See the major requirements and minor requirements for more information on courses in other areas that are relevant to cognitive studies.

  • CGSC 130: What Minds Are & What They Do

    An interdisciplinary examination of issues concerning the mind and mental phenomena. The course will draw on work from diverse fields such as artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, philosophy, linguistics, anthropology, and neuroscience. Topics to be discussed include: the mind-body problem, embodied cognition, perception, representation, reasoning, and learning.

     6 credits; SI, Social Inquiry, WR2, Writing Rich 2; offered Fall 2026 · Jason Decker

  • CGSC 130: Revolutions in Mind

    An interdisciplinary study of the history and current practice of the cognitive sciences. The course will draw on relevant work from diverse fields such as artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, philosophy, biology, and neuroscience. Topics to be discussed include: scientific revolutions, the mind-body problem, embodied cognition, perception, representation, and the extended mind.

     6 credits; SI, Social Inquiry; offered Winter 2027 · Jay McKinney

  • CGSC 130: Revolutions in Mind

    An interdisciplinary study of the history and current practice of the cognitive sciences. The course will draw on relevant work from diverse fields such as artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, philosophy, biology, and neuroscience. Topics to be discussed include: scientific revolutions, the mind-body problem, embodied cognition, perception, representation, and the extended mind.

     6 credits; SI, Social Inquiry; offered Spring 2027

  • CGSC 207: Japanese Philosophy: No Mind, No Life

    This is an interdisciplinary class about embodied practice. It will draw upon theories of embodiment and skill mastery in both Japanese Philosophy and Embodied Cognitive Science. One major theme of the course will be the notion of no-mind [mushin] and its relationship to practice, expertise, and lived experience. We will ground our inquiry in contemporary works in aesthetics, martial arts like Kyudo, and bodily mechanics. The course will also create opportunities for students to practice skills of interdisciplinary research and cross-cultural philosophical writing.

    PHIL 207 is cross listed with CGSC 207.

     6 credits; HI, Humanistic Inquiry, IS, International Studies, WR2, Writing Rich 2; offered Winter 2027 · Jay McKinney

  • CGSC 232: Cognitive Processes

    An introduction to the study of mental activity. Topics include attention, pattern recognition and perception, memory, concept formation, categorization, and cognitive development. Some attention to gender and individual differences in cognition, as well as cultural settings for cognitive activities. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology/Cognitive Science 232 and 233 to satisfy the LS requirement.

    CGSC 232 is cross listed with PSYC 232.

    Prerequisites:

    Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 or CGSC 100 or CGSC 130 with grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam.

     6 credits; LS, Science with Lab, WR2, Writing Rich 2, QRE, Quantitative Reasoning; offered Winter 2027 · Kathleen Galotti

  • CGSC 233: Laboratory in Cognitive Processes

    Students will participate in the replication and planning of empirical studies, collecting and analyzing data relevant to major cognitive phenomena. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both CGSC/PSYC 232 and 233 to satisfy the LS requirement.

    CGSC 233 is cross listed with PSYC 233.

     2 credits; LS, Science with Lab; offered Winter 2027 · Kathleen Galotti

  • CGSC 253: Philosophy of Cognitive Science

    A study of the central theories, methodological and philosophical issues and major competing paradigms regarding the nature of human cognition. Topics to be treated include: the history of cognitive science as a science, and the context through which we think about mental representations, intentionality, consciousness, the use and importance of language, nativism and externalism in the cognitive sciences, embodied cognition and the constitutive roles of culture and evolution in shaping cognitive processes. Prerequisites:

    Student has completed any of the following course(s): CGSC 130 with grade of C- or better.

     6 credits; HI, Humanistic Inquiry, WR2, Writing Rich 2; offered Spring 2027 · Jay McKinney

  • CGSC 289: The Cognitive Dimensions of Artificial Intelligence

    This course will investigate the cognitive dimensions of cutting edge research in artificial intelligence and machine learning. We will apply qualitative research methods to create an annotated library of cognitive terms in “AI” research. Doing so will help put “AI” research in context. By the end of the term we will have co-created resources that can be used by others to help understand the complexities of cognition and its relationship to technology and the world.

     Prerequisites:

    Student has completed any of the following course(s): CGSC 130 AND CGSC 232/PSYC 232 or CGSC 253 with a grade of C- or better.

     3 credits; SI, Social Inquiry; not offered 2026–2027

  • CGSC 294: Directed Research in Cognitive Science

    Students work on a research project related to a faculty member's research interests, and directed by that faculty member. Student activities vary according to the field and stage of the project. The long-run goal of these projects normally includes dissemination to a scholarly community beyond Carleton. The faculty member will meet regularly with the student and actively direct the work of the student, who will submit an end-of-term product, typically a paper or presentation.

     1 – 6 credits; No Exploration; offered Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027

  • CGSC 330: Embodied Cognition

    This seminar will consider recent work in philosophy, cognitive science and linguistics critical of views of human cognition as “disembodied” and Cartesian. Philosophical sources of the early critiques of symbolic AI and “cartesianism” will be considered (Merleau-Ponty, Dewey), as will the enactive (Cuffari, Di Paolo, and De Jaegher) and ecological (Chemero, Cowley, Steffensen) critiques of language, and current work on embodied cognition by Eleanor Rosch, Hubert Dreyfus, John Haugeland, Andy Clark and Evan Thompson. The seminar will include materials relevant to students in philosophy, linguistics, psychology and cognitive science. Prerequisites:

    Student has completed any of the following course(s): CGSC 130 or CGSC 232/PSYC 232 with a grade of C- or better.

     6 credits; HI, Humanistic Inquiry; offered Fall 2026 · Jay McKinney

  • CGSC 340: Phenomenology and Cognitive Science

    This course will provide an in-depth study of phenomenology, covering both its history and contemporary debates, and phenomenology-inspired research in cognitive science, psychology and neuroscience. Roughly half the course will be devoted to the history of phenomenology, setting the main views within their historical context and explaining how these views respond to the difficulties of their predecessors. The other half will discuss contemporary philosophical debates and scientific research involving phenomenological approaches. In addition to the CGSC 130 prerequisite, a 200-level Cognitive Science, Psychology or Philosophy course is recommended.

     Prerequisites:

    Student has completed any of the following course(s): CGSC 130 with grade of C- or better.

     6 credits; HI, Humanistic Inquiry; offered Spring 2027

  • CGSC 394: Directed Research in Cognitive Science

    Students work on a research project related to a faculty member's research interests, and directed by that faculty member. Student activities vary according to the field and stage of the project. The long-run goal of these projects normally includes dissemination to a scholarly community beyond Carleton. The faculty member will meet regularly with the student and actively direct the work of the student, who will submit an end-of-term product, typically a paper or presentation.

     1 – 6 credits; S/CR/NC; No Exploration; offered Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027

  • CGSC 396: Comps Proposal in Cognitive Studies

    Senior majors in cognitive studies will work with the instructor to develop a thesis proposal for their comps project. Prerequisites:

    Student has completed all of the following course(s): CGSC 130 AND PSYC 200/ PSYC 201 AND CGSC 232/PSYC 232 AND CGSC 233/PSYC 233 with a grade of C- or better AND is a senior CGSC major.

     3 credits; No Exploration; offered Fall 2026 · Justin London

  • CGSC 399: Senior Thesis in Cognitive Science

    The organizing and writing of a senior thesis in cognitive science, overseen by a CGSC faculty member and in cooperation with other seminar members.  Students will present drafts of their theses to the class for feedback and will offer one another constructive criticism on the writing and organization of each paper.  Students will be expected to produce a 25-40 page paper that will eventually serve as a capstone to their CGSC major during CGSC 400.

     Prerequisites:

    Student has completed the following course(s): CGSC 396 with a grade of C- or better AND is a Cognitive Science major AND has Senior Priority.

     6 credits; WR2, Writing Rich 2; not offered 2026–2027

  • CGSC 400: Integrative Exercise

    Students will complete their Cognitive Science comps projects, in response to feedback from their comps advisor.  Students will also give a public presentation of their comps project to a Carleton audience.

     Prerequisites:

    Student is a Cognitive Science major AND has Senior Priority.

     3 credits; S/NC; No Exploration; offered Spring 2027 · Kathleen Galotti