The Curriculum B ecause students come to the brain and cognitive sciences with a wide range of backgrounds, the curriculum offers a broad base designed to introduce students to parts of the domain they might not previously have studied, and to prepare them for advanced work. This core curriculum covers a range of topics in perception, action, cognition, language, learning and development, each examined from the perspectives of behavioral, computational, and neural science. At all stages of their graduate careers, students are heavily engaged in research. The methods students master for approaching their own research may vary. However, as preparation for entering a highly interdisciplinary field, all students must acquire some expertise in at least two approaches.
Students also take advanced courses and seminars in one or more areas of specialization.
At all stages of their graduate careers, students are heavily engaged in research. Generally students complete most of their course work during the first two years. During the third year students take a qualifying exam covering the scholarly literature surrounding their area of specialization, and thereafter typically devote themselves fully to their research. The Ph.D. is awarded upon the completion of a dissertation containing original research in the field. The Department does not offer a program leading to a Master's degree.