You can pick up a minor petition at the Student Services Office or the Registrar's Office. To receive a minor from the Department of Cognitive Science, a student must complete a total of seven (four-unit) courses; five of which must be upper-division. Upper-division courses cannot overlap between major and minor requirements, and they cannot be used to satisfy requirements of more than one minor. You cannot major and minor in the same department.

To declare a Cognitive Science major, you just need to complete an Undergraduate Declaration of Major or Change of Major Request form at the Registrar's Office. The major code (BA or BS) is CG25.

The application for the minor you choose is available at the department that supervises that minor, not at the HPA Department.

You can pick up a double-major petition at your college advising office. You should consult with an academic adviser as well as the department advisers to be sure you fulfill requirements of the college and the major departments.

Cognitive science is a diverse field unifying three broad categories: the brain, behavior and computation. It's the study of how people, animals and computers think, act and learn. In order to understand the mind/brain, cognitive science brings together the methods and discoveries from neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, anthropology, philosophy and computer science. UCSD has been at the forefront of this exciting new field.

Declaring the minor or major is easy -- there are no deadlines, fees, or hassles. Just drop by the department office (NH 103) anytime to pick up a list of undergraduate advisors and office hours, then visit one of the department's advisors for a signature and informational materials.

Computer Science deals with solving problems through the use of a computer while Cognitive Science deals with the understanding how the brain works and how behavior is shaped by outside stimuli. To understand the brain, you need to simulate and analyze models of the brain with the help of computers. Cognitive Science encapsulates Computer Science but not the other way around.

First, computers are used to model cognitive phenomena. For example, computers are used to model the activity of a brain, a perceptual process, individual decision making or the interaction of people in a group. Second, cognitive scientists study how people interact with computers and how computers can be designed to be easy to use.

Currently, the most frequent job placements for Cognitive Science graduates are in the computer industry in the areas of cognitive engineering (human factors), human-computer interface design, artificial intelligence, neural network applications, and software design and development. There is also a growing demand in the research industry, particularly in biotechnical and pharmaceutical companies, because students also take courses in biology and chemistry.

You may declare a minor once you have been admitted. To do so, you will need to complete a Declaration of Major or Minor form at the SDSU Office of the Registrar.