Linguistics and Cognitive Science

Associate Professor Michael Diercks, department chair, Linguistics coordinator
Professor Lise Abrams³, Cognitive Science coordinator

The curriculum of the Linguistics and Cognitive Science Department offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of language and mind. The department offers two majors: one in linguistics and one in cognitive science.

Linguistics as a discipline focuses on the scientific study of human language including its theoretical, descriptive, social and behavioral bases. It also serves as a privileged window into human cognition. Our evolving understanding of language has had, and continues to have, a profound influence on fields as diverse as philosophy, psychology, anthropology, sociology, literature, music and computer science.

Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the nature and operations of the mind. Cognitive science integrates the methods of inquiry from multiple disciplines, including philosophical reflection and argument, experimental psychology, human neuroscience, computational modeling of intelligence with machines, and linguistics. Through these varied perspectives, fundamental questions about the mind are explored, debated, and applied to everyday life.

The Linguistics and Cognitive Science curricula are cooperative intercollegiate programs of the Claremont Colleges; linguistics and cognitive science classes taught at the other Claremont Colleges count as Pomona courses in the completion of the majors.

• Cognitive Science Major
    
• Cognitive Science Minor
    
• Linguistics Major
    
• Linguistics Minor
    
• Linguistics and Cognitive Science Courses
    

Read more about our learning objectives:
www.pomona.edu/administration/academic-dean/learning-objectives