Mind, Brain, and Behavior Track

Students interested in integrating serious study of the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior with thoughtful attention to sociocultural, philosophical, and historical questions raised by those sciences may pursue a Mind, Brain, and Behavior track in History and Science, developed in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Neuroscience and the University-wide Mind, Brain, and Behavior Interfaculty Initiative. (Mind, Brain, and Behavior tracks are also available in Anthropology, Computer Science, Human Evolutionary Biology, Linguistics, Neurobiology, Philosophy, and Psychology.) Requirements for this program are based on those of the History and Science concentration, except that:

At least three of the five sociocultural half-courses should be historical in nature. Up to two courses may be taken in an auxiliary area, such as: (1) Health and Science Policy, (2) Medical Anthropology, (3) Religion and Ethics, (4) Philosophy of Mind & Behavior.

The four half-courses in science must include MCB 80 (ordinarily in the sophomore year), and three half-courses that focus in one of the following areas: (1) Cognitive Systems, (2) Psychopathology, (3) Human Evolutionary Biology, (4) Child Development and the Brain, (5) Computational Neuroscience, (6) Neurobiology. In some circumstances, courses from two areas may be combined.

Students may substitute an approved Mind, Brain, and Behavior interdisciplinary seminar for the History of Science junior seminar.

Students pursuing the Mind, Brain, and Behavior track are also expected to participate in the University-wide Mind, Brain, and Behavior research milieu, including a non-credit senior year seminar for Mind, Brain, and Behavior thesis writers.