49: The New Behavioral Decision Sciences Requirements
Posted on October 28, 2024.
To go into effect in Spring of 2025 for students graduating during or after the Spring of 2026.
Link to the Dean of the College’s page for Behavioral Decision Sciences in the Course Bulletin.
Concentration Advisors to speak with: Prof. Steven Sloman and Prof. David Levari
Behavioral Decision Sciences (BDS) is an interdisciplinary concentration that examines descriptive questions such as how people, institutions, and nations make judgments and decisions; normative questions about rationality, such as what constitutes the best judgments and decisions; and prescriptive questions, such as how the process of decision making can be improved to make actual decisions closer to optimal ones. By virtue of its broad interdisciplinary nature, the study of decision-making covers work found in a variety of more traditional disciplines including psychology, cognitive science, economics, philosophy, computer science, and neuroscience. Students are recommended to complete the required Making Decisions course (CPSY S0220) and at least two other requirements listed below by the end of Semester 5.
The major change to the requirements (from the revision posted in Spring of 2024) is that there is greater inclusivity in terms of courses that count for various requirements in the CPSY department. That's it. There are no structural changes.
AB Requirements in Behavioral Decision Sciences (Note, Brown does not offer an Sc.B in Behavioral Decision Sciences)
1. Foundational Course: This course provides all students in the concentration with an understanding of the common knowledge necessary to study judgment and decision making.
Must take CPSY 0220
2. Foundation in Psychology/Cognitive Science relevant to Decision Making. Students are expected to understand an area of psychology related to decision making
Take one of the following courses: CPSY 0200, CPSY 0400, CPSY 0450, CPSY 0620, or CPSY 0700
3. Foundational Distribution Requirement. Students are expected to have breadth in a field related to the study of decision making. Students more interested in computational modeling or data science are encouraged to take CPSY 0950 or an Introductory Computer Science class.
Take one of ECON0110, CPSY 0950, or one of the introductory computer science classes
4. Advanced training in Psychology/Cognitive Science Related to Decision Making. Students are required to at least one class in Psychology/Cognitive Science that provides them with advanced training in a topical area related to decision making
Take one of the following: CPSY 0710, CPSY 1280B, CPSY 1470, CPSY 1560, CPSY 1680A,CPSY 1680H,CPSY 1730,CPSY 1741, CPSY 1750, CPSY 1755, CPSY 1760
5. Basic training in Probability and Statistics related to BDS. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of probability or statistics.
Take one of CPSY 0900, DATA0200, CSCI1450, APMA1650, ECON1620.
6. Advanced Methodological Training related to BDS. Students are expected to have at least one course that provides them with advanced methodological training related to the study of decision making. This could involve manipulating data in ways that foster a more advanced understanding of probability or statistics. For students with such an interest, they can take any of the following courses: ECON1630, ECON1660, SOC1120, or SOC1260.
Alternatively, students could be interested in furthering their understanding of computational modeling or programming. For students with such interests, they could take any of the following courses: CPSY 1291, CPSY 1492 or any advanced course in Computer Science (beyond the introductory set of classes)
7. Research Methods and Design. Students are expected to have an understanding and experience with the ways data are collected in at least one discipline related to decision making.
One of CPSY 1791, CPSY 1890, CPSY 1900/1901, ECON1629, IAPA1500A, POLS1600, or SOC1260.
8. Electives (3). Students are required to take three electives. Electives are 1000-level classes that can be within CLPS or across multiple departments. Electives are centered around a theme related to decision making. Electives are determined with input from (and approved by) students’ concentration advisor.
9. Capstone: Students are required to take CPSY 1960, which is the capstone seminar for Behavioral Decision Sciences. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the concentration and because the elective courses available to students can across many different departments at Brown, the capstone provides all senior concentrators with the experience of coming together as a group to discuss common themes in their studies. Students are expected to perform a directed reading and review of a topic to synthesize their studies. The capstone seminar is offered every Fall and must be taken in the student’s last year at Brown. Students in the honors program in BDS take the Capstone in the Fall and CPSY 1980 (Directed Research) in the corresponding Spring semester.