Minor in Cognitive Neuroscience
Study how the brain produces the mind: perception, language, memory, and thought, from neurons to behavior. The minor draws on psychology, biology, communication sciences, linguistics, and philosophy.
22 credit hours · 9 or more earned at UCA · 2.0 minimum GPA in the minor · Open to all majors
Why Choose the Cognitive Neuroscience Minor?
- Pursue one of science’s deepest questions: how the brain produces the mind
- Connect the biology of the nervous system to the psychology of the mind
- Build integrative thinking by drawing on at least three departments
- Prepare for neuroscience, medicine, physician-assistant studies, speech-language pathology, and audiology
- Strengthen majors in psychology, biology, and communication sciences and disorders
The required core is PSYC 1300 and BIOL 1440. The defining rule is that electives must come from at least three different departments, and each pathway above already meets it. Psychology majors substitute one additional 3-credit psychology course for PSYC 1300. Talk with your advisor about your combination.
Find Your Path
After the required core, you choose five electives drawn from at least three different departments. These groupings are starting points, not rigid tracks. Any combination that meets the requirements works, and your advisor can help you adjust.
Brain and Behavior. Great for pre-med, pre-PA, and neuroscience research. The biological foundations of how the nervous system shapes behavior. This path spans biology, psychology, and philosophy.
Courses may include:
- BIOL 3370 Introduction to Neuroscience
- BIOL 4425 Experimental Neurobiology
- PSYC 3301 Physiological Psychology
- PSYC 3302 Sensation and Perception
- PHIL 3375 Philosophy of Mind
Speech, Language, and Hearing. Great for pre-SLP and audiology. For students preparing for speech-language pathology, audiology, or work with communication disorders. This path spans communication sciences, psychology, and linguistics.
Courses may include:
- CSD 2306 Neuroscience for Communication
- CSD 3311 Fundamentals of Speech and Hearing Science
- CSD 4330 Neurogenic Communication Disorders
- PSYC 3302 Sensation and Perception
- LING 3315 Semantics
Language and Cognition. Great for cognitive science and language technology. How the mind represents language and meaning. This path spans psychology, linguistics, philosophy, and communication sciences.
Courses may include:
- PSYC 3311 Cognitive Psychology
- LING 4305 Cognitive Linguistics
- LING 3315 Semantics
- PHIL 4330 Philosophy of Language
- CSD 3321 Language Acquisition and Literacy
Mind, Brain, and Philosophy. Great for research and graduate study. The big questions: what the mind is, how we know things, and how thought arises from the brain. This path spans philosophy, psychology, and biology.
Courses may include:
- PHIL 3375 Philosophy of Mind
- PHIL 3341 Theories of Knowledge
- PSYC 3311 Cognitive Psychology
- PSYC 3301 Physiological Psychology
- BIOL 3370 Introduction to Neuroscience
Ready to Add Cognitive Neuroscience?
Talk with your academic advisor about how the minor fits your major and your timeline, or contact the Department of Psychology and Counseling.
Requirements: 22 credit hours, 9 or more earned at UCA, with a 2.0 minimum GPA in the minor. Required (7 hours): PSYC 1300 General Psychology and BIOL 1440 Principles of Biology. Electives (15 hours): choose five from the approved list, drawn from at least three different departments. Psychology majors substitute one additional 3-credit psychology course for PSYC 1300. Students completing the BS in Psychology cannot count courses used for the major toward the minor.