Related Majors
Students who are curious about the mind, brain, and behavior can pursue their interests through one of several distinct programs of study at the University of Rochester. These programs differ in the aspects of behavior they deal with and in the approach taken to understand them.
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
The majors (B.A. and B.S.) in Brain and Cognitive Sciences offers undergraduates the opportunity to study the nature and products of mental activity: perception, action, thinking, language, learning, and memory. This new natural science discipline lies at the intersection of cognitive psychology, computer science, and neuroscience, bringing these fields together to understand the activities of the mind and brain. The concentration is offered by the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
Neuroscience
The program in Neuroscience (B.S. in Biological Sciences: Neuroscience) provides students interested in biology with an opportunity to explore the molecular, cellular, and physiological bases of behavior. Administered by the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, the Neuroscience concentration is one of several tracks associated with the Program in Biology and Medicine. It includes rigorous preparation in math, physics, chemistry, and biology, accompanied by core and upper-level courses in Neuroscience offered by faculty in the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
Psychology
The major (B.A.) in Psychology offers students a curriculum that provides general coverage of the vast domain of behavior, ranging, for example, from the study of perception to the exploration of group behavior. While the study of behavior is introduced both as a natural science and as a social science, most students in the major focus on the clinical and social components of the discipline. A common theme pursued by students is the broad application of these disciplines to health and to the helping professions (psychology, education, social work). This major is administered by the department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, and is composed of courses offered by both the department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology and the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.