Our cognitive science undergraduate program reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the field, allowing students to approach the study of the mind and brain from multiple perspectives. Students gain broad knowledge of the field as a whole, plus a greater depth of the understanding in two of the sub-disciplines within the field. Training emphasizes not only learning about the principal theories and evidence, but also development of the conceptual and practical skills needed for understanding and conducting theoretical and empirical work in the field.
Requirements
Detailed major requirements are available in the Academic Catalog. First-year and new transfer students should use the current Academic Catalog. All other students should use the archived catalog published the year they entered Johns Hopkins.
Cognitive science majors distribute their coursework across five areas, with special emphasis on two areas chosen as focal areas, providing both breadth and depth of knowledge. Majors thus acquire a broad perspective which will enable them to situate particular research disciplines within the overall study of the mind/brain. The three areas not chosen for depth are loosely referred to as ‘non- focal’ areas for advising purposes.
Focal Areas | POS-Tags* |
---|---|
Cognitive Psychology/Neuropsychology | COGS-COGPSY |
Linguistics (also see Linguistics Minor) | COGS-LING |
Computational Approaches to Cognition | COGS-COMPCG |
Neuroscience | COGS-NEURO |
Philosophy of Mind | COGS-PHLMND |
Majors must also complete two math courses.
Focal Area Course List
These are courses that qualify for each of the five areas. To inquire whether a course can be added to this list, contact our Director of Undergraduate Studies and provide a course description and syllabus. Courses change over time and some are not offered every year, just as courses offered in a given term are subject to change, withdrawal, etc.
Course No. | Course Title | Focal Area POS Tags | Semester |
---|---|---|---|
AS.050.102 | Language and Mind | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-LING | |
AS.050.105 | Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.107 AS.001.189 AS.365.106.03** | Language and Advertising | COGS-LING | |
AS.050.112 AS.001.146 AS.365.106.02** | Nature, Nurture, Cognition | COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.050.116 | Visual Cognition | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.121 | Theory of Mind and the Science of “Mindreading” | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.050.135 | Speech & Voice | COGS-LING | |
AS.050.202 | Introduction to Computational Cognitive Science | COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.050.203 | Cognitive Neuroscience | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.206 | Bilingualism | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-LING | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.233 | Lost in Space | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-LING; COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.050.236 | Neurolinguistics | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.240 | The World of Language | COGS-LING | |
AS.050.244 | Cognitive Neuroscience Lab | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.311 | Written Language: Normal Processing and Disorders | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.312 | Cognitive Neuroimaging Methods in High-Level Vision | COGS-NEURO; COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.050.315 | Cognitive Neuropsychology of Visual Perception | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.317 | Semantics I | COGS-LING | |
AS.050.320 | Syntax I | COGS-LING | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.325 | Phonology I | COGS-LING | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.326 | Foundations of Cognitive Science | COGS-COMPCG; COGS-PHLMND | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.332 | Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.333 | Psycholinguistics | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-LING | |
AS.050.337 | Reading the Mind: Computational Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision | COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.339 | Cognitive Development | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.342 | Windows to the Mind | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.344 | Written Language and the Brain | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.346 | Decoding the Brain | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.348 | First Language Acquisition | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-LING | |
AS.050.349 | Second Language Acquisition | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-LING | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.352 | Appling Cognitive Neuro Science to Artificial Intelligence Part I | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.353 | Applying Cognitive Neuroscience to Artificial Intelligence Part II | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.050.358 | Language and Thought | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-LING | |
AS.050.360 | Computational Psycholinguistics | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-LING; COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.050.365 | Cracking the code: Theory and modeling of information coding in neural activity | COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.370 | Mathematical Models of Language | COGS-LING; COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.050.371 | Bayesian Inference | COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.050.372 | Foundations of Neural Network Theory | COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.050.375 EN.601.485 | Probabilistic Models of the Visual Cortex | COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.050.383 | Computational Social Cognition | COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.050.822 | Research Seminar in Syntax (requires instructor approval for UG enrollment) | COGS-LING | |
AS.080.105 | Introduction to Neuroscience | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.203 | Cognitive Neuroscience | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.301 | Behavioral Assessment of Animal Models of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.250 | Neuroscience Lab | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.080.304 | Neuroscience Learning and Memory | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.080.305 | Neuroscience: Cellular and Systems I | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.306 | Neuroscience: Cellular and Systems II | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.080.308 | Neuroeconomics | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.312 | The Making of a Cognitive Map | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.320 | The Auditory System | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.321 | Computational Neuroscience | COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.080.328 | Behavioral Neuroscience Lab | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.080.339 | Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.080.345 | Great Discoveries in Neuroscience | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.080.348 | Science of Learning | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.355 | Computational Principles of Biological Vision | COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.357 | Developmental Neuroscience | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.360 | Diseases and Disorders of the Nervous System | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.080.370 | The Cerebellum | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.130.218 | Language and Society | COGS-LING | |
AS.145.105 | Minds and Machines (FA19, SP20 only) | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.118 | Introduction to Formal Logic | COGS-PHLMND | Spring 2023 |
AS.150.129 | The Theory of Knowledge | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.136 | Philosophy of Science | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.140 | Minds, Bodies, and Persons | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.193 | Philosophy of Language Seminar: Proper Names and Definite Descriptions | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.210 | Minds, Consciousness, and Computers | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.215 | Problems with Knowledge, Evidence, and Action | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.216 | Minds & Machines | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.223 | Formal Methods of Philosophy | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.245 | Philosophy of Mind | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.254 | Philosophy of Memory | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.330 | Decisions, Games & Social Choice | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.340 | Philosophy of Psychology | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.375 | Majors Seminar: Philosophy of Language (Proper Names and Descriptions | COGS-LING | Spring 2023 |
AS.150.411 | Modal Psychology | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.415 | Typefaces and Meaning | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.427 | Aristotelian Philosophical Psychology | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.429 | Topics in Logic: Ontology and Knowledge Representation | COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.150.432 | Philosophy of Memory | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.436 | Philosophy of Psychology (SP09, SP11 only) | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.451 | Animal Points of View | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.457 | Color and Color Perception | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.467 | Philosophic Logic | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.476 | Philosophy & Cognitive Science | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.150.688 | Philosophy of Psychology (instructor permission required) | COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.200.101 | Introduction to Psychology | COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.200.110 | Introduction to Cognitive Psychology | COGS-COGPSY | Spring 2023 |
AS.200.130 | Good Vibrations | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.132 | Introduction to Developmental Psychology | COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.200.141 | Foundations of Brain, Behavior, & Cognition | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.200.163 | Gamechangers: Conceptual Breakthroughs in Neuroscience | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.211 | Sensation and Perception | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.304 | Neuroscience of Decision Making | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.200.311 | Sensory Representations in the Brain: Maps, Modules & Distributed Coding | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
AS.200.313 | Models of Mind and Brain | COGS-COMPCG | |
AS.200.316 | Thought and Perception | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.200.318 | Quantitative Methods for Brian Sciences | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.322 | Clinical Neuropsychology | COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.200.324 | Choosing the 'champion' animal in neuroscience resaerch | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.329 | Real World Human Data: Analysis & Visualization | COGS-COMPCG; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.330 | Human and Machine Intelligence | COGS-COMCG | Spring 2023 |
AS.200.334 | Human Memory Psychology | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.335 | How Does the Brain Predict the Future? | COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.200.336 | Foundations of Mind | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-PHLMND | |
AS.200.361 | Tests and Measurements | COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.200.368 | Altered States of Consciousness | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.369 | Neuroscience of Motivation and Reward | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.370 | Functional Human Neuroanatomy | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.376 | Psychopharmocology | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.380 | Neurobiology of Human Cognition | COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.385 | Mind, Brain, & Experience (prev. AS.050.363) | COGS-COGPSY; COGS-NEURO | |
AS.200.386 | Animal Cognition | COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.211.311 | Introduction to Romance Linguistics | COGS-LING | |
AS.250.205 | Introduction to Computing | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
AS.376.371 PY.610.637** | Topics in Music Cognition I | COGS-COGPSY | |
AS.376.372 PY.610.638** | Topics in Music Cognition II | COGS-COGPSY | |
EN.500.112 | Gateway Computing: JAVA | COGS-COMPCG* | Spring 2023 |
EN.500.113 | Gateway Computing: Python | COGS-COMPCG* | Spring 2023 |
EN.500.114 | Gateway Computing: MatLab | COGS-COMPCG* | Spring 2023 |
EN.500.200 | Computing for Engineers and Scientists | COGS-COMPCG* | |
EN.520.315 | Introduction to Information Processing of Sensory Signals | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.520.412 | Machine Learning for Signal Processing | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.520.414 | Image Processing and Analysis I | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.520.415 | Image Processing and Analysis II | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.520.433 | Medical Image Analysis | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.520.438 | Deep Learning | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.553.426 | Introduction to Stochastic Processes | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.553.436 | Introduction to Data Science | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.553.493 | Mathematical Image Analysis | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.580.200 | Introduction to Scientific Computing | COGS-COMPCG* | |
EN.580.439 | Models of Physiological Processes in Neuron | COGS-NEURO | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.107 | Introductory Programming in Java | COGS-COMPCG* | |
EN.601.220 | Intermediate Programming | COGS-COMPCG* | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.226 | Data Structures | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.229 | Computer System Fundamentals | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.231 | Automata and Computation Theory | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.320 EN.601.420 | Parallel Programming | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.365 | Knowledge Discovery from Text | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.404 | Brain & Computation | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.426 | Principles of Programming | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.433 | Introduction to Algorithms | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.461 | Computer Vision | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.463 | Algorithms for Sensor-Based Robotics | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.464 | Artificial Intelligence | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.465 | Natural Language Processing | COGS-LING; COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.467 | Introduction to Human Language Technology | COGS-LING; COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.468 | Machine Translation | COGS-LING; COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.471 | Natural Language Processing: Self-Supervised Models | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.475 | Machine Learning | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.476 | Machine Learning: Data to Models | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.482 | Machine Learning: Deep Learning | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.490 | Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction | COGS-COMPCG | |
EN.601.491 | Human-Robot Interaction | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
EN.601.783 | Vision as Bayesian Inference (instructor permission only) | COGS-COMPCG | Spring 2023 |
** These course numbers do not automatically populate the major's Degree Audit. Contact the DUS or program coordinator to apply them.