Corina Morris is available to help with any questions you may have about CLAS requirements, including the design of a plan-of-study for double majoring that satisfies all the current CLAS regulations. 

Faculty advisors are meant to guide students on matters such as finding opportunities for Undergraduate Research that are relevant to their academic interests; identifying courses that may be necessary for purposes of their intended post-graduation plans; and the process of applying to graduate schools. 

It is common for students in our program to double major, or in some cases triple or quadruple major. The most common combination is Cognitive Science and Psychological Sciences (PSYC).  Other popular combinations are Physiology and Neurobiology (PNB), Computer Science (CSE), Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS), Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS), and Linguistics. Math and Philosophy are also often combined with Cognitive Sciences.  However, students are not limited to these most common combinations. We have also had students double-major with Allied Health Sciences, American Studies,  Animal Science, Anthropology, Applied Math, Arabic and Islamic Civilizations, Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE), Art, American Sign Language Studies (ASL), Biology (general), Biomedical Engineering (BME), Business, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Chinese, Civil Engineering, Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS), Communications, Criminal Justice, Digital Media and Design (DMD), Economics, English, Environmental Sciences, Film, Nutritional Sciences, French, German, Geographic Information Science (GIS), Horticulture, Human Rights, Individualized Major, Italian Literacy and Cultural Studies, Latin American Studies, Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB), Mechanical Engineering, Music, Nursing, Physics, Political Science, Sociology, Spanish, Sport Management, Statistics, Urban Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS).

You may find our list of common double majors/minors helpful. However, students considering a major or minor who have specific questions should contact Corina Morris (corina.morris@uconn.edu) to obtain advice. Corina serves as the primary advisor for (almost) all CogSci majors.  

You can enroll by filling out the student enrollment request form here: https://registrar.uconn.edu/forms/ Please note that your request will be routed to the course instructor, COGS Director, and your advisor before we can manually enroll you in a course.

What are the differences in requirements to get a BA vs. BS in Cognitive Science?

There are no differences in these versions of the major, except for the differences in the requirements imposed by CLAS. Primarily, earning the BS requires you to complete basic coursework in physics, chemistry, biology, and calculus (See the CLAS general education requirements).  

What is the difference between Cognitive Science and Psychological Sciences?

Cognitive Science is truly an interdisciplinary major. While there is a ton of overlap in content between the two majors, COGS majors have the opportunity to take courses in a wide variety of subject areas, such as psychology, linguistics, logic, computer science, anthropology, and philosophy. The general academic perspective in cognitive science tends to emphasize computational approaches to the mind/brain (i.e., the brain as an information processing system) – which was a major component of what we call "the Cognitive Revolution," in the mid-20th Century. 

Earning a degree in Cognitive Science prepares you to pursue an extremely wide variety of careers – essentially any career you are interested in! Since the major was created, graduates have gone on to pursue successful careers in healthcare, law, IT, software development, research, data analysis, UX/UI design, human resources, sustainability, graphic design, and more.  

To discuss career options in more detail that align with your personal interests, we encourage you to speak with your faculty advisor and/or set up a career coaching appointment with a career coach in the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills. 

Because of its interdisciplinary nature, a degree in Cognitive Science is very valuable. Taking classes in psychology, linguistics, philosophy, SLHS, computer science, anthropology, and statistics can prepare you for a career that relies on a background in any of those areas. When applying for jobs and internships, it’s important to emphasize your multifaceted educational background as a Cognitive Science student and how your unique perspective will benefit the team you are seeking to join. This can be done through the written materials you submit as part of your application, such as a resume, CV, and/or cover letter, as well as verbally through conversations during interviews, career fairs, and other networking opportunities. 

According to UConn’s graduate outcomes data, within six months of graduation, approximately 52% of Cognitive Science graduates secure full-time work and 31% enroll in graduate education. 

UConn Cognitive Science alumni have gone on to have successful careers in a wide variety of industries. To view a limited list of examples, visit our Careers page. 

Yes! There are multiple ways current students can connect with alumni and/or professionals in their field(s) of interest. Visit our Careers page to learn how. 

Finding an internship is a student-led process, but our faculty advisors as well as the career coaches in the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills can provide guidance. Cognitive Science is such an interdisciplinary field, so there are too many opportunities to possibly list them. For a list of recourses and some examples of internships past students have obtained, please visit our internships page.   

Similar to internships, we can provide some general guidance, but it is a student-led process. Many COGS students take advantage of resources offered through the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). OUR helps students find and develop opportunities to engage in independent or collaborative research with faculty members and other mentors working across the University's academic disciplines. They have online resources, funding opportunities, and host events throughout the year. In addition, our program also offers COGS 3589, which is an undergraduate research course. Students often will join a faculty member's lab while getting credit for the course. Typically, students initiate these connections with faculty on their own.

Yes! Students can enroll in COGS 3589 (Undergraduate Research) if they are participating in activities related to cognitive science research on-campus. To obtain credit for an on or off-campus internship, students can enroll in a one-credit course with the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills. Visit their webpage to find out more. 

There are three specific summer programs that students can count towards the Cognitive Science degree: Interdisciplinary Ethnography Field Summer School in Mauritius,  the Neuroscience Study Abroad Summer Program in Salamanca, Spain, and UConn Brain & Behavior in Tel Aviv, Israel. The CogSci program currently offers a student abroad travel award fellowship program that provides up to $2,000 to cover airfare expenses to these study abroad programs. Find out more on the webpage.   

Yes, with permission from the instructor based on your previous coursework and academic standing. Please note that students should clarify with their intended graduate school about how graduate credits taken as undergraduate students might apply to a graduate degree. Honors students seeking to receive honors credit for graduate coursework should contact their honors advisor.