College of Arts and Sciences

Departmental E-mail: cogsci [at] indiana [dot] edu

Departmental URL: www.cogs.indiana.edu 

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Doctor of Philosophy and Joint Doctor of Philosophy in Cogni­tive Science and another Discipline

Program Information

The Cognitive Science Program comprises an interdisciplinary research program and a doctoral degree program. Students carry out intensive research projects in state-of-the-art computer-based laboratories. There are two Ph.D. degree options: a standalone Ph.D. in Cognitive Science and a joint Ph.D. in Cognitive Science and another originating degree-granting program, for example, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Informatics, Computer Science, Philosophy, Neuroscience, Linguistics, or Speech and Hearing sciences. A Ph.D. Minor in Cognitive Science is also offered. The program is designed to train students in theory development and model building (mathematical, formal, and computer simulation models), in empirical research, and in the development of the conceptual framework and technical skills needed for successful careers in research, teaching, business, and government.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Admission Requirements

Admission is by approval of the program’s graduate admission committee. Applicants should have an undergraduate major in a field such as Cognitive Science, Psychology, Computer Science, Philosophy, Linguistics, Biology, or Anthropology; basic computer programming skills; and basic knowledge of mathematics for science, including calculus and statistics. In exceptional cases, the programming or mathematics admission requirements may be waived and satisfied while pursuing graduate study.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 90 credit hours, including the core courses COGS Q520 (3 cr.), COGS Q530 (3 cr.) (SoIC students may be waived from this course), COGS Q540 (3 cr.), COGS Q550 (3 cr.), COGS Q551 (3 cr.), and COGS Q560 (3 cr.) and selec­tions totaling at least 16 credit hours from offerings listed in the Cognitive Science Program or cross-listed with other departments, divisions, or programs. A maximum of 6 of these 16 credit hours may come from pure research courses (COGS Q799, COGS Q899, or the equivalent in another department).  Students must also take at least four semesters of the Colloquium Series course COGS Q733 before candidacy. Please note, students entering program starting fall 2018, will need to sign up for Q733 for 1 credit for four semesters prior to candidacy.   On the basis of their undergraduate background, students may be waived from one or more of the core courses other than COGS Q540, which all students must take. Waivers and substitutions, from any core courses require approval by the Director of Graduate Stud­ies of the program and the University Graduate School (prior to candidacy). 

Research Project Requirement

Ph.D. degree students are required to complete a Research Project. The project should constitute significant original research done while the student is enrolled in the Ph.D. program. Ph.D. students must decide on a supervisor and topic for their projects by the end of their first year and submit the Research Project Progress Report to the Cognitive Science Program. The project must be completed by the end of  the second year; students will need submit the ‘Completion of the Research Project form’.

Research Presentation Requirement

Students must present a research talk to a Cognitive Science audience (including at least three faculty members who assess it), covering some aspect of the student’s own research in Cognitive Science.  The presentation should be advertised to the cognitive science community, and could be part of campus lecture series like Cognitive Lunch, Logic Seminar, Developmental Seminar, Linguistics Colloquia, Grey Matters, etc.  The research covered may be from any stage of the student’s career, including (but not restricted to) the thesis research.  The presentation must be made before advancement to candidacy.

Content Specialization

Each student selects a Content Specialization, an area of study that can be approached from the perspectives of the different disciplines within Cognitive Science. With the approval of the student’s advisory/research committee, any relevant area of cognitive science may fulfill the Content Specialization requirement. Some possibilities are Language and Speech, Dynamical Systems, Logic, Neuroscience and Human-Computer Interaction. Students must complete at least five courses in their specialization, and these courses must be taken in at least two different departments. Courses from the student’s minor may count toward the Content Specialization, but not core COGS courses. The Content Specialization should be selected by the end of the student’s second year in the program, and the courses selected must be approved by the student’s advisory/research committee. The Content Specialization must be completed prior to Candidacy.

Minor Requirement

Students must complete a minor in another department or program unless the student completes a dual major with another department. Courses counting toward the minor may also count toward the student’s Content Specialization. The minor should be completed prior to candidacy.

Qualifying Examination

Each student must pass a Qualifying Examination, which should be taken by the end of September of the student’s third year in the program. If the student fails the exam, it may be retaken once, by the end of the student’s third year; failure the second time is grounds for dismissal from the program.

Prior to the qualifying examination, each student will be expected to turn in a Qualifying Examination Petition Form with the signatures of the Director of Graduate Studies and the student’s Advisory Committee. This form must be completed by the end of the student’s second year.

Students pursuing joint degrees in Cognitive Science and another discipline may request to postpone the Qualifying Examination by one year, by writing to the Director of Graduate Studies.

The examination is expected to have a written and an oral component and to demonstrate (1) in-depth knowledge of the student’s Content Specialization, (2) knowledge of some other area of Cognitive Science, (3) academic writing competence, and (4) the ability to defend a position in an oral setting.

In consultation with his or her Advisory Committee, the student will agree on the format of the examination. Within these constraints, two broad categories of Qualifying Examinations are possible: (1) Conventional Written Examination or (2) Papers. Details regarding these categories are available from the Director of Graduate Studies, the Graduate Secretary, or the student’s Advisory Committee.

1. Conventional Written Examination

The student and his or her committee agree on a set of topic areas and readings. The topics must include at least one area outside of the student's Content Specialization and must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. The student then has three months to prepare for the exam, normally during the summer following the second year in the program.

Each committee member writes one or two questions. The student has two days, four hours per day, to answer the questions, using any resources he or she wishes to bring to the examination room. Within a week, the committee evaluates the student's answers. The student does not normally receive feedback from the committee but may discuss the answers informally with members of the committee in preparation for the oral portion of the exam. The student meets with the committee within two weeks after submitting the answers to orally defend his or her answers and respond to follow-up questions. If the committee agrees that the student's written and oral answers are satisfactory, the student has successfully passed the qualification exam. Otherwise, the committee may fail the student outright or may require the student (1) to elaborate further in written answers to one or more questions or (2) to answer in writing one or more additional questions. If the student satisfies the committee with these additional assignments, he or she has successfully passed the qualification exam; otherwise, the exam is considered failed and must be completely retaken.

2. Papers

In consultation with his or her Advisory Committee, the student selects topics for three qualifying papers. Two of these topics are expected to be within the student's Content Specialization, and these should address at least two of the different methodological approaches to that content area.
The third paper can deal with a topic in any other area of cognitive science but must be outside the student's Content Specialization. The topics must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Each paper should answer a question. An example of a recent Qualifying Examination paper question is: How might simulation-based models help to clarify or dispel the view of communication as information transmission? With the approval of their advisory committees, students are encouraged to write papers that can contribute directly to their professional progress. Examples are documents that can be submitted as publications or, for US citizens or permanent residents, as narratives accompanying grant proposals (NIH National Research Service Awards, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program).

The student is given the period of three months during the summer following the second year in the program to write the papers. During this time, he or she may consult any works on the paper topics but may not discuss the topics with others. Questions to the committee should only concern procedural matters. After the papers are submitted to the committee, they are evaluated by the committee members, normally within a period of a week, and returned to the student with comments. Next the student meets with the committee to defend his or her answers orally; the oral portion of the exam should take place within three weeks of the submission of the papers. Based on the written answers and the oral defense, the student may be passed immediately, failed outright, or required to rewrite one or more of the papers and possibly also to meet with the committee again for a second oral defense. If the student satisfies the committee with these additional assignments, he or she has successfully passed the qualification exam; otherwise the exam is considered failed and must be completely retaken.

Joint Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Cognitive Science and another originating discipline.

Admission Requirements

Acceptance into the Joint Cognitive Science Ph.D. program is contingent upon admission into another degree-granting program at Indiana University Bloomington, hereafter referred to as the “originating discipline” or “originating department.” Students must apply to the originating department, informing it that they also intend to join the Joint Cognitive Science Ph.D. Program.  Students must submit an electronic application for graduate admission to a dual degree in Cognitive Science. Students are required to make such a request prior to their qualification exams.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 90 credit hours, of which 32 credit hours must be in courses listed or cross-listed in Cognitive Science, including COGS Q520 (3 cr.), COGS Q530 (3 cr.) (SoIC students may be waived from this course), COGS Q540 (3 cr.), COGS Q550 (3 cr.), COGS Q551 (3 cr.), and at least 6 credit hours of breadth coursework not in the originating discipline and not among the Q-courses or pure research courses such as Q799 and Q899. A Q-course that is not cross-listed in any other unit may satisfy the breadth requirement with the approval of the student’s advisory committee. Student must also take at least four semesters in the Colloquium Series course COGS Q733 before candidacy. Please note, students entering program starting fall 2018, will need to sign up for Q733 for 1 credit for four semesters prior to candidacy.  The 32 credit hours may include a maximum of 6 credit hours in pure research courses (COGS Q799, COGS Q899, or the equivalent in originating departments). Strong encouragement is given to interdisciplinary diversification. Note that courses may count toward the requirements of both Cognitive Science and the originating department. On the basis of their undergraduate background, students may be waived from one or more of the core courses other than COGS Q540, which all students must take. Waivers and substitutions from any core courses require approval by the director of graduate studies of the program and the University Graduate School (prior to candidacy).

