Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary approach to the human mind. It is generally considered a new “superscience” in the sense that it offers a common platform and a common language for numerous traditional disciplines ranging from biology and brain science to computer science to linguistics and philosophy.
The benefit of studying cognitive science lies in the fascinating integrative world view that can be obtained which enriches the disciplinary knowledge of the student’s own field. Successful completion of BSCS capacitates the students to pursue graduate studies in the cognitive sciences at a later stage of their carrier.
Eötvös University runs a genuine two Semester system, with independent 14-week Semesters. The Spring Semester is held from early February to mid-May, and the Fall Semester is from early September to mid-December. This Semester System fits well into the US “Long-Term Study Abroad” programs.
BSCS is held in the Fall Semester of each year since 2003. In the year 2009, the program dates are August 31 – December 6.
Every course is designed for the nonspecialist student who has little or no prior knowledge of the given subject but is equipped with curiosity and good general intelligence to absorb new concepts, methods, and modes of thought.
The Department of History and Philosophy of Science, which hosts BSCS, has been providing service teaching at the Science Faculty of Eötvös since 1994. The Department’s students mix in an average course and represent all disciplines. The Department has experience in handling various student backgrounds, interests, and levels of competence within a single course. BSCS courses were designed and professors were selected to fit these criteria without compromising teaching quality.
BSCS is based on a block courses system. A block course means a one-week (i.e. 5 days), 5 hours per day, intensive course of 20 contact hours altogether. All BSCS block courses are in the form of lectures (occasionally accompanied with independent student work). Because of the many foreign BSCS professors who only spend part of the Semester at Eötvös, the Block Course System is the only viable solution to teach full courses during the Semester. Each BSCS course is a block course except some special courses (see below). Classes of the special courses are in the afternoon. To a limited extent blocks may move within the block course system without prior warning.
Block courses are not uncommon at Eötvös and are generally welcomed by the students because of their highly focused character. A block course ends with an oral examination at the time of the course’s end.