The Symbolic Systems Program (SSP) at Stanford University focuses on computers and minds: artificial and natural systems that use symbols to communicate, and to represent information. SSP brings together students and faculty interested in different aspects of the human-computer relationship, including...

• cognitive science: studying human intelligence, natural languages, and the brain as computational processes;
• artificial intelligence: endowing computers with human-like behavior and understanding; and
• human-computer interaction: designing computer software and interfaces that work well with human users.

Symbolic Systems' affiliated faculty come from several departments at Stanford, including Computer Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, Communication, Statistics, and Education. Our students are exposed to the tools of these disciplines -- formal methods, philosophical analysis, computer programming, and empirical research -- with the aim of being able to apply the appropriate tool(s) to a chosen area of specialization.