Research Presentation Requirement

Students must present a research talk to a Cognitive Science audience (including at least three  faculty members who assess it), covering some aspect of the student’s own research in Cognitive Science.  The presentation should be advertised to the cognitive science community, and could be part of campus lecture series like Cognitive Lunch, Logic Seminar, Developmental Seminar, Linguistics Colloquia, Grey Matters, etc.  The research covered may be from any stage of the student’s career, including (but not restricted to) the thesis research.  The presentation must be made before advancement to candidacy. 

Tool-Skills Requirement

Completing a course covering statistical analysis e.g. PSY P553-P554 Advanced Statistics in Psychology or the equivalent. COGS Q560 may also be used to fulfill this requirement.

Advisory Committee for Joint PhD CogSci program

The Appointment of Advisory Committee form is required by the Graduate School to establish your advisory committee who approves the student’s program of study and counsels the student until the passing of the qualifying exams.  This should be set up by the end of the 2^nd semester.  The advisory committee must be approved both by the originating discipline and Cognitive Science Program.  The committee will need to have at least two member from each major.  From the two members of the Cognitive Science Program, at least one member must be outside the originating discipline. 

Qualifying Examination

There are two options for the qualifying examination: (a) an examination in the originating discipline and a separate comprehensive examination in Cognitive Science (these may be taken at separate times); or (b) a joint examination covering relevant areas of both the originating discipline and Cognitive Science, as determined by the advisory committee and with permission of both the originating discipline and the Cognitive Science Program. The Cognitive Science examination is normally taken after completion of the Cognitive Science course requirements, typically by the end of the student’s third year. If the student fails the exam, it may be retaken once, by the end of the student’s fourth year; failure the second time is grounds for dismissal from the program.

Final Examination

The public and oral defense of the dissertation will be conduct­ed jointly with the student’s originating discipline.

Ph.D. Minor in Cognitive Science

Graduate students obtaining a Ph.D. in another discipline may have the option of taking a minor in Cognitive Science. To obtain such a minor, students must satisfy the following requirements: (a) obtain approval from the Cognitive Science Program; and (b) complete COGS Q540; one of the following: COGS Q520, COGS Q530, COGS Q551, COGS Q560, or COGS Q550; at least two semesters of COGS Q733(Please note, students entering program starting fall 2018, will need to sign up for Q733 for 1 credit for two semesters prior to candidacy)  and at least 6 other credit hours in Cognitive Science and/or cross-listed courses not in the originating discipline.

Graduate Area Certificates in Cognitive Science

The Cognitive Science Program is extremely broad, ranging from psychology to business to anthropology to computer science and other disciplines. Students in other originating disciplines may elect to focus on an area or areas within the broad range of cognitive science and pursue a Graduate Area Certificate in Cognitive Science. Certificates are open to students upon request; several different Cognitive Science certificate programs are described in the following pages. Note that certificates are not required for a joint Ph.D. degree. The student will inform the Cognitive Science office, the student’s Cognitive Science advisor, and the certificate director of intent to pursue a certificate.

General Requirements for Graduate Area Certificates

1. As soon as the student decides to pursue a certificate, a written proposal must be submitted to the Certificate Director and Director of Graduate Studies giving a detailed course of study. The proposal may be a revised draft of an earlier proposal not approved or an alteration of a previ­ously approved proposal, and may contain a request for a revision of any of the stated requirements.
2. The proposal must be approved by the student’s Advisory Committee. The student must file a copy of the approved proposal with the Cognitive Science Program office.
3. The student’s advisory/research committee must attest that the approved course of study has been completed success­fully. At this time, the University Graduate School will be notified of the certificate completion. Ideally, requirements and course work for certificates should be completed at the time of nomination to candidacy.
4. The certificate is awarded upon completion of requirements 1 through 3 and completion of the joint Ph.D. Achievement of the certificate will be noted on official transcripts.

