Cognitive and Psychological Sciences

Concentrations

Breadcrumb

Concentrations

The CoPsy department houses four specialized undergraduate concentrations (the equivalent of majors at other institutions). Each concentration represents a distinct path to the study of mind, brain, and behavior.

Interested in learning about the different concentration options?

View descriptions of the different concentration options offered by the CoPsy department.
Stop by advising office hours to discuss which option aligns most closely with your interests.
[Fall 2025]: Go to the "Choosing a Concentration" event on October 20th, sponsored by the Curricular Resource Center.

Behavioral Decision Sciences

The study of decision making covers descriptive questions like how people, institutions, and nations make judgments and decisions; normative questions about rationality, such as what constitutes the best judgments and decisions; and prescriptive questions, such as how the process of decision making can be improved to make actual decisions closer to optimal ones. By virtue of its broad interdisciplinary nature, the study of decision making covers work found in a variety of more traditional disciplines including psychology, cognitive science, economics, philosophy, computer science, and neuroscience.

The concentration is designed so that students develop a foundation in the science of human decision making, acquire expertise in at least two of the core areas of decision making (psychology, economics, computer science, and philosophy), and learn about applications of the science of decision making. In the process, students will learn how to apply quantitative and other research methods and will produce a piece of integrative research.

The Behavioral Decision Sciences concentration offers an A.B. degree.

Standard Requirements sample Student Specialization Areas Area Specialists Infographic of old & new requirements

Head Concentration Advisor

David Levari

Lawrence A. Rand and Tiina Smith Assistant Professor

david_levari@brown.edu

Metcalf 353

Office Hours Mondays 2:30-4:30 pm

Concentration Advisor

Steven Sloman

Professor

Steven_Sloman@brown.edu

Room 333

Office Hours Tuesdays 2-3

Cognitive Neuroscience

Cognitive neuroscience is the study of higher cognitive functions in humans and its underlying neural bases. By definition, it is an integrative area of study drawing principally from cognitive science, psychology, and neuroscience. There are two broad directions which can be taken in this concentration—one is behavioral/experimental and the other is computational/modeling. In either case, the goal is to understand the nature of cognition from a neural perspective.

The Cognitive Neuroscience concentration offers A.B. and Sc.B. degrees.

Concentration Worksheet Infographic of old & new requirements

Concentration Advisors

Serra Favila

Assistant Professor

serra_favila@brown.edu

Metcalf Research 245

Office Hours Mondays 3-4 PM
Joo-Hyun Song

Associate Professor

Joo-Hyun_Song@brown.edu

Metcalf Room 234

Office Hours Wednesday 11am -12pm or Thursday 1-2pm

Cognitive Science

The field of Cognitive Science uses scientific methods of experimentation, computational modeling, and brain imaging to study mental abilities such as perception, action, memory, cognition, speech, and language, as well as the development of those processes. Students must become knowledgeable in four areas of emphasis: perception, cognition, language, and cognitive neuroscience, as well as a set of methods relevant to Cognitive Science research. Students then create their own focus area of study, potentially integrating coursework from the Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences department with a diverse subset of fields including Anthropology, Applied Math, Education, Neuroscience, and Philosophy.

The A.B. program is primarily for students interested in studying human mental processes and acquiring a research orientation to the study of the mind. The Sc.B. program is designed for students who wish to develop a stronger background in Cognitive Science and requires students to engage in a specific research project in the focus area of their choosing. We recommend that prospective concentrators register for one of the gateway courses and at least one of the other core courses preferably in their first or second year.

Concentration Worksheet infographic of old & new requirements

Concentration Advisor

Daphna Buchsbaum

Associate Professor, Honors Advisor

daphna_buchsbaum@brown.edu

Room 239

Office Hours Friday 11-12 PM

Psychology

Psychology encompasses a range of phenomena and levels of analysis in pursuit of three goals: to deepen our understanding of cognitive and neural mechanisms of sensation, perception, learning and emotion; to probe the biological and evolutionary foundations of animal behavior; and to clarify the social perception and assessment of individuals and groups. In contrast to the other concentrations

In this department, the Psychology concentration places the greatest emphasis on understanding human and animal behavior at different levels of analysis – biological, neural, evolutionary, cognitive, developmental, and social. Students choosing this concentration are often interested in clinical and mental health issues, and will be well prepared for careers in medicine, law, education, business administration, as well as both clinical and experimental psychology.

The Psychology concentration offers A.B. and Sc.B. degrees.

Standard Requirements Concentration Worksheet Infographic of old & new requirements

Concentration Advisors

Andrea Megela Simmons

Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies

andrea_simmons@brown.edu

Room 356

Office Hours Wednesday 12:30-2:30 PM
Jamie Trost

Lecturer in Statistical Methods

jamie_trost@brown.edu

Concentration Advising Monday 3-4 PM or by appointment
Leslie Welch

Associate Professor

Leslie_Welch@brown.edu

Room 336

Office Hours Mondays 2-3 pm and Tuesdays 3-4 pm

Course Guidelines

Guidelines for Statistics Courses

Guidelines for Independent Study

Guidelines for Research Methods Courses

Transfer Credits

AP/IB Credits

Transfer Credit

The Registrar determines the number and value of non-Brown course credits (from transfer courses, study abroad courses, non-Brown summer courses) that can be applied toward fulfilling requirements for a Brown degree. Review the Registrar’s guidelines here: https://college.brown.edu/design-your-education/review-academic-policies/transfer-credit-guidelines. Please note that the CPSY department cannot override the Registrar’s determination.

CPSY concentration and course equivalency credits for non-Brown courses are decided by the department’s Transfer Credit Advisor (listed below) in consultation with the relevant concentration advisors (Behavioral Decision Sciences, Cognitive Science, Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology). Students wishing to obtain concentration or equivalency credit for any courses taken outside Brown should consult with the Transfer Credit Advisor and with their concentration advisor before submitting a formal request. Students planning to study abroad should discuss their plans with the Transfer Credit Advisor and with their concentration advisor before leaving campus. Preliminary credit approval may be considered, but final approval is contingent on successful completion of the course, credit determination by the Registrar, and evaluation of the course syllabus and coursework.

Students requesting course equivalency and/or concentration credit for non-Brown courses must submit their request via ASK. Requests must include a transcript, the complete course syllabus, and relevant coursework (e.g., papers, projects, laboratory reports, portfolio). A catalog description is not sufficient.

To receive credit, a course completed outside Brown must be equivalent to a CPSY course in content, depth, rigor, and credit hours. Note that all Brown courses are equivalent to 4-credit hours. Non-Brown courses carrying fewer credit hours will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and may be combined to equal a full Brown credit.

Upon review of the required material, the Transfer Credit Advisor, in consultation with the relevant concentration advisor, will accept up to three (3) outside courses for the AB degree and up to four (4) for the ScB degree.

Students requesting CPSY concentration credit for a non-CPSY outside course must first submit to their concentration advisor written course equivalency approval from the department offering that course.

Transfer Credit Advisor

Andrea Megela Simmons

Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies

andrea_simmons@brown.edu

Room 356

Office Hours Wednesday 12:30-2:30 PM