Undergraduate Program
in Cognitive Science
Spring 2014
Size and Make-up of Majors
50
• 49 COGS majors
• By year:
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13 seniors
13 juniors
12 sophomores
8 freshmen
• By major:
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45
40
35
30
25
Male
Female
20
15
10
5
COGS: 17
0
COGS/CSCI: 18
Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Fall 2012 Spring 2013 Fall 2013 Spring 2014
COGS/GSAS: 7
Other COGS duals: 7 (MATH, PHIL, PSYC, BIOL, BMED, ISCI)
Curriculum
Two New Faculty
• Marjorie McShane
– Computational Linguistics, Knowledge
Engineering
– Teaches “Introduction to Linguistics” this
semester
• Sergei Nirenburg
– Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Modeling,
Natural Language Processing
– Teaches “Language Endowed Intelligent
Agents” this semester
News on Dual Majors
• If you are a dual major, it used to matter
whether you list COGS as your primary or
secondary major as far as the HASS Core
goes.
• This is no longer the case: you can list
majors in any order you prefer.
COGS Core Courses
• Behavioral Neuroscience or Intro to Cognitive
Neuroscience
• Sensation and Perception (Structure of
Language no longer offered)
• Knowledge and Rationality (Metaphysics & Csns
and Phil of AI no longer offered)
• Cognitive Modeling (LISP for AI no longer
offered) -> can use Intelligent Virtual Agents or
Affective Computing as substitute)
• Intro to AI -> can use Game AI or Learning &
Advanced Game AI as a substitute)
Senior Thesis
• Find a Faculty Member to do your Thesis with:
Your Thesis Faculty Advisor
• Fill out thesis form with Thesis Faculty Advisor
(bring to Registrar before add deadline)
• Thesis Faculty Advisor will lay out requirements
of thesis
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Meetings
Literature Research
Experimental Research
Write-Up
• You do not have to do thesis in last semester
Online Courses
• Udacity (~40 courses, mostly CSCI, self-paced,
wide variety of course lengths)
– Introduction to AI, Artificial Intelligence for Robotics,
The Design of Everyday Things
• Coursera (500+ courses; wide variety)
– Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, Computational
Neuroscience, Natural Language Processing, etc.
• EdX (100+ courses, various fields)
• Possibility of getting 1-2 credits Independent
Study for successful completion of courses (Add
Deadline: Monday, 2/3)
Wednesday Issues in Cognitive
Science Seminar
• It is possible for undergraduates to receive
1 credit through the Issues in Cognitive
Science Lecture Series:
– Write 1 page response paper about talk for 6
talks of your choice
– Register for “Issues in Cognitive Science” at
400 level
– Restricted to COGS majors or dual majors
with PHIL or PSYC
Speakers This Semester
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February 5, Robert Goldstone, Learning Grounded in Perception and
Action, Indiana University
February 19, Mark Finlayson, Computational Human Narrative
Understanding, Computer Science and AI Lab (CSAIL), MIT
March 5, John Hummel, How the Brain Maps Relations, University of Illinois
March 19, Gabe Diaz, Visual Guidance of Action, RIT
March 26, Oliver Layton, Neuroscience of Vision, Visiting Researcher
April 30, Will Bridewell, Cognitive Systems for Belief Revision, Naval
Research Lab
May 7, Ralph Wojtowicz, Baker Mountain Research Corp.
All other talks this semester are by COGS graduate students
For a complete schedule of speakers go to Speaker Series off of Cognitive
Science department home page
If you think of a potential speaker, let me know!
Research
Undergraduate Research
• Cog Sci students are strongly encouraged
to do hands-on research
• Undergraduate Research Program (URP)
– http://www.rpi.edu/dept/urp
– Fill out URP form:
• You have to write a 500 word proposal!
• for course credit (deadline = course add deadline =
3rd Monday of semester)
– Also fill out an Independent Study/URP Registration form
• for $ (deadline: sometime 3rd week of semester)
• Research can be used for Senior Thesis
Summer URP (SURP)
• Competitive program
– Applications reviewed by multiple faculty
• $3500 stipend for 10-week summer
research
• Need to find faculty member willing to
support research efforts during 10-week
period
• Deadline: February 14!
• SURP
Overview Research Labs
• Linguistics and Knowledge Engineering
(Dr. Marjorie McShane and Dr. Sergei
Nirenburg)
• CogWorks Lab (Dr. Wayne Gray)
• RAIR Lab (Dr. Selmer Bringsjord)
• Sim Lab (Dr. Mei Si)
• Neuroplasticity (Dr. Larry Reid)
• Visual Reasoning (Dr. Bram van Heuveln)
Visual Reasoning
Research Page
Paperwork
• Declare or add Cognitive Science Major
– Fill out Change of Major form
– Curriculum Coordinator: Betty Osganian (Sage 4301)
• 1 credit for lectures
– Fill out Independent Study form
• 200/400 PHIL/PSYC “Issues in Cognitive Science”
• Senior Thesis
– Find thesis advisor
– Fill out Thesis Registration form
• URP
– Fill out URP form
– For credit:
• Fill out Independent Study form as well
• Credits to be determined by project advisor
• Deadline = Course Add Deadline: Monday, 2/3
– For $ (URP matches up to $400):
• Find faculty member with $!
• Deadline: Tuesday, 2/4