Graduate Area Certificate in Dynamical Systems in Cognitive Science

Students will develop an understanding of problems introduced by a dynamical perspective on cognitive phenomena and of the theoretical and methodological means of addressing those problems as found in dynamical systems. Each student will apply this understanding and analysis to a content area of their choice including study of perception, cognition, motor behav­ior, neural networks, language, and development.

Specific Requirements

1. Prerequisites. Students should have taken courses in calcu­lus (two to three semesters) at the very least. In addition, courses in differential equations, linear algebra, and (point set) typology would be helpful.
2. Required course. Students must take COGS Q580 Introduc­tion to Dynamical Systems in Cognitive Science.
3. Additional advanced electives. Students must complete an additional four courses selected from among the follow­ing: COGS Q550 Models in Cognitive Science; PSY P651 Perception/Action; HPSC X755 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Science (when appropriate); LING L541 Introductory Phonetics; LING L641 Advanced Phonetics; PHIL P561 Philosophy of Mind; CSCI B551 Element of Artificial Intelligence; CSCI B552 Knowledge Based Artificial Intelligence; CSCI B553 Neural and Genetic Approaches to Artificial Intelligence; CSCI B651 Natural Language Processing; CSCI B652 Computer Models of Symbolic Learning; CSCI B657 Computer Vision; CSCI B659 Topics in Artificial Intelligence (when appropriate); PSY P717 Evolutionary Basis of Learning; PSY P615 Develop­mental Psychology; HPSC-X755 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Science (when appropriate).
4. Qualifying exams. At least one question on dynamical sys­tems must be included on the student’s qualifying exams.
5. Dissertation. The student’s dissertation must include appli­cation of dynamical systems to the specific problem under study.

Graduate Area Certificate in Human-Computer Interaction

Students will demonstrate proficiency in a broad range of courses involving the applied cognitive analysis of human-computer interaction (HCI).The program will emphasize the theoretical and methodological issues associated with design­ing and evaluating cognitively compatible user interfaces to interactive technologies.

Specific Requirements

1. The student must submit a written proposal to the Advisory Committee giving a detailed course of study. The proposal may be a revised draft of an earlier proposal, or an altera­tion of a previously approved proposal, and may contain a request for a revision of any of the stated requirements. The proposal must be approved by the Advisory Committee.
2. Students for the Cognitive Science Certificate must complete an additional four courses selected from among the following to ensure courses are taken from at least two departments other than the student’s home department: CSCI A546 User Interface Programming; CSCI B665/B666 Software Engineering Management/Implementation; CSCI B669 Topics in Database and Information Systems; CSCI B689 Topics in Graphics and Human Computer Interaction; INFO I502 Human-centered Research Methods in Informatics; INFO I590 Topics in Informatics (when appropriate); ILS Z561 User Interface Design for Information Systems; ILS Z637 Information Visualization; ILS Z661 Concepts and Contemporary Issues in Human-Computer Interaction; ILS Z635 Ontologies; EDUC P544 Applied Cognition and Learning Strategies; CSCI P565 Data Mining; 566 Software Engineering I-II; EDUC R685 Human-Computer Interface Design; EDUC P600 Topical Seminar in Learning Cognition and Instruction (when appropriate); EDUC P544 Applied Cognition and Learning Strategies; SPHS S522 Digital Signal Processing; MSCH T571 Applied Cognitive and Emotional Psychology; MSCH T602 Topical Seminar in Telecommunications Processes and Effects (when appropriate).
3. The student’s dissertation must address issues related to human-computer interaction. The Cognitive Science Certificate in HCI is awarded upon completion of the above requirements and completion of the requirements for the Ph.D. (either as a joint major in Cognitive Science and a home department, or as a Cognitive Science minor and a major in a home department).

Graduate Area Certificate in Language and Speech

Students will demonstrate proficiency in a broad range of top­ics that focus on issues related to language and speech. The program of study will emphasize mastery of language structure, language processing, and computational approaches to linguis­tic analysis. An independent research project exploring some facet of language and speech will be required.

