Courses of Study 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Cognitive Science Program
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In the College of Arts and Sciences .
Course Offerings
Cognitive Science comprises a number of disciplines that are linked by a major concern with fundamental capacities of the mind, such as perception, memory, reasoning, language, the organization of motor action, and their neural correlates. In the College of Arts and Sciences these disciplines are represented in the Information Science Program and departments of Computer Science, Economics, Linguistics, Mathematics, Neurobiology and Behavior, Philosophy, Psychology, and Sociology. Elsewhere in the university they are represented in the departments of Mechanical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (College of Engineering); the departments of Design and Environmental Analysis and Human Development (College of Human Ecology); the departments of Communication and Education (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences); and the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management.
The issues addressed in Cognitive Science arise at several levels. At the broadest level are problems of characterizing such basic notions as “mind,” “knowledge,” “information,” and “meaning.” At a more specific level are questions regarding the abstract operating principles of individual components of the mind, such as those underlying visual perception, language ability, and understanding of concepts. These principles concern the organization and behavior of the components and how they are biologically represented in the brain. At the most specific level are questions about the properties of the elementary computational structures and processes that constitute these components.
Important insights into issues of these kinds have been achieved in recent years as a result of the various Cognitive Science disciplines converging in their theoretical and methodological approaches. It is this convergence, in fact, that warrants grouping the disciplines together under the single term “Cognitive Science.” Even greater progress can be expected in the future as a consequence of increasing cooperation among the disciplines.
Website: cogsci.cornell.edu
Faculty
S. Nichols (philosophy), director. G. Gay, D. Schrader (communication); E. Andersen, C. Cardie, J. Halpern, T. Joachims, L. Lee, B. Selman, R. Zabih (computer science); G. Evans, A. Hedge (design and environmental analysis); K. Basu, L. Blume, D. Easley (economics); A. Anderson, C. Brainerd, D. Casasanto, M. Casasola, S. Ceci, V. Reyna, S. Robertson, R. Sternberg, Q. Wang, W. Williams (human development); T. Choudhury, H. Hirsh, D. Mimno (information science); H. Aparacio, A. Cohn, M. Despic, M. Diesing, S. Murray, M. Rooth, S. Tilsen, M. Van Schijndel, J. Whitman, D. Zec (linguistics); K. O’Connor and J. Russo (management); A. Nerode, R. Shore (mathematics); J. Goldberg, R. Harris-Warrick, C. Linster (neurobiology and behavior); J. Doris, H. Hodes, C. Pavese, D. Pereboom, N. Silins, W. Starr (philosophy); M. Christiansen, T. Cleland, T. DeVