cogsci.berkeley.edu

UC Berkeley Cognitive Science (cogsci.berkeley.edu) publishes its course offerings and enrollment rules through two main course pages — Cog Sci Courses by Term and a Comprehensive Course List — plus a set of enrollment policies, an elective petition form, and sample program plans. The program is interdisciplinary, drawing on psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology, and it offers an undergraduate major, a graduate designated emphasis, and a summer minor. The sections below cover what each course and policy resource is for, and how to use them.

Course Listings: Two Ways to Find Classes

The program separates "what's offered now" from "what exists in the catalog," so you use a different page depending on your question.

If you are planning a specific semester, start with Courses by Term. If you are mapping out the major over multiple years or checking whether a course counts, use the Comprehensive Course List.

Enrollment Policies and the Elective Petition

The program maintains a dedicated CogSci Enrollment Policies page. This is where you check the rules that govern getting into Cog Sci courses — for example, enrollment restrictions, priority, or procedures that differ from standard campus registration.

If a course you want to count toward the major is not automatically on the approved list, the program provides an Elective Petition Form. You submit this to request that a course be accepted as an elective. In practice, this means:

1. Confirm the course is not already covered by the Comprehensive Course List.
2. Complete the Elective Petition Form.
3. Submit it for review according to the instructions on the form.

The petition is the mechanism for handling courses that sit outside the standard offering but are still relevant to your program.

Planning Your Path: Sample Program Plans

The site publishes Sample Program Plans. These are templates showing how a Cog Sci course sequence can be laid out over time. They are useful as a starting structure rather than a fixed requirement — you can compare your own progress against them and adjust for your situation.

Related planning resources on the site include:

• Major Map — a visual overview of the major's structure.
• Study Abroad — how overseas coursework fits in.
• Receiving Credit for Research and Receiving Credit for Internships — how to get academic credit for research or internship work.
• Enrolling in Community College Courses — rules for taking classes elsewhere and transferring them in.

Beyond the Major: Other Course-Related Programs

The same course and enrollment framework supports the program's other offerings:

• Undergraduate Major in Cognitive Science — the main degree path, with its own degree requirements and declaration process.
• Graduate Designated Emphasis — a graduate-level credential with its own curriculum, application process, and program policies.
• Summer Minor: Cognitive Science and the Future of Tech — a summer option combining Cog Sci with technology topics.

Each of these has its own requirements page, so check the one matching your status before assuming a course or policy applies to you.

Where to Start

• To see current classes: Cog Sci Courses by Term.
• To see everything offered: Comprehensive Course List.
• To understand the rules: CogSci Enrollment Policies.
• To get a non-listed course approved: Elective Petition Form.
• To plan a sequence: Sample Program Plans.

The program office is at 101 Stephens Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2306, and advising services are listed separately for undergraduate and graduate students.

The Cognitive Science program at UC Berkeley provides the official "How To Declare" page under its Undergraduate Program section, and that page is the authoritative source for current requirements and steps. The program's own description states that it draws on psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology, with over forty affiliated faculty, so declaration requirements can involve coursework across several departments. Because specific deadlines, GPA thresholds, and form links change, always confirm details on the live site rather than relying on a summary.

Where the declaration information lives

On cogsci.berkeley.edu, the navigation under Undergraduate Program includes:

• Major Program
• Degree Requirements
• How To Declare
• Honors Program
• Glushko Winners
• Major Map
• Study Abroad
• Receiving Credit for Research
• Receiving Credit for Internships
• Courses (Cog Sci Courses by Term, Comprehensive Course List, CogSci Enrollment Policies, Elective Petition Form)
• Sample Program Plans
• Enrolling in Community College Courses
• Summer Minor: Cognitive Science and the Future of Tech
• Advising

The How To Declare link is the direct entry point for the declaration process. Degree Requirements tells you what you must have completed or be enrolled in before declaring. Sample Program Plans and Major Map help you see how the major fits into a four-year sequence.

What to check before you start

The site does not publish the specific declaration criteria in the excerpt available, so treat the following as a checklist of what the official pages will tell you:

1. Prerequisite or lower-division courses — the Cognitive Science major spans multiple departments, so expect required introductory work. Confirm the exact course list on Degree Requirements.
2. Grades or GPA conditions — whether a minimum grade in specific courses or an overall GPA applies. This is stated on the official declaration page, not inferred here.
3. Unit or standing requirements — whether you must have completed a certain number of units or be in good academic standing.
4. Timing windows — whether declaration happens during a specific term or by a stated deadline.

