Cognitive science is the cross-disciplinary study of the structure and processes of human cognition and
their computational simulation or modeling. This interdisciplinary program is designed to give students an
understanding of questions dealing with human cognition, such as concept formation, visual perception, the
acquisition and processing of natural language, and human reasoning and problem solving.
The program draws on relevant courses found within the fields of anthropology, biology, computer science,
education, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology, as well as specially designed lower and upper division
courses in cognitive science.
Cognitive Neuroscience
Students concentrating in Cognitive Neuroscience must take Psychology 117 or Psychology/Cognitive
Science C127; one course from the following: Molecular and Cell Biology 64, 160, 163, or Integrative
Biology 245/245L, and a third course. Additional courses include: Psychology 110, 111, 112, 114, 117,
Cognitive Science/Psychology C127, Molecular and Cell Biology 163, 164, 165, 166, Cognitive Science
C110/Computer Science C182/Linguistics C109. Students not concentrating in Cognitive Psychology must
take Psychology 117 or Psychology/Cognitive Science C127.
As you might expect, which jobs are open to you will heavily depend on the specific
courses you take and the skills you have mastered. Thus far, the largest employers of
Cognitive Science graduates seem to be in the computer industry. They are hiring
students to work on problems in artificial intelligence, human factors, expert systems,
language understanding, "fuzzy logic," and programming. Not surprisingly, then, the
most "marketable" skills are computer related. If you develop a strong programming
background--especially in C, Lisp, and Pascal--many more job opportunities will be open
to you than if you do not.
Another potential job market for Cognitive Science majors is in bio-technology
companies, at least for students with a string background in cognitive neuroscience.
Because this is not yet a major focus of Berkeley's program, it would be especially
important to supplement your program of studies with relevant courses in
neurophysiology and biochemistry.
With the possible exception of Computer Science, graduates in Cognitive Science seem
to have better employment prospects than graduates in standard related disciplines. This
is due in large measure to the computer skills required for the Cognitive Science major.
So if you are seeking to maximize your employment potential, it would be wise to
strengthen this part of your program.