Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

• COGS-G 901 Advanced Research (6 cr.)

• COGS-Q 510 Seminar on Professional Development for Cognitive Scientists (2 cr.) P: Pursuing stand-alone or joint major or minor degree in cognitive science. Discussions in this course cover a wide range of issues facing academic cognitive scientists, including: the ethical conduct of research, grant proposal writing and review, critical reading of the scientific literature, scientific writing, presentation skills, applying for jobs, teaching, challenges facing underrepresented groups in science, and issues in cross-disciplinary collaboration.

• COGS-Q 511 Introduction to Embodied Cognitive Science (3 cr.) This course provides a broad introduction to the growing importance of the concepts of situatedness, embodiment and dynamics in cognitive science. It covers both the key conceptual content and the historical development of these ideas. In addition, it surveys classic work in this area. Examples will be drawn from philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, robotics, and the social sciences. Class meetings will consist of a combination of lectures by the instructor, guest lectures, and student presentation and discussion of readings.

• COGS-Q 520 (core course) Mathematics and Logic for Cognitive Science (3 cr.) Covers the mathematical backgrounds of contemporary work in cognitive science. Includes basic material on both the symbolic and connectionist approaches: machines, logics, net­works, games, and probability.

• COGS-Q 530 (core course) Programming Methods in Cognitive Science (3 cr.) P: Some programming experience. An introduction to computer programming methods for artificial intelligence and computer simulation of cognitive models. Emphasis on the necessary data structures and their applications to cognitive science. Programming projects may be related to state-space search for problem solving and game playing, production systems, and cognitive modeling tasks including memory models and neural simulations.

• COGS-Q 540 (core course) Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive and Information Sciences (3 cr.) Causal issues: cognitive architec­ture, physical embodiment, neuroscience, networks, dynamic systems. Semantic issues: meaning, interpretation, represen­tation, information flow. The role of both in language, logic, reasoning, action, perception, learning, categorization, and consciousness. Emphasis on writing, analysis, and exposition.

• COGS-Q 550 (core course) Models in Cognitive Science (3 cr.) P: Q530 and Q560. An introduction to modeling in various areas of cogni­tive science, including computer simulation models of complex cognition, models within artificial intelligence, models based on neural mechanisms and networks, and formal and mathemati­cal models in areas such as psychology, linguistics, and philoso­phy.

• COGS-Q 551 (core course) The Brain and Cognition (3 cr.) An introduction to neural mechanisms underlying complex cognition, and a survey of topics in neuroscience related to cognition. It provides a solid background in human biopsychology.

• COGS-Q 560 (core course) Experimental Methods in Cognitive Science (3 cr.) Specific goals of this course include: a) an understanding of experimental design and the resources for future studies; b) an understanding of converging measures and programmatic research; c) discussion of current controversies in experimental design; and d) hands-on experience in designing, conducting, and critiquing experiments.

• COGS-Q 570 Behavior-Based Robotics (3 cr.) This course will present an overview of behavior-based robotics and its implica­tions for embodied cognitive science, incorporating results from artificial intelligence, robotics, ethology, and psychology. It will give students an appreciation of the difficulties associated with implementing models on robots and allow them to tack research questions in groups.

• COGS-Q 580 Introduction to Dynamic Systems in Cognitive Science (3 cr.) Introduction to linear and nonlinear dynamic systems including catastrophe and chaos theory. Main aspects include: a) understanding the basic quantitative theory and techniques of dynamic systems, b) illustration of major con­cepts and systems behavior with the aid of computer graph­ics and numerical software, and c) examples from cognitive science.

• COGS-Q 610 Networks of the Brain (3 cr.) This course explores the complexity of the brain and its network architecture on several different levels, including neuroanatomy, spontaneous dynamics, neurocognitive networks, development and disease states, and embodiment. Building on a basic foundation of network theory, information theory, and nonlinear dynamics, the course covers both empirical and computational studies.

• COGS-Q 689 Computer Simulation Project (3 cr.) The student will develop and test a computer simulation of some aspect of cognition. The student will produce a working, documented computer program, and a paper describing both the workings of the program and tests of the program (either theoretical tests, tests of the program against data, or both).

• COGS-Q 700 Seminar in Cognitive Science (1-3 cr.) Intensive study of specific topics in cognitive science. Topics and instructors will change regularly. May be repeated.

• COGS-Q 733 (core course) Colloquium Series (1 cr.) Students entering the program starting fall 2018 will need to sign up for Q733 for 1 credit for four semesters prior to candidacy.  The class will meet every week. At some meetings, invited speakers will present col­loquia; at others, students will present their own work.

• COGS-Q 750 Neural Networks as Models of Cognition (3 cr.) Topical seminar featuring analysis of models based on neural networks. Will usually feature extensive exploration of one or more examples of models of this type.

• COGS-Q 799 (core course) Readings and Research in Cognitive Science (1-6 cr.) Tutorial research and study in specialized topics in Cognitive Science.

• COGS-Q 899 (core course) Dissertation Research (1-12 cr.) Dissertation research in specialized topics in cognitive science.