Specific Requirements

1. Students must complete at least five approved graduate courses in the area of language and speech.
2. Courses in language and speech must be taken in at least two different departments.
3. Courses must include at least one dealing with language structure and at least one dealing with language processing or acquisition. Courses in language structure include most linguistics courses, PHIL-P 520 Philosophy of Language, and PHIL-P 720 Seminar: Philosophy of Language. Courses in processing and acquisition include PSY P623 Psychology of Language, CSCI B651 Natural Language Processing and periodic seminars on language-related topics in these departments, and periodic seminars on language-related topics in these departments.
4. Students must demonstrate familiarity with computer modeling of cognitive processes. This requirement can be met through course work (COGS Q580 Introduction to Dynamic Systems in Cognitive Science or various courses in Computer Science including CSCI B551 Elements of Artificial Intelligence, CSCI B552 Knowledge Based Artificial Intelligence, CSCI B553 Neural and Genetic Approaches to Artificial Intelligence, CSCI B651 Natural Language Processing, and CSCI B652 Computer Models of Symbolic Learning, or through a written report of research that includes a computer program written by the student. This report could be a master’s or Ph.D. thesis.
5. The student’s Cognitive Science qualifying examination must include at least one section on a topic in language and speech.
6. The student’s dissertation must address issues related to language and speech.

Graduate Area Certificate in Logic, Language, and Computation

The area covered by this certificate is applied logic; i.e., logic as applied to information processing. It is an area of research that is of increasing importance in artificial intelligence and comput­er science. Students will demonstrate their mastery of courses having to do with symbolic information processing.

Specific Requirements

The requirements include at least 18 credit hours of course work (including research and seminars). At least two courses must be taken outside the student’s home department. Each proposal for certification would need to demonstrate both breadth and depth in the general area of logic, language, and computation.

1. Prerequisites. Students should demonstrate mathematical maturity by having taken one or more courses in the fol­lowing: set theory, discrete mathematics, abstract algebra, linear algebra, topology, and mathematical logic.
2. Students must take PHIL P505 and PHIL P506 Logical Theory I-II or demonstrate equivalent knowledge of completeness for first-order logic, together with the Gödel incompleteness and undecidability results. If students demonstrate knowl­edge of this material, they may take other courses from the lists of advanced courses given below.
3. Students must select at least two or more advanced courses from a list that includes CSCI B501 Theory of Computing; PHIL P550 Systems of Modal Logic; PHIL P551 Philosophy and the Foundations of Mathematics; PHIL P552 Philosophy of Logic; MATH M682 Model Theory; and MATH M583 Set Theory.
4. Students must take a research seminar, either one gener­ally designated as such. Some examples: PHIL P750 Semi­nar Logical Theory (when appropriate), PHIL P751 Seminar Logic (when appropriate), or MATH M781-782 Selected Topics in Mathematical Logic (when appropriate), or another seminar approved by the Logic Certificate Director.
5. Students will be expected to take active part in the weekly Logic Seminar.
6. The student’s dissertation must address issues in the gen­eral area of logic, language, and computation.

Graduate Area Certificate in Modeling in Cognitive Science

Students will demonstrate their mastery with a broad selection of courses involving mathematical and computer simulation ap­proaches to modeling, with a specialization in at least one area of modeling, and with a research project involving modeling.

The program will emphasize both basic techniques and applica­tions in particular content areas.

Specific Requirements

1. Students must fulfill 18 credit hours of courses in the mod­eling area. Required course: COGS Q550 Models in Cogni­tive Science, and at least five additional courses in modeling (15 credits minimum).
2. These courses must demonstrate both breadth and specialization, and a grasp of both methods and applications. The course options given below provide examples of courses currently appropriate to accomplish these goals. The courses should include at least one course in basic techniques and methods (PSY P605 Introduction to Mathematical Psychology; COGS Q580 Introduction to Dynamic Systems in Cognitive Science; MATH M447 Mathematical Models and Applications I-MATH M448 Mathematical Models and Applications II; PHIL P550 Systems of Modal Logic); and at least one course in applications (CSCI B651 Natural Language Processing; CSCI B652 Computer Models of Symbolic Learning; LING L611 Models of Linguistic Structure; PSY P648 Choice Behavior).The selected courses must be taken from at least two departments, excluding courses listed only in the Cognitive Science Program. These courses may not include a course whose content consists almost entirely of a research project (such courses and projects are separately covered below).
3. Students must demonstrate a grasp of modeling in research, either through course work ( PSY P556 Independent Computer Project), or through a written report of research involving modeling (includes master’s or Ph.D. projects).
4. The Ph.D. qualifying examination in the Cognitive Science Program must contain at least one section on a modeling-related topic.