Yes there are core requirements, although this can sometimes be hard to detect from the way the calendar is set up! Regardless of which of the five specializations you ultimately select (Cognition and Computation, Cognition and Psychology, Philosophical and Conceptual Issues, Language and Linguistics, Biological Foundations of Cognition), all students who major in Cognitive Science are currently required to take the following courses (total of 11.5 of the 20 credits for the degree):

• Cognitive Science courses: CGSC 2001 (introductory), 2002 (2nd year honours class); 3001 and 3002 (advanced honours classes), and 4908 (4th year honours project)
• Computer Science (COMP) 1005 and 1006 (introductory programming courses).
• CGSC 4001 (Cognition and Artificial Cognitive Systems) or COMP 4106 (Topics in Artificial Intelligence); note that the latter course has several COMP pre-requisites at the 2nd and 3rd year levels
• Psychology (PSYC) 1001 and 1002 (introductory courses), 2001 (Research methods), 2200 (Biological), and 2700 (Cognition)
• Linguistics (LALS) 1001 (introductory), 2001 (Phonetics), 2005 (Linguistic Analysis), and 3505 (Semantics; also sometimes offered as PHIL 3506)
• Two from Philosophy (PHIL) 1301 (Mind, World, & Knowledge), 2501 (Philosophy of mind – introductory) and 3502 (Philosophy of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence)
• Philosophy 2001 or 3306 (beginning and advanced logic)
• CGSC 3004 (Philosophy and Cognitive Science) or one more half credit in Philosophy (see calendar for details)

Notes. This is a new set of core requirements that was approved for 2009-2010 and subsequent years. In addition to these core requirements, each specialization requires another 4-5 credits in the core discipline. Please refer to the calendar for details. This structure ensures that students can, if they choose, go on to a Master’s degree in the discipline in which they do their specialization (or to graduate work in Cognitive Science).

Currently, all specializations require 1.0 credits in computer science, plus a 4th year Artificial Intelligence/Computational Modelling course offered through the Institute of Cognitive Science (i.e., CGSC 4001) or through Computer Science (i.e., COMP 4106). Of course, students in the Cognition and Computation specialization will take many more credits in computer science. All Cognitive Scientists need a working knowledge of computer programming, enough to allow them to evaluate computational models of the mind, even if they never actually work on such models.

There are no explicit high school mathematics requirements for entry into the B.A. in Cognitive Science. However, COMP 1805 is a required course for the Computation specialization stream, and its prerequisites include two Grade 12 math credits. Students who plan on entering the Cognition and Computation specialization are thus advised to have the requisite high school courses. Students entering this stream without these prerequisites may be required to take the prerequisite math courses as electives (i.e., at university level, students can take two of MATH 0005, 0007, or 0107 to gain equivalent math background).

We recommend that first-year students take PSYC 1001 and 1002, LALS 1001, COMP 1005 (and COMP 1006 for the Cognition & Computation specialization), and PHIL 1301 (you may substitute PHIL 2501 if you already have a background in Philosophy or you are a second-year student). Our students are also encouraged to take a first-year seminar as an elective (our institute offers one called FYSM 1607: Cognitive Science – Thinking and Knowing). Finally, choose another elective (or two) that piques your interest!

Many students change their minds about their interests and their major in their first year (or two) of university. If you start out majoring in Cognitive Science, you will take a range of courses from at least four disciplines (Psychology, Philosophy, Linguistics, and Computer Science), all of which will count towards any other B.A. program (either as required courses or as elective credits). So don’t worry too much about making the ‘wrong’ decision. Choose courses that interest you!

As in all B.A. degrees, the goal of the B.A. (Honours) in Cognitive Science is to teach you critical thinking, writing, reasoning, and problem solving skills that can be applied to a variety of different jobs or careers. One additional advantage of Cognitive Science is that students have a very diverse set of skills, because the program samples from a variety of disciplines (Psychology, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Computer Science). Employers find this attractive, because it indicates that these students can cope with a variety of issues on different levels (computational and theoretical, for example).

Cognitive Science is still a relatively new discipline. In the last 9 years, we have had about 20 graduates from the program. As a group, these graduates have done exceptionally well, with 25% winning university medals at graduation. About half of those individuals have gone on to graduate school, in areas such as Computational Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or Information Technology. Some graduates obtained positions at high-tech companies such as NorTel or have joined the public service. However, because most of our graduates have graduated in the last six years, it is hard to characterize the typical graduate.

Cognitive Science offers one of the few degrees in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in which students routinely complete an Honours Project (Some Psychology and Geography Honours students also do Honours projects). An honours project allows the student to work one-on-one with a faculty member on a research project that is of mutual interest. Also, students in Cognitive Science are guaranteed at least one low enrolment course in each of their 2nd and 3rd years (CGSC 2002 and 3001) where they will have the opportunity to practice their writing and presentation skills.

Currently about 60 students are majoring in the B.A. (honours) Cognitive Science. Some students enter directly from high school, but many students transfer into the program in 2nd or 3rd year. About 25 students are enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Cognitive Science.

Yes, there is a co-op education option in Cognitive Science. You would apply for co-op at the beginning of your third year (Fall of your 3rd year), with your first co-op term starting the following May. Please refer to the relevant sections of the calendar for more information about co-op.