The general declaration sequence

UC Berkeley major declaration typically follows a pattern, and the Cognitive Science program's How To Declare page will confirm each step:

1. Review Degree Requirements to confirm you have met or are on track for the prerequisites.
2. Complete any required courses or be enrolled in the final ones.
3. Submit the declaration form through the method the program specifies (the site lists an Elective Petition Form separately, which is for elective credit, not declaration).
4. Meet with an advisor if the program requires it — see Advising under the Undergraduate Program menu.
5. Confirm your status in CalCentral or with the program after submission.

The expected result at each stage is that the program either approves your declaration or tells you what is still missing. If a course is in progress, the program will indicate whether conditional declaration is allowed.

Related pages worth opening at the same time

Common sticking points

• Cross-department prerequisites. Because the major draws on psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology, a missing course from one department can block declaration. Check each requirement individually.
• Elective Petition Form vs. declaration. The site lists the Elective Petition Form under Courses; it is not the declaration form. Do not submit it expecting to declare.
• Research and internship credit. The pages for Receiving Credit for Research and Receiving Credit for Internships are separate from declaration and have their own procedures.
• Community college coursework. The Enrolling in Community College Courses page matters if you plan to satisfy requirements elsewhere; confirm transferability before relying on it.

If you want the honors track or the summer minor

• Honors Program has its own entry in the Undergraduate Program menu; check it separately from the standard declaration.
• Summer Minor: Cognitive Science and the Future of Tech is a distinct program listed on the homepage and in the menu, with its own requirements.

The reliable next step

Open cogsci.berkeley.edu, go to Undergraduate Program → How To Declare, and read it alongside Degree Requirements. Those two pages together give you the current, binding process. If anything is unclear, use the Advising page to reach the program directly, and check the FAQ first since it may already answer procedural questions.

UC Berkeley Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary program that draws on psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology to study how the mind works. For students asking what support exists beyond coursework, the program's site points to four concrete areas: research resources and affiliated labs, ways to earn credit for research or internships, a summer internship grant and summer minor, and career/graduate-school preparation pages. The sections below cover each, based on the program's own navigation and descriptions.

Research Resources and Labs

The program maintains a Research Resources section and a separate Research Centers and Labs page. These are the entry points for students looking to find faculty-led projects or labs connected to cognitive science.

Because the program draws on over forty affiliated faculty from a variety of departments, research opportunities are distributed across those departments rather than housed in a single lab. The CogSci Affiliated Faculty directory is the practical starting point: identify faculty whose work matches your interests, then use the Research Centers and Labs page to see the organized research groups.

Earning Credit for Research and Internships

The undergraduate navigation includes two dedicated pages:

• Receiving Credit for Research
• Receiving Credit for Internships

These pages exist because the program allows students to convert research or internship work into academic credit, rather than treating it as purely extracurricular. If you are planning either, check these pages before committing, since the requirements and approval process are specific to the program.

Summer Internship Grant and Summer Minor

Two summer-specific opportunities appear in the program's navigation:

• Cogsci Summer Internship Grant — listed under Career, Research, & Graduate Study, this is a funding opportunity tied to summer internships.
• Summer Minor: Cognitive Science and the Future of Tech — a summer minor option, also highlighted on the homepage as one of the program's three main offerings alongside the undergraduate major and graduate designated emphasis.

If you want to combine internship experience with funding, the grant page is the place to start; if you want a shorter, tech-focused credential, the summer minor is the alternative.

Career Exploration and Graduate School Preparation

Under Career, Research, & Graduate Study, the program provides:

• Career Exploration
• Research Resources
• Preparing for Graduate School

For students considering a PhD or master's, the Graduate Designated Emphasis (DE) is the program's graduate-level offering. Its own navigation covers How to Apply to the DE, Curriculum, Graduate Group (Faculty), Program Policies, and Graduate DE Advising — so prospective graduate students can move from eligibility and application through curriculum and advising without leaving the site.

Quick Reference

What to Check Before You Commit

The site lists these resources but does not publish eligibility rules, deadlines, or award amounts on the pages summarized here. Before applying for the summer internship grant, declaring the summer minor, or petitioning for research/internship credit, open the specific page for that program and confirm current requirements and dates. For advising questions, the program lists Advising and Graduate DE Advising as separate contact paths depending on whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student.

UC Berkeley's Cognitive Science program is an interdisciplinary framework that brings together multiple fields to study how the human mind works and why it works the way it does. According to the program's website, students draw on psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology, among other fields. The program involves over forty affiliated faculty from a variety of departments and offers an undergraduate major, a graduate designated emphasis, and a summer minor.

What Disciplines Are Involved?

