It’s early Monday morning, and students are trickling into a UMD lecture hall for an introductory cognitive science course. About 70 students sit down and pull out laptops or notebooks as philosophy instructor Dr. Robert Schroer, begins to speak.
The class isn’t all lecture, however. One by one, hands go up, students answer questions, tying together ideas regarding the brain and ways to study it. In the span of one hour, the class covers topics in psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, computer science, linguistics, and communication disorders.
“I love teaching the Introduction to Cognitive Science course and seeing the students get into it,” says Dr. Schroer. “I get to see the interdisciplinary nature of the subject unfold as I see different hands go up each class period. Students are always bringing in new ideas and research I haven’t heard about yet, and my lectures change each time around.”
Cognitive Science isn’t just a liberal education course for undergraduates. It’s also a new Bachelor of Arts program in the College of Liberal Arts at UMD. The major introduces students to the study of the brain using a variety of courses from different departments. It uses every method possible to give students a developed understanding of how the human mind works, as well as techniques to study it.
Philosophy Joins Cognitive Science
Undergraduate senior Aurora Schuety described her experience as a cognitive science student in Dr. Schroer’s courses. She started out as a philosophy major, but added a second major in cognitive science when she found out about the program from her advisor.
“I needed a second area of study,” Schuety explains, “I started out as a minor but switched to the major. The courses got more and more interesting as I went forward.”
Schuety was originally interested in psychology and was able to expand her understanding, taking classes like developmental psychology and human communication disorders. She was also able to take linguistics courses.
“It was very exciting because I could relate the things I learned in linguistics to my philosophy of language class,” she says, “It all tied together.”
The Makings of a Major
“The human mind is a difficult chestnut to crack,” says Dr. Robert Schroer, “We think of the program as a tool box.” Students have the opportunity to take courses in a wide range of disciplines to create an intersection of those tools. “The goal is to teach students to speak fruitfully with people who don’t share the same toolbox as them,” he says.
The need for this B.A. began to show its face when enrollment in the minor reached about forty students. “As soon as the program was announced a handful of dedicated students began working with us on the requirements,” says philosophy instructor Dr. Jason Ford. He was one of the main designers of the program. “They took courses so that they could graduate the moment the program went live.”
Three students have, in fact, graduated with a Cognitive Science degree; the program was set into full swing in March 2019. Already, it has ten students, and it’s a one of a kind program. UMD is the first college in the University of Minnesota system to offer this major and is one of three four-year institutions in the state to offer it.
Looking forward, the faculty are seeking the addition of more disciplines to the curriculum, such as biology and anthropology. They are hoping to bring more departments and faculty into the mix and potentially hire a cognitive science specialist.
Design of a Degree
It turns out there are lots of career opportunities awaiting cognitive science students after graduation. Dr. Ford turned to job hunting websites to see what jobs related to cognitive science might be floating around.
“You can find jobs that you could get if you had just chosen to study one of the disciplines as well. However, having the experience and being well rounded in other subjects might give you a leg up on other applicants.”
A lot of students have figured this out on their own. Students like Schuety will come out of the program with a unique skill set that will prepare them for the integrative study of the human mind.
“I’ve taken classes I never thought I would take,” says Schuety. “I’m excited to pursue a career that merges so many aspects of study.”
About the UMD Cognitive Science B.A. degree
Photo above: Aurora Schuety
This story was written by UMD University Marketing & P.R. student employee, Nora Curtis, a biology major with a minor in professional writing.