Students who complete the cognitive science major should demonstrate competency in:

• Application of knowledge with critical thinking skills. Students should be able to use critical thinking to evaluate and interpret evidence, and to apply cognitive science concepts, theories, and research findings to individual, social, and cultural issues.
• Application of research methods with values and integrity. Students should be able to apply basic research methods in cognitive science, with sensitivity to ethical principles.
• Communication skills. Students should be able to demonstrate effective communication skills following professional conventions in cognitive science appropriate to purpose and context.
• Awareness of methodological and theoretical diversity. Students should be able to understand the complexities of cognition using neural, embodied, social, and/or technological approaches.

The Psychology Department has an advising office located at 273 Social Sciences 2 and psyadv@ucsc.edu. The advisors assist students in obtaining information regarding major requirements and petitions, course planning, substitution of transfer courses for advance enrollment, careers, and graduate schools. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the advising office throughout their college career. Transfer students are encouraged to consult the Transfer Information and Policy Section.

Students are admitted to the University of California, Santa Cruz with a "proposed major" in most cases, and later petition to officially declare the major. Admission to UC Santa Cruz does not guarantee acceptance into a particular major. Students must declare a major by the end of their second year or equivalent (six quarters or 90 cumulative credits). Junior transfer students must declare a major no later than the deadline during their second quarter at UCSC. Learning about and preparing for the major should be primary goals for students.

Students interested in pursuing the cognitive science major should complete PSYC 20, the statistics requirement, the calculus mathematics requirement, and the computer programming requirement. These classes should be taken for a letter grade. After completing these four lower-division required courses, students may petition to declare the cognitive science major subject to the grade requirements described in the Major Qualification section below. Students are recommended to fulfill major qualifications as early as possible to avoid delays in the major declaration and enrollment processes. Refer to the Requirements and Planners section below, and consult with a department advisor early to begin the process toward the completion of major qualifications and major declaration.

High school students considering cognitive science as their university major find that the best preparation is a solid general education in English writing, mathematics at least through precalculus, biological and physical sciences, and social sciences.

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Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students Expand and Collapse

Major Qualification Expand and Collapse

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How to Declare a Major Expand and Collapse

All lower-division courses required for major declaration have to be taken for a letter grade. In the instance that they are taken for Pass/No Pass, a Pass grade will be accepted, but will be considered as equivalent to a C in the 2.8 GPA calculation requirement.

Students who want to fulfill requirements with courses taken at other colleges (excluding articulated courses from California Community Colleges) must petition for the substitution of their transfer courses at an orientation session or at an appointment with the department advisor. PSYC 100, Research Methods in Psychology, and the senior seminar must be taken at UC Santa Cruz. Students planning to transfer to UC Santa Cruz should check with the advising office of their present college, or refer to assist.org.

Students wishing to pursue double majors or a major/minor combination are encouraged to meet with an advisor to create an academic plan to do so.

Up to three Global Learning courses may be approved for the major and prior course approval is recommended. Global Learning courses equivalent to less than 5 quarter credits (i.e. 4 or 4.5 quarter credits) should be discussed with a psychology undergraduate advisor to ensure major requirements are still met. Please review this webpage if you are considering studying abroad and want to try to obtain approval for such courses to count toward the major.

Honors in the cognitive science major are awarded to graduating seniors whose UC Santa Cruz grade point average is a 3.6 or higher in psychology courses (1-189).

Highest honors in the major are reserved for students who meet the honors criteria as well as successful completion of a senior thesis, or whose UC Santa Cruz grade point average is a 3.9 or higher in psychology courses (1-189).

The Psychology Department offers a range of educational opportunities, including opportunities for undergraduate research and field study. For more information, see the department's educational opportunities website.