The program explicitly lists these contributing fields:

• Psychology
• Linguistics
• Computer Science
• Philosophy
• Neuroscience
• Anthropology

The stated objective is to provide "a framework for bringing all the many disciplines that study the mind together into a cohesive whole." This means you won't be confined to a single department's approach — you'll be expected to integrate perspectives from across these fields.

Program Options

The website describes three distinct offerings:

Undergraduate Major

The major includes a structured set of requirements and support resources. From the site's navigation, the major covers:

• Degree Requirements — the specific courses and units needed
• How to Declare — the process for officially joining the major
• Honors Program — for students seeking additional distinction
• Glushko Winners — likely a prize or recognition associated with the program
• Major Map and Sample Program Plans — suggested paths through the degree
• Study Abroad — options for overseas study
• Receiving Credit for Research and Receiving Credit for Internships — ways to earn academic credit outside the classroom
• Elective Petition Form — for requesting approval of courses not automatically counted

Graduate Designated Emphasis

For graduate students already enrolled in a PhD or master's program at Berkeley, the Cognitive Science Designated Emphasis adds an interdisciplinary credential. The site lists:

• How to Apply to the DE
• Curriculum
• Graduate Group (Faculty)
• Program Policies
• Graduate DE Advising

This is not a standalone graduate degree — it's a supplement to a primary graduate program.

Summer Minor

The Summer Minor in "Cognitive Science and the Future of Tech" is a focused option for undergraduates who want to add a cognitive science credential without completing the full major.

Who Might This Program Suit?

Based on the program's own description, the major is designed for students who:

• Want to study the mind from multiple angles rather than through a single lens
• Are comfortable moving between departments like psychology, computer science, and philosophy
• Are interested in questions about how and why the human mind works

The program's advising structure — including CogSci Affiliated Faculty, a Faculty Director, and the CogSci Student Association — suggests that students are expected to actively navigate across departments with guidance.

Practical Resources for Current and Prospective Students

The site lists several categories of support:

• Academic Resources — campus offices, student clubs, holistic wellness, international student resources, transfer student resources
• Career, Research, & Graduate Study — career exploration, a summer internship grant, research resources, research centers and labs, preparing for graduate school
• Advising — dedicated advising services for both undergraduate and graduate students
• Courses — Cog Sci courses by term, a comprehensive course list, enrollment policies, and an elective petition form

Key Takeaways

• Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley is explicitly interdisciplinary, drawing on six named fields and over forty affiliated faculty.
• The program offers three paths: an undergraduate major, a graduate designated emphasis, and a summer minor.
• The undergraduate major has a defined declaration process, honors track, and structured support for research, internships, and study abroad.
• The graduate designated emphasis is for students already in a graduate program, not a separate degree.

For specific requirements, declaration steps, or course lists, the program's website (cogsci.berkeley.edu) provides the authoritative and current information.

cogsci.berkeley.edu is the official website of the UC Berkeley Cognitive Science Program. It serves as the hub for an interdisciplinary program that brings together psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology to study how the human mind works and why it works the way it does. The site is most useful if you are a prospective or current UC Berkeley student exploring the undergraduate major, a graduate student interested in the designated emphasis, or someone looking for courses, advising, research labs, and career resources in cognitive science.

What the program covers

The program's stated objective is to provide a framework for uniting the many disciplines that study the mind into a cohesive whole. Rather than sitting in a single department, it draws on over forty affiliated faculty from a variety of departments. This means coursework and research can span:

• Psychology
• Linguistics
• Computer science
• Philosophy
• Neuroscience
• Anthropology

Programs offered

The site organizes its academic offerings into three main tracks:

What you can find on the site

Beyond program descriptions, the site functions as a practical resource hub. Key sections include:

• Undergraduate program details — degree requirements, how to declare, the honors program, and a major map
• Courses — cognitive science courses by term, a comprehensive course list, and enrollment policies
• Advising — advising services for both undergraduate and graduate students
• Research — research centers and labs, plus guidance on preparing for graduate school
• Career and professional development — career exploration, a summer internship grant, and resources for research and graduate study
• Community and support — student clubs and organizations, holistic wellness resources, international student resources, and transfer student resources
• Quick links — find a course, CPT info, GSI information, and alumni connections

Who this site is for

This site is aimed primarily at UC Berkeley students and prospective students. If you are considering the undergraduate major, the degree requirements and "how to declare" pages are the natural starting point. If you are already in a graduate program and want to add the designated emphasis, the "How to Apply to the DE" and curriculum pages cover that path. Faculty and researchers can find the graduate group listing, while current students can use the advising and enrollment resources.

Contact and location

The Cognitive Science Program is located at 101 Stephens Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2306, at the University of California, Berkeley.