Neuroscience & Cognitive Science (NSCS) Major
Neuroscience and Cognitive Science are inherently multi-disciplinary fields. While there is overlap between the two fields, Cognitive Science focuses on understanding human mental processes and behavior, while Neuroscience focuses on the biology and physiology of nervous systems at all levels of analysis, from molecules to behavior. Both fields work together to understand the relationship between the human mind and the brain.
The NSCS major is tailored to students seeking a strong overview covering several fields from neuroscience to cognitive science, including psychology, philosophy, and even linguistics. The curriculum is customizable with two different foci – Neuroscience or Cognitive Science – and specialized expertise can be gained in contemporary areas of cutting-edge neuroscience including Cognition, Computation, Development and Aging, Language and Communication Science, Neurobiology, and Philosophy of Mind.
Our goal is to prepare students for graduate or professional school, positions in the pharmaceutical and health care industries, to be a high school or middle school science teacher, or to enter other disciplines that increasingly interact with the Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines.
B.S. Neuroscience & Cognitive Science Degree Requirements
To take either the Neuroscience or Cognitive Science focus, students need to take common supporting course work (18 units) as well as focus-specific supporting course work (9-12 units). All students who complete the graduation requirements for NSCS will receive the same degree – a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science – regardless of which focus they elect to follow.
The common NSCS core curriculum (14-15 units) includes the gateway course Fundamentals of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NSCS 200), the cognitive science courses Issues & Themes in Cognitive Science (CGSC 320) and Methods in Cognitive Science (CGCS 321), the neuroscience courses Cellular Neurophysiology (NROS 307) and Methods in Neuroscience (NROS 308) and a Neuroinformatics and Scientific Coding course (NROS 311).
The neuroscience focus-specific core curriculum consists of the courses Molecular and Cellular Biology of Neurons (NROS 310) and (Systems Neuroscience (NROS 318). The cognitive science focus requires the course Modeling the Mind (CGSC 344) and two courses from the cognition emphasis (see below). The curriculum emphasizes active learning, problem-solving skills, and encourages hands-on and intellectually challenging research experiences.
Choosing your focus: Neuroscience or Cognitive Science
NSCS electives have been grouped into 7 areas of specialization termed emphases – groups of thematically related upper division courses that are designed to help students explore a subfield in greater depth. Students select a minimum of 15 units of upper division electives by completing at least 3 courses (9 units) from one emphasis and other elective coursework. Research and independent study credit can be used for up to 6 of the 15 credits required to complete the upper division requirement.
Emphasis Options
The possibility of adding a course that is not currently on the NSCS course list of the existing emphasis will be considered if doing so would expand the emphasis enough to make it a better fit for your interests. If, on the other hand, you have a topic area that simply falls too far outside of any of the existing emphases, then we will work with you to develop a thematic emphasis (see below).
Cognition focuses on higher-order human brain functions in health and disease including decision making, reasoning, language, attention, perception, memory, and consciousness – the development of these functions and their mechanisms. The emphasis prepares students contemplating careers in medicine, law, business, marketing, research and teaching, neurorehabilitation, or social and home care services.
(See list of all courses)
Development and Aging focuses on the understanding of normal human cognitive development and aging, and developing approaches to prevention and treatment. Students will be prepared to engage in fields such as medicine, social and home care services, neurorehabilitation, global health, public policy, and education of professionals and paraprofessionals working with developmentally disabled or aging people.
(See list of all courses)
Language and Communication focuses on the neurobiology and cognitive science of language and communication. While strongly oriented toward human language and communication, courses include studies on communication in other species. Students will be prepared to use their knowledge in fields as diverse as education, rehabilitation, social services, research, and public policy.
(See list of all courses)
Neurobiology courses reflect the contemporary vertical approach of neuroscience, studying a problem at all levels from genes to molecules to cells to neural circuits to networks, to cognition and behavior. Students in this emphasis are likely to follow a path to graduate school or medical school or to careers in biotechnology, non-profit research foundations, or science writing.
(See list of all courses)
Philosophy of Mind focuses on theoretical issues on the relation between the brain and the mind including fundamental issues of the philosophy of attractive science, neuroscientific explanations of consciousness, and neural correlates of moral judgment. This is an attractive emphasis for students interested in the foundations of cognitive science and the philosophical problems surrounding it.
(See list of all courses)
Computation focuses on approaches uncovering brain insights through computational methods and tackling future challenges of neuroscience and cognitive science. The study of brain is complex and modeling and sophisticated computational data analyses are widely used. The emphasis requires a strong mathematics background and is attractive for students interested in career paths that range from careers in neuroinformatics, computational clinical neuroscience, computational psychiatry, bioengineering, imaging & robotics to careers in pharmaceutical, medical device, and AI-focused industries.
(See list of all courses)
The thematic emphasis is intended for students who have a clear and compelling interest in a particular topic of neuroscience and/or cognitive science. If you have a topic area that simply falls too far outside of any of the existing emphases, then we will work with you to develop a thematic emphasis. To be allowed to do a thematic emphasis, you will have to describe in some detail what the topic area is, convince us why the other emphases won’t work, and tell us what the objectives of your course work will be. As with the other emphases, research and independent study credit can be used for up to 6 of the 15 credits required to complete an emphasis.
If you are interested in learning more about the Neuroscience & Cognitive Science (NSCS) degree:
The checklists below are for planning purposes only, not to replace the official UA Academic Program Requirement Reports for the degrees. Official requirement reports for each catalog year can be found in the |UA general catalog|. Be sure to select your catalog year as requirements may change from year to year.
Neuroscience & Cognitive Science (NSCS) Major Checklist
Course Descriptions
Course descriptions are available in the General Catalog. Typical offerings may not always be perfectly up-to-date. The Guest Class Schedule shows current offerings. Please contact an advisor for questions on semester-specific offerings and other course questions. Students can view the Schedule of Classes in their UAccess Student Center.