Symbolic Systems Program
The Symbolic Systems Program, colloquially abbreviated as SymSys, is a unique degree program at Stanford University for undergraduates and graduate students. It is an interdisciplinary degree encompassing the following:
It is separate from Cognitive Science in that it is more expansive in scope.
Notable graduates from program
- Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, who graduated on 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in symbolic systems and cognitive science.
- Marissa Mayer, from CEO of Yahoo from 2012 to 2017, who graduated in 1997 with BS in symbolic systems.
- Mike Krieger, the co-founder and former CTO of Instagram, who graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in the SymSys program. Krieger, in the same year that he was to be awarded his bachelor's degree, won the Barwise Award for Distinguished Contribution to Symbolic Systems.
- Scott Forstall, was the software development team leader for the original iPhone at Apple Inc. as well as was a Broadway producer.
- Matt Flannery, the founder of the microlending organization Kiva.
- James Rucker, the co-founder of Color of Change.
- Srinija Srinivasan, the former editor-in-chief of Yahoo!, the co-founder of Loove, and vice chair of Stanford University's board of trustees and a board member of the On Being Project.
- Nadeem Hussain is the associate professor of philosophy and, by courtesy, German studies at Stanford University.
- Tania Lombrozo, the director of the Concepts and Cognition Lab and Professor of Psychology at Princeton University and was formerly professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.
- Erica Robles-Anderson, associate professor of media, culture, and communication at New York University.
- Teresa Torres, software engineer, user experience advocate and coach
Barwise Award for Distinguished Contributions to Symbolic Systems