Academics / Undergraduate program

Profile

Have you ever wondered how your mind works? How do babies see the world, or how do they learn to walk? Do you wonder why you remember some things and forget others? Or how you coordinate your movements? How do you see and why do your eyes sometimes fool you? How do intelligence or language develop from infancy? How do all of your thoughts and emotions arise out of the activity of your brain? The faculty and students in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences are trying to answer these and other fundamental questions concerning intelligent processes and brain organization. To this end, the department focuses on two main themes: (1) cellular and systems neuroscience, and (2) cognitive science. The field of cognitive neuroscience combines both themes.

Current Research

The research in the department integrates a broad spectrum of disciplines including neuroscience, biology, psychology, linguistics, and artificial intelligence. Some areas include: studying the brain from molecules through neurons and neuronal systems; exploring the perception, thinking, and behavior of people; investigating the development of the brain and of human cognitive capacities, including the acquisition of language; using computers to model intelligence; uncovering the rules governing thought; the chemistry and physiology of the brain; and most importantly, discovering how the brain gives rise to the mind.

After Graduation

The majority of people who major in Brain and Cognitive Sciences attend graduate school, in fields such as medicine, neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, or computer science. Some attend law or business school. With or without advanced degrees, majors work in a diverse array of careers, as researchers and professors, in telecommunications, financial advising, human resources and human relations, counseling, teaching K through 12, ergonomics, environmental design, robotics, AI.

Learning About the Department

Seminars: Regular seminars and talks are given, including a department colloquium on Fridays at 4 pm in 46-3002. Check out the BCS website here.

IAP: Independent Activities Period subjects are offered every January. See the MIT IAP website for information on specific listings.

Contact

BCS Undergraduate Office: 46-2005, 617-253-0482
BCS Undergraduate Administrator: Susan Lanza, sdl@mit.edu
BCS Undergraduate Officer: Prof. Pawan Sinha, psinha@mit.edu
BCS Academic Administrator: Denise Heintze, heintze@mit.edu

General Institute Requirements

A total of 17 subjects, broken down as follows:

Science Requirement (6 Subjects)

At present, no subjects from the Departmental Program fulfill the Science Requirement.

Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences(8 Subjects)

To fulfill your HASS Concentration, you may use up to two Course 9 courses in addition to 9.00, that are part of your Course 9 requirements (excluding 24.900). Any othere subjects listed below that are marked "HASS" fulfill this requirement.

REST Requirement (2 Subjects)

You may select 9.01 from the Departmental Program as part of the REST Requirement.

Laboratory Requirement (1 Subject)

The Laboratory Requirement can be satisfied by 9.02, 9.12, 9.61^ or 9.63 in the Departmental Program.

NOTE: NO SUBJECT can be counted BOTH as part of the 17-subject GIRs AND as part of the 180 units required beyond the GIRs. EVERY subject in the Departmental Program will count toward one or the other, BUT NOT BOTH.

Revised Course 9 Requirements

(EFFECTIVE FALL 2009)

Introductory Material (three subjects). Transfer credit will not be given for the three introductory courses.

Term Course # Title Prerequisites
Spring 9.00 Introduction to Psychology 12
Fall 9.01 Introduction to Neuroscience 12, REST
Fall 9.07 Statistical Methods 18.01 and 18.02 or permission of instructor

Laboratory (one of the following is required; Note: Students may only take 9.02 or 9.12, not both)

Term Course # Title Prerequisites
Spring 9.02 Systems Neuroscience Laboratory 12, LAB, CI-M; 9.01
Fall 9.12 Experimental Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory 12, LAB, CI-M; 9.09 or 7.012/7.013/7.014
Fall 9.63 Laboratory in Cognitive Science 12, LAB, CI-M; 9.00
Spring 9.61^ Laboratory in Higher Cognition 12, LAB, CI-M; 9.35,9.59,9.65, 9.66 or 9.85

Research (one of the following is required in addition to whichever lab is taken; Note: Students may only take 9.02 or 9.12, not both)

Term Course # Title Prerequisites
Fall, Spring 9.URG Undergraduate Research- graded 12
Fall, Spring 9.50 Research in BCS 12, LAB; 9.00
Fall, Spring 9.41 Topics in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science 12, CI-M; 9.URG
Spring 9.02 Brain Laboratory 12, LAB, CI-M; 9.01
Fall 9.12 Experimental Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory 12, LAB, CI-M; 9.09 or 7.012/7.013/7.014
Fall 9.63 Laboratory in Cognitive Science 12, LAB, CI-M; 9.00
Spring 9.61^ Laboratory in Higher Cognition 12, LAB, CI-M; 9.35,9.59,9.65, 9.66 or 9.85

Core Subjects (Choose six subjects)

Students take six to eight Course 9 subjects chosen from three lists of subjects: neuroscience, cognitive science, and cognitive neuroscience. Any combination of subjects is permitted, except that not all these courses may be chosen from just one list; at least one must be from another list.

