Cognitive Science

Hofstra University's Cognitive Science program is dedicated to understanding the mind from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. It investigates the nature of cognition, perception, feeling, and action.

A minor in Cognitive Science:

  • Equips students with an understanding of the human mind and human behavior derived from many disciplines, from Plato to artificial intelligence to contemporary neuroscience.
  • Allows students to acquire analytical skills and models of human behavior that are valuable in a wide variety of career paths, as well as for graduate study in religion, speech, anthropology, literature, history, biology, psychology, philosophy, education, law, and business.
  • Gives students a multidisciplinary and multifaceted understanding of the sciences of human behavior.

An undergraduate minor in Cognitive Science gives you several things. First, it equips you with a broad understanding of the human mind and human behavior, one that starts with Plato and extends to contemporary neuroscience. Second, you will acquire analytical skills and models of human behavior that will be valuable no matter what career you pursue. Third, you will come away with a multidisciplinary and multifaceted understanding of the sciences of human behavior. Fourth, you will gain an understanding of the methods and models of human behavior that are central to our developing civilization. Fifth, you can go on to graduate study in any of the component disciplines, or in Cognitive Science itself. With a background in Cognitive Science, you will be well-prepared to forge an exciting career in any of several fields.

Many universities in the United States and abroad have programs of various kinds in Cognitive Science. Undergraduates can minor or major in Cognitive Science. Graduate students in various disciplines can take courses or concentrate in Cognitive Science. There are master's and doctoral programs. There are funded interdisciplinary faculty groups. There are informal faculty seminars. There are lecture series. In fall 2004, the Cognitive Science Society listed 35 graduate programs in Cognitive Science in the United States; 25 searches were in progress for academic positions; and approximately 10 postdoctoral fellowships were available.

The following faculty members have been instrumental in setting up the Cognitive Science program at Hofstra.

Evelyn Altenberg, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences
Ronald L. Bloom Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences
Vince Brown, Psychology
Paul Christensen, Economics
Beverly Clendening, Biology
Brian Cox, Psychology
Peter Daniel, Biology
Anthony Dardis, Philosophy
Jason Davidow, Psychology
Simona Doboli, Computer Science
Brianna Eiter, Psychology
Chris Eliot, Philosophy
Christa Farmer, Geology
Harold Hastings, Physics, Mathematics
Gerda Kamberova, Computer Science
Robert A Leonard, Linguistics
Amy Masnick, Psychology
Jin Shin, Psychology
Sabrina Sobel, Chemistry
John Teehan, Religion
Stavros Valenti, Psychology

Currently Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary program based in Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and directed by Professor Anthony Dardis of the Department of Philosophy.

The Cognitive Science program offers a minor in Cognitive Science and an interdisciplinary "Introduction to Cognitive Science" course (CGS 10).

Minor in Cognitive Science