The Mind/Brain/Behavior (Cognitive Science) Track in Psychology
The Cognitive Science Track (commonly known as the MBB Track) in Psychology is one of the options available in the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Initiative, which was formed to create an "interdisciplinary community of investigators whose research aims to elucidate the structure, function, evolution, development, and pathology of the nervous system in relation to human behavior and mental life." In psychology, this can take many forms, for example:
- Studying the development of language in infants
- Studying the way in which our neurons process information and how this may be modeled by computer systems
- Examining how we come to be aware of what we know
- ...and much more!
This track allows students to combine coursework in Psychology with courses from related MBB curriculum including Linguistics, Philosophy, Human Evolutionary Biology, History and Science, Neuroscience, and Computer Science. Coursework in this track reflects the interdisciplinary spirit of MBB as a focus of study. MBB track students can take a wider-angle view of studying the mind beyond a psychological perspective. Their work may consider any of the following: insights from data representation and computation; the biological constraints of anatomy and physiology; philosophical approaches which define the very constructs under study; detailed analysis of our language capacities; the consequences of the long-standing behavioral demands on our species from an evolutionary perspective; and more.
This track differs from the Life Sciences (CNEP) Track in that it focuses less on biology-related coursework, and instead allows a broader range of fields to count toward Psychology concentration requirements. Concentrators in this track will also have the opportunity to participate in MBB symposiums and programs that bring together students from the various concentrations that participate in MBB.
The MBB Track requires students to write a senior honors thesis. If you declare MBB and later decide you would rather not pursue a thesis, you must switch to one of the other two tracks.
Course Requirements for the MBB Track
Students completing the MBB track must take all of the following courses. See linked course descriptions and lists for more information. A recommended course sequence is described further down on this page.
MBB Track Requirements (14 total courses):
- Introductory Course in Psychology
- Two Foundational Courses, one of which must be Neuro/MCB 80
- Sophomore Tutorial
- Research Methods
- Statistics
- Lab Course in Psychology
- MBB Junior Seminar (this is any course numbered MBB 980[x])
- Three MBB Advanced Courses. Please see linked list of valid courses; these courses must be approved courses from other participating MBB departments and cannot be Psychology courses.
- One Psychology Advanced Course
- Senior Thesis Tutorial (one course each in the fall and spring of your senior year)
Course Sequence Recommended for Students Considering the MBB Track
Complete requirements can be found in the "Mind/Brain/Behavior Track" column of the Requirements Chart.
Students who are strongly considering this track should plan on enrolling in the following during their first two years...
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First Semester |
Second Semester |
Third Semester |
Fourth Semester |
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PSY 1 |
PSY 971 (Fall or Spring) |
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| PSY 1900 (Fall or Spring) |
Research Methods: |
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At least one of the following Foundational Courses during first two years: PSY 11, PSY 14, PSY 15, PSY 16, PSY 18, or NEURO 80 (formerly MCB 80)* |
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* MCB 81 is no longer offered as of the 2018-19 academic year, but if you have taken it previously, it may count in lieu of NEURO 80.
Ideally, students will take the Introductory Course and Statistics by the end of their first year, and should complete at least one Foundational Course by the end of their sophomore year. Students must take NEURO 80 (MCB 81, if taken before Fall 2018, can count in lieu of NEURO 80), and then one additional Foundational Course from the following list...
In the third or fourth semester, students should enroll in PSY 971, Contemporary Issues in Psychology (Sophomore Tutorial).
We encourage taking the required Research Methods course, PSY 1901, Methods of Behavioral Research by the end of your sophomore year; it must be completed by the end of the fifth semester at the latest. Students in the MBB track must also take a qualifying lab course as part of their Research Methods requirement.
If you are pursuing the MBB track, plan to get involved in research as early as possible - you may even want to enroll in a lab course by the end of your sophomore year. MBB students should also reach out to the Psychology Thesis Program advisor, Garth Coombs, to begin planning and make sure you are apprised of all thesis-related deadlines.
In addition to completing the course requirements for the MBB Track in Psychology, students must also complete MBB program-wide requirements, including participating in a non-credit junior symposium and a non-credit senior research workshop. Please see the MBB Certificate website for details.
Students should consult our Declaring a Concentration page or with a Concentration Advisor for more guidance beyond the second year.
- PSY 11, Cognition: How the Mind Works
- PSY 14, Cognitive Neuroscience
- PSY 15, Social Psychology
- PSY 16, Developmental Psychology (or SLS 15 if taken previously)
- PSY 18, Psychopathology