BCS & NSC
Undergraduate Council
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between BCS, NSC, and PSY?
- Our BCS programs (B.S. and B.A.) blend cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and computational sciences. The foundation and core courses provide a broad background in all of these areas, and electives can provide a focus either in one of these areas, or in a specific topic (i.e., language, perception, mental disorders, etc). The B.S. degree requires coursework in several natural science allied fields (Biology, Computer Science, Math, Symbolic systems) that are closely related to BCS.
- Our NSC program (B.S.) has a strong biological focus; it is one of the tracks in the Program in Biology and Medicine. It overlaps with the neurobiological parts of BCS, but it does not encompass cognitive psychology or computer science. Beyond NSC courses, the curriculum also provides both broad and deep coverage of several other natural science disciplines (Biology (4 courses), Chemistry (4 courses), Physics (2 courses), and Math (2 semesters).
- The PSY program (B.A.) provides an overview of human behavior, including some of the topics covered within BCS, but also including social behavior, motivation, and clinical psychology. Although electives can emphasize BCS topics, most PSY majors here emphasize social and clinical psychology. Unlike BCS and NSC, PSY is classified as a social science here at the UR.
- (Our web and brochures also have more elaborate descriptions of these distinctions)
- How do I decide between BCS and NSC?
- While BCS and NSC overlap somewhat in their focus on the brain and what it does, the NSC major emphasizes biological/chemical investigations of brain function in relation to behavior, whereas the BCS major blends biological, behavioral, and computational approaches to focus more strongly on the cognitive and perceptual abilities the brain produces. If you are undecided between these two majors, you should take at least one BCS course early; but you will also need to begin the required courses for NSC in order not to fall behind with the more precisely sequenced requirements of that major.
- There are several BCS courses that will give you the distinctive flavor of BCS and can help to distinguish these 2 programs for you. The courses that are the best to determine the difference are BCS 110 and BCS 111.
- To keep on track for NSC while trying to make your decision, we recommend the following:
Fall - BIO110 or 112; CHM131; MTH141 or 161; primary writing or BCS 110
Spring - BIO111 or 113; CHM132; MTH142 or 162; primary writing or BCS 111 - If you decide on NSC after your freshman year, you're on track to complete that major. If you decide on BCS, your biology background will enable you to use BCS240 in place of BCS 110 (content is similar, but BCS240 goes into more depth and is designed for students with a background in Biology).
If you have additional questions, please contact the undergraduate coordinator: