. Other students choose a cognitive science major because its interdisciplinary scope leaves the student well-positioned for careers in areas such as medicine or business. Finally, some students choose cognitive science in order to pursue opportunities in education, computer-based design, interface technology, and so on.
Jose Santos is the Cognitive Science Career Advisor, and provides career exploration and job/internship search advising for students majoring in Cognitive Science from WCAS. Feel free to contact him for more information. The Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) website is also a useful resource.
LEARNING GOALS OF THE COGNITIVE SCIENCE PROGRAM
To be added
ADVISING
Dr. Jennifer Cole is the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Cognitive Science. To set up a meeting with her, please send an email to cogsci-advising@northwestern.edu. In the email, please say why you would like a meeting, and please include a copy of your current transcript (if possible) and a Major / Minor Worksheet.
When filling out the worksheet, please be sure to include which quarter you took the class (even though the form only asks for a Y/N response). Having a copy of this worksheet will greatly streamline the meeting!
The Program Assistant will respond with a list of suggested meeting times. Dr. Cole's office hours are on Monday mornings from 9 am to 10:45, and most meetings are less than fifteen minutes long.