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What is the difference between BCS, NSC, and PSY?
Our BCS programs (B.S. and B.A.) blend cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and computational sciences. The foundation and core courses provide a broad background in all of these areas, and electives can provide a focus either in one of these areas, or in a specific topic (i.e., language, perception, mental disorders, etc). The B.S. degree requires coursework in several natural science allied fields (Biology, Computer Science, Math, Symbolic systems) that are closely related to BCS.
Our NSC program (B.S.) has a strong biological focus; it is one of the tracks in the Program in Biology and Medicine. It overlaps with the neurobiological parts of BCS, but it does not encompass cognitive psychology or computer science. Beyond NSC courses, the curriculum also provides both broad and deep coverage of several other natural science disciplines (Biology (4 courses), Chemistry (4 courses), Physics (2 courses), and Math (2 semesters)).
The PSY program (B.A.) provides an overview of human behavior, including some of the topics covered within BCS, but also including social behavior, motivation, and clinical psychology. Although electives can emphasize BCS topics, most PSY majors here emphasize social and clinical psychology. Unlike BCS and NSC, PSY is classified as a social science here at the UR.
How do I decide between BCS and NSC?
While BCS and NSC overlap somewhat in their focus on the brain and what it does, the NSC major emphasizes biological/chemical investigations of brain function in relation to behavior, whereas the BCS major blends biological, behavioral, and computational approaches to focus more strongly on the cognitive and perceptual abilities the brain produces. If you are undecided between these two majors, you should take at least one BCS course early; but you will also need to begin the required courses for NSC in order not to fall behind with the more precisely sequenced requirements of that major.
There are several BCS courses that will give you the distinctive flavor of BCS and can help to distinguish these 2 programs for you. These include BCS 111, 172, 183, or 191Q. Each of these courses includes a cognitive science emphasis that is NOT encompassed by our NSC curriculum.
To get an idea of what NSC is like while still taking a BCS course, try BCS 110.
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