The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences is rooted in a tradition of intensive academics and research, where rigorous coursework is coupled with hands-on, collaborative research. Lectures are taught by world-class faculty, and students have access to their professors in the lab. Together, they seek answers to questions about how humans think, learn, behave, and feel.

The Department has created a tiered undergraduate curriculum that ensures graduates have the skills and preparation needed to excel as leaders in their chosen fields. The undergraduate program begins with foundational courses in a broad range of subjects, including computer science and programming, neural computation, and probability and statistics. The second and third tiers allow for increased focus and deeper exploration through course offerings in areas such as cellular neurobiology, psycholinguistics, and genetic engineering.