Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Major, Cognitive Neuroscience Concentration
Program Overview
Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Major, Cognitive Neuroscience Concentration
Program Requirements
- Total Units Required:
- Primary majors: 29-32 units
- Secondary majors: 24-26 units
- Grade Requirement: C- or above; Pass/No Pass grades do not count toward the major requirements
Prerequisites
Several courses that are either required for this major or can satisfy requirements for it have prerequisites, which are not included in the major's list of requirements or counted in the its total units required. Students are strongly encouraged to review the course description of all courses they need or would like to take to confirm what prerequisites are needed, and plan accordingly to fulfill them.
The most commonly needed prerequisites are listed below, but it is not comprehensive.
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- BIOL 2160 | Principles of Biology I | 3
- PHIL 1000 | Logic and Critical Analysis | 3
- PSYCH 1000 | Introduction to Psychology | 3
- PSYCH 3401 | Biological Psychology | 3
Required Courses
Introductory Requirements
Students must choose one of the following two introductory sequences:
- Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Sequence (PNP)
- Mind, Brain, Behavior Sequence (MBB)
Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Sequence
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- PNP 2000 | Introduction to Cognitive Science | 3
- PNP 2010 Inquiry in the Cognitive Sciences or PSYCH 3010 Experimental Psychology | 3-4
- Total Units | 6-7
Mind, Brain, Behavior Sequence
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- PNP 1200 | Introduction to the Study of the Mind-Brain | 3
- PNP 1201 Introduction to the Study of the Mind-Brain II or PNP 2000 Introduction to Cognitive Science | 3
- Total Units | 6
Core Area Requirements
Majors must complete at least 6 units at the 3000 level or above for the two following core areas:
- Philosophy
- Psychological & Brain Sciences
Philosophy Core Area (6 units)
Students must complete one of the following courses:
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- PHIL 3020 Philosophy of Language or PHIL 3100 Philosophy of Mind | 3
- Total Units | 3
Students may choose a course from the following list to satisfy the remaining course.
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- MUSIC 3300 | Music Cognition | 3
- PHIL 3000 | Philosophy of Medicine | 3
- PHIL 3020 | Philosophy of Language | 3
- PHIL 3091 | Theory of Knowledge | 3
- PHIL 3100 | Philosophy of Mind | 3
- PHIL 3110 | Mind and Morals | 3
- PHIL 3130 | Philosophy of Science | 3
- PHIL 3140 | Philosophy of Biology | 3
- PHIL 3190 | Philosophy of Arts | 3
- PHIL 3250 | Introduction to Metaphysics | 3
- PHIL 3260 | Descartes to Hume | 3
- PHIL 3300 | Conceptual Foundations of Modern Science | 3
- PHIL 3310 | Philosophy of Emotions | 3
- PHIL 3320 | Art and the Mind-Brain | 3
- PHIL 3390 | Philosophical Writing | 3
- PHIL 4120 | Advanced Epistemology | 3
- PHIL 4130 | Advanced Metaphysics | 3
- PHIL 4180 | Topics in Advanced Philosophy of Science | 3
- PNP 4380 | Coginition and Computation | 3
- PNP 4500 | PNP Seminar | 3
- PNP 4510 | PNP Seminar | 3
Psychological & Brain Sciences
Students must complete one of the following courses*:
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- PSYCH 3600 Cognitive Psychology or PSYCH 4330 Psychology of Language | 3
- Total Units | 3
- If the student has completed FYP 1380 with a grade of B- or higher, they will not need to take either of the above courses.
Students may choose a course from the following list to satisfy the remaining course.
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- ANTHRO 3235 | The Biological Basis of Human Behavior | 3
- PNP 4500 | PNP Seminar | 3
- PSYCH 3000 | Introduction to Psychological Statistics | 3
- PSYCH 3010 | Experimental Psychology | 3
- PSYCH 3096 | Psychological Dynamics of Empathy | 3
- PSYCH 3150 | Introductionto Social Psychology | 3
- PSYCH 3210 | Developmental Psychology | 3
- PSYCH 3260 | Introduction to the Psychology of Aging | 3
- PYSCH 3300 | Sensation and Perception | 3
- PSYCH 3401 | Biological Psychology | 3
- PSYCH 3450 | Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior | 3
- PSYCH 3530 | Psychology of Personality | 3
- PSYCH 3540 | Psychopathology and Mental Health | 3
- PSYCH 3570 | Introduction to Clinical Psychology | 3
- PSYCH 3580 | Language Acquisition | 3
- PSYCH 3600 | Cognitive Psychology | 3
- PSYCH 3800 | Human Learning and Memory | 3
- PSYCH 4182 | Perception, Thought, and Action | 3
- PSYCH 4330 | Psychology of Language | 3
- PSYCH 4631 | Introduction to Computational Cognitive Science | 3
- PSYCH 4651 | History of Modern Systems of Psychology | 3
Cognitive Neuroscience Specialization
Students must take the following two courses to complete the specialization.
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- BIOL 3411 | Principles of the Nervous System | 3
- PSYCH 3604 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3
- Total Units | 6
Capstone Requirement
The capstone is required for primary majors, and recommended for secondary majors. Students that meet the criteria may choose to apply to complete an honors thesis project for their capstone.
Capstone Experience
Students can choose one of the following options to fulfill the 5 units needed for their capstone experience. Students who would like to do the independent study will need to complete the application steps on PNP's Independent Study webpage.
PNP Seminar
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- PNP 4500 PNP Seminar or PNP 4510 PNP Seminar | 3
- PNP 3500 | PNP Reading Class | 2
- Total Units | 5
Independent Study
- Course List Code | Title | Units
- PNP 3500 | PNP Reading Class | 2
- PNP 4997 | Independent Work | 3
- Total Units | 5
Senior Honors Thesis
The Honors Thesis is a two-semester course PNP 4998 Study for Honors (6 units) taken during the student's Senior year. Students who wish to pursue the honors thesis will need to meet the criteria listed on PNP's Honors webpage and submit an application the semester preceding the one they plan to take PNP 4998.
Students will be enrolled in PNP 4998 if their application is approved by the Honors Coordinator and they meet the criteria.
Additional Information
- A course cannot count towards more than one major requirement.
- Up to 6 units can be transferred from other institutions and/or study abroad
Study Abroad
The PNP program offers several different study abroad opportunities for students. For details, please visit PNP's Study Abroad page and contact the PNP Study Abroad Advisor with any questions.