Key:
* Alternate years: check Bulletin listing

^Not offered after SP 2011

Neuroscience

Term Course # Title Prerequisites
Fall *9.03 Neural basis of learning and memory 12; 9.01
Fall *9.04 Neural basis of vision and audition 12; 9.01
Spring *9.05 Neural basis of movement 12; 9.01
Spring 9.09J Cellular neurobiology 12; 7.05
Spring 9.14 Structure and development of the mammalian brain 12; 9.01
Fall *9.15 Biochemistry and pharmacology of synaptic transmission 12; 9.01, 7.05
Spring *9.16 Cellular neurophysiology 12; 9.01, 9.09J
Spring 9.18 Developmental neurobiology 12; 9.01, 7.012
Spring 9.24J Diseases of the Central Nervous System 12; 9.01
Spring 9.29 Introduction to Computational Neuroscience 12; 18.03 and 8.02
Fall 9.31 Neurophysiology of Memory 12; 9.01

Cognitive Neuroscience

Term Course # Title Prerequisites
Spring *9.10 Cognitive neuroscience 12; 9.01
Spring 9.20 Animal Behavior 12; 9.00 HASS
Fall 9.22 A Clinical Approach to the Human Brain 12
Spring 9.35 Sensation and perception 12; 8.02 and 18.02
Fall 9.71 Functional MRI of high-level vision 9; 9.07; 9.34, 9.35, 9.65, 9.66 or
permission of instructor

Cognitive Science

Term Course # Title Prerequisites
Fall *9.34J Sensory and Social Orders 9; 9.00
Fall 9.37J Anigrafs 12; 9.00
Fall 9.56 Abnormal language 12; 24.900
Fall *9.57J Language and acquisition 12; 24.900, HASS
Fall 9.59J Psycholinguistics 12; 9.00, 24.900, HASS
Fall 9.65 Cognitive process 12; 9.00, HASS
Fall 9.66 Computational cognitive sciences 12; 9.00, 9.07 or 18.05 or 6.041
Fall 9.85 Topics in infant and early childhood cognition 12; 9.00, HASS
Fall, Spring 24.900 Introduction to linguistics 12; CI-H, HASS

Restricted Electives

(Two additional subjects must be taken, either from the previous lists or from the list below)

9.UR or 9.URG (UROP for credit). No more than one 9.UR or 9.URG beyond the required 9.URG can count as a Restricted Elective (12 units), although an unlimited number can be taken as unrestricted elective credit.

Course # Course Title
2.003J Dynamics and control 1
2.184 Biomechanics and neural control of movement
5.07J Biological chemistry I (or 7.05 - NOT both)
5.12 Organic chemistry I
6.003 Signals and systems
6.034 Artificial intelligence
6.045 J Automata, computability, and complexity
6.801 Machine vision
7.03 Genetics
7.05 General biochemistry (or 5.07 — NOT both)
9.75 J Psychology of gender
18.03 Differential equations
18.034 Differential equations
18.06 Linear Algebra
18.404 J Theory of computation
18.510 Introduction to mathematical logic and set theory
18.511 Introduction of mathematical logic and recursion theory
24.211 Theory of knowledge
24.901 Language and its structure I: Phonology
24.902 Language and its structure II: Syntax
24.903 Language and its structure III: Semantics and pragmatics
MAS.160 Signals, systems, and information for media technology
  Other more advanced subjects in Course 24

In addition, any graduate subject in Course 9 that is approved both by the advisor and by the course instructor may be taken as a restricted elective (Note that a graduate subject may substitute for a required undergraduate subject that covers the same material – but graduate and undergraduate versions of the same subject cannot both be taken).

Double Counting

The 13 required subjects for the Course 9 major may overlap with your GIRs: for example, 9.01 is a REST subject (but only one departmental requirement can count as a REST); 9.00 is a HASS; 9.02, 9.12, 9.61 and 9.63 are Institute labs; and several other Course 9 subjects are HASS subjects (only a total of 3 HASS subjects, including 9.00, can count both as Course 9 requirements and as GIRs).

It is also acceptable to count subjects toward both the Course 9 major and a minor in Psychology or a HASS Concentration in Psychology.

If you are a dual degree major candidate, there are no restrictions in double-counting for the two majors, but bear in mind that you will need a total of 270 units beyond your GIRs.

If you are a double major candidate there are no restrictions in double-counting for the two majors but you may not combine a Course 9 degree with Course 21S.