Undergraduate Studies in
Cognitive Science
Fall 2011
News
• We had our first two undergraduate COGS
majors graduating this spring!
• New professor Alicia Walf teaches various
neuroscience courses, dramatically
expanding our neuroscience offerings
• Professor Wayne Gray receives Humboldt
Research Award to study at the Max
Planck Institute in Berlin in Spring 2012
Curriculum for BS in Cognitive
Science
• Basic Math /Science
– Calc. I + II, Discrete Structures or Diff. Eq.
– Comp Sci I, Data Structures, Intro to Algorithms
– Intro to Biology
• 10 core courses:
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Minds & Machines
Introduction to Cognitive Science
Introduction to Logic
Experimental Methods and Statistics
Cognitive Psychology
Behavioral Neuroscience / Cognitive Neuroscience
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Cognitive Modeling / Programming for AI and Cog Sci
Sensation and Perception / Structure of Language
Phil of AI / Knowledge and Rationality / Metaphysics & Consciousness
• 2 Electives
– Cog Sci related courses from PHIL, PSYC, CSCI, and a few others
• Undergraduate Thesis
Possible Dual Majors
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COGS / CSCI
COGS / MATH
COGS / GSAS
COGS / ITWS
COGS / PSYC
COGS / PHIL
COGS / CSYS (very tight, but can be done!)
COGS / PHYS?
COGS / COMM?
COGS / BIOL??
COGS / BMED??
Other Popular Dual Majors
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CSCI / PSYC
CSCI / PHIL
MATH / PSYC
MATH / PHIL
Latest Numbers
• 38 COGS majors
• By year:
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5 seniors
14 juniors
14 sophomores
5 freshmen
• By major:
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COGS: 16
COGS/CSCI: 14
COGS/GSAS: 3
Other COGS duals: 5 (PSYC, BMED, CSYS, PHYS)
Minors
• We now have a Cognitive Science minor:
– Introduction to Cognitive Science
– Plus 3 more courses
• Possible future minors we’re thinking of:
– Cognitive Technology (AI, Cognitive Robotics)
– Cognitive Engineering (Cognitive Modeling)
• Remember we do have Cog Sci related minors:
– PSYC: minor in Cognition
– PHIL: minor in Logic, Computation, and Mind
Other Concentrations
and Programs
• GSAS has Cognitive Science concentration
– Contact: Elizabeth Large
• ITWS has Cognitive Science track (as well as
Psychology track)
– Contact: Bram van Heuveln
• MGMT: 5 year Masters in Management in Technology
Commercialization and Entrepreneurship program
(Cognitive Science track)
– Contact: Jeff Durgee
• COGS: 5 year Co-Terminal (M.S. and B.S.) and 7 year
Co-Terminal (PhD and S.B) degree programs
– Contact: Brett Fajen
Minds & Machines Program
• In the past, the Minds & Machines program
served as an undergraduate Cognitive Science
program in the absence of such
• Now that we have an official Cognitive Science
undergraduate degree, we will re-envision this
program and bring it back to its original (and
more narrow) goals.
– In particular, bring the ‘Machines’ part back in focus.
• Minds & Machines Program in “Cognitive
Technology”:
– Artificial Intelligence
– Cognitive Robotics
– Synthetic Characters
Minds & Machines (Cont’d)
• Students “joining” the “program” will be
expected/encouraged to:
– take certain specific courses
– participate in undergraduate research
– work in relevant lab
– TA for relevant courses
• Self-study program
– In groups, students set goal for semester
(project, programming language/technique)
and teach each other
Stanford Online AI Course
• Dr. Sebastian Thrun (author of Probabilistic
Robotics) and Dr. Peter Norvig (co-author of
Artificial Intelligence, A Modern Approach; the
textbook for the course) teach a free online
course on Artificial Intelligence
• Oct. 10 – Dec. 16 (register before Oct. 10)
• Basic Track: follow lectures and take quizzes
• Advanced Track: lectures, quizzes, midterm
(Nov. 19/20), and final (Dec. 17/18)
• Get certificate of completion
• http://www.ai-class.com/
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
External Speakers
This Semester
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August 31, Jim Davies, Carleton University
September 14, William Rapaport, SUNY Buffalo
September 21, Stephen Pink, Dartmouth
September 28, Chris Eliasmith, U. of Waterloo
October 19, James Moor, Dartmouth
December 7, Duncam Brumby, University College
London
• 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!
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: 9/12)
– Also fill out an Independent Study/URP Registration form
• for $ (deadline: 9/16)
• Research can be used for Senior Thesis
Overview Research Labs,
Groups, and Projects
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Selmer Bringsjord, RAIR lab
Mei Si, Dr. Mei Si’s lab
Nick Wilson, Cognitive Architecture Lab
Brett Fajen, PandA lab
John Lindstedt, CogWorks Lab
Bram van Heuveln, LEGUP project
Paperwork
• Declare or add Cognitive Science Major
– Fill out Change of Major form
– Advisor: Bram van Heuveln
– Curriculum Coordinator: Betty Osganian (Carnegie 108)
• 1 credit for lectures
– Fill out Independent Study form
• 200/400 PHIL/PSYC “Issues in Cognitive Science”
• Senior Thesis/Capstone Project
– 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, 9/12
– For $:
• Find faculty member with $!
• Deadline: 9/16