Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science

at State University of New York - Oswego USA

Offered jointly by the Atmospheric and Geological Sciences Department and Chemistry Department, this program covers topics ranging from the chemical makeup of Venus to the search for oil on Earth. Courses cover general, historical and structural geology; mineralogy; petrology; and physical chemistry.

You can perform research with professors around the country, or learn firsthand about field-based research and much more in our Geology Field Program.

Facilities include four full-sized laboratories, a seismograph for recording worldwide earthquakes and a geology computer lab in the Shineman Center.

Cinema and screen studies focuses on the history, theory and criticism of cinema, as well as of new and pre-cinematic screen media, with a sequence in screenwriting and digital film production. The program incorporates interdisciplinary options that allow you to link studies of moving images to exciting developments in cognitive science, computer and information sciences, and the other humanities, fine arts and social sciences.

Use the course learning agreement to focus on your own interests — whether that means acting, design, computer animation, the psychological and social effects of moving images, media literacy and education — or the connections among information science, the natural sciences and visual technologies. Create a public exhibition of a film or video project — or a public reading and discussion of a research project or screenplay — to fulfill your capstone course requirement. Oswego's program regularly shows at, and sometimes hosts, the SUNY-wide Film Festival.

Faculty expertise ranges across all aspects of computing, including security, databases, concurrency, parallelism, distribution, networking, enterprise systems, simulation, cognitive science, user-interface design, artificial intelligence, embedded systems and robotics.

Join the Computer Science Association, which sponsors guest speakers, conducts programming contests, arranges tours of companies that hire graduates and provides opportunities for advanced students to tutor and mentor first-year students. Pursue an internship in a company or institution, and gain software development experience in finance, defense, manufacturing, government or other fields.

State-of-the-art facilities in the Shineman Center include workspaces configured for class-based, small-group and individual activities. Our labs provide a great learning, testing and training ground for future success.

The study of modern languages, literatures and cultures like German is especially important in a global society, as it helps emphasize similarities and improve communication between people and nations. Our Department of Languages and Literatures, among the largest in the SUNY system, offers learning in small classes led by faculty who encourage active use of your chosen language, as well as many study-abroad opportunities.

Practice your language skills at the weekly international coffee hour and in the friendly department's foyer. Attend foreign films, lectures, discussions and field trips, and participate in German-American programs. Take advantage of our robust study-abroad and exchange programs with German universities or a Global Cities course in Berlin.

In addition to beginning, intermediate and advanced language courses, we offer courses in literature, both in French and in English translation. The literature courses cover major authors and periods as well as specific genre courses, including poetry, theater and film.

A semester- or year-long study program in Paris or Nice enables you to experience French life and culture on a daily basis and enhance fluency in the language. Several students have chosen to study for a semester or summer in Quebec. Students and faculty participate in the French Club and organize film series and other programs that explore the multicultural diversity of Francophonia as well as occasional trips to the province of Quebec. Practice your language skills at the weekly international coffee hour, and in the friendly department’s foyer. The department also sponsors a chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society. Several students have gone on to prestigious Teaching Assistant Program in France positions.

Our flexible curriculum gives you the opportunity to combine your passions with the foundational coursework. This built-in adaptability helps you focus on what you need to succeed, based on your background. 

You will study with accomplished writers/professors as you move from introductory courses to advanced workshops. Each genre (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, playwriting and screenwriting) has beginning, intermediate and advanced courses. Even if you’ve never written in that genre, you’ll learn the basics, work through larger projects and progress to mastery. Critical thinking and communication skills are key components of all coursework.

Advanced creative writing courses include Memoir Writing, Horror Podcasts, Webisodes, Flash Fiction, Sitcom Writing and Blogs. Publish your work in The Oswegonian student weekly, Great Lake Review creative writing journal and Exist e-publication. Join The Creative Writing Club, Writer’s Open Forum, Storyteller’s Guild or New Voices Playwriting.

You can choose to study and investigate a number of specialization areas including cellular and molecular, organismal and systematic, genetic and developmental, or environmental and population biology. After introductory core courses, students and professors work together to design a program of additional courses to fit your professional career interests. Careful selection of electives, research courses, projects and internships can prepare you for particular careers, graduate studies and/or training at professional schools (medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine).

Top-notch facilities in the Shineman Center and Rice Creek Field Station with helpful and knowledgeable professors will provide you with great preparation and research opportunities. Active student organizations provide on-campus connections while a successful network of graduates can help you find internships during college as well as opportunities after graduation. We also offer an honors program in the major for exceptional students.

With their ability to think critically, communicate effectively and solve complex problems with creativity and independent judgment, biology majors make great employees in any field. Majors discover new knowledge to better understand themselves, the world and their place in it, whether working in science or using your knowledge to make informed decisions that impact society.

Our program is accredited by the American Chemical Society and is ranked in the top three in the number of certified degrees award in New York. Graduates of SUNY Oswego’s chemistry programs have gone on to study at prestigious graduate schools, and have received national recognition as chemists, researchers and educators. Outstanding labs in the Shineman Center, professors who are knowledgeable yet student-focused, active student organizations and internships at home and overseas provide a first-class chemistry experience.

Join the student affiliate of the American Chemical Society, which offers free tutoring and other services, and has often been cited as one of the most outstanding in the country. Excel and you may qualify for the chemistry honors program, which emphasizes independent study and research, or even the national honor societies Sigma Xi and Phi Kappa Phi. You can present your work at Sigma Xi and other conferences. A large network of internships and co-op opportunities are among the ingredients for future success.

Facilities and equipment in the Shineman Center include a scanning electron microscope, 300 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, scintillation counter, analytical chromatographs, preparative gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer and many computing facilities.

You will take specialized courses in risk management, lines of insurance and employee benefits while also gaining core strengths in such areas as accounting, finance, marketing and management.

Study risk management problems and solutions in depth during your capstone experience. You’ll study in the region (Central New York) that has the second-highest insurance industry employment east of the Mississippi. Given the pioneering nature of Oswego's program, you can help blaze a trail for young talent in these industries.

SUNY Oswego's Gordon A. Lenz Center for Finance, Insurance and Risk Management provides resources for excellence in teaching, research and community outreach.