As part of their coursework in the major, students must develop expertise in the formal analytical methods used in the field of cognitive science. The specific formal skills that will be most useful depend on each individual’s particular areas of interest, so students are free to select any two courses from an approved set of options that include (but are not limited to) courses in mathematics, computer science, logic, quantitative analysis, and experiment design.

Experience with the equivalent of one course in Calculus is highly recommended, as expertise in this area is required for many of the Disciplinary Courses. (Note: Calculus I-II may be used to satisfy the Formal Foundations requirement only if they are not used to satisfy the Mathematical Sciences component of the College Core, per College requirements.)

The following are examples of courses that could be used to satisfy the Formal Foundations requirement.

Formal Foundations