Cognitive Science is the study of how intelligent beings (including people, animals, and machines) perceive, act, know, and think. It explores the process and content of thought as observed in individuals, distributed through communities, manifested in the structure and meaning of language, modeled by algorithms, and contemplated by philosophies of mind. Its models are formulated using concepts drawn from many disciplines, including psychology, linguistics, logic, communication sciences/disorders, computer science, anthropology, and philosophy, and they are tested using evidence from psychological experiments, clinical studies, field studies, computer simulations, and neurophysiological observation.

This program is intended to prepare students for graduate training in cognitive science and related disciplines or to work in the information sciences. The distribution requirements ensure that students will acquire a truly interdisciplinary education. The research and formal systems requirements provide basic knowledge concerning the experimental and theoretical foundations of cognitive science. Finally, majors are encouraged to learn about theory building and testing in a variety of natural and physical sciences. One way to achieve this is to fulfill the requirements of the Bachelor of Science degree.