Interdisciplinary Programs

Graduate School
1

<p>Okay, so here's the issue. I'm weaker in math/CS than most students who study math/applied math/CS. So I won't be able to get into math/CS/applied math programs (I'm not especially interested in them either), but my course schedule mostly contains math/physics/appliedmath/computing courses (I'm a math major, but don't identify with math majors; ideally I would go to Caltech, complete the core there, and then major in something like CNS or psychology, but I'm obviously not in the position to do that). What I <em>really</em> do like, are topics like computational neuroscience, theoretical biology, astrobiology, atmospheric sciences, consilience, and anything that uses computational methods to a natural science/social science field. So I should look at programs that are interdisciplinary. But they're sort of a pain to find them since their names are often inconsistent from department to department, and the number of such departments is small so there are no centralized websites that have information on them.</p>

<p>Do you know if there's a good source of information about such interdisciplinary programs. I'd imagine myself being better at math/physics/computing than many students in such departments, so that they'd value my skills more (also I'm better intuitively than analytically)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Find research that interests you. Figure out who’s doing the research. Apply to the departments with which they’re affiliated.</p>

<p>Alternatively, you can go to universities’ websites and just browse through the department listings that have graduate programs.</p>

3

<p>Check programs with general science degrees or schools that allow you to define your own major. For general knowledge exploration, try St. Johns (Santa Fe or Annapolis). There are also many other schools with Cognitive Science programs (search the threads on this web site). Information Science/CS can often be an interdisciplinary school within a college, but perhaps not as cross disciplinary as you would like.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the suggestion mrego! You really nailed it with the cognitive science suggestion. All my advisors are telling me that I’m unfocused and really need to find a focus, but when I think of it, ALL of my courses are related to cognitive science. Math, Physics, Neurobio, CS, Applied Math, Philosophy, and EE => All of them are the foundations of cognitive science. I’m really into psychology too, although all of my psychology knowledge is self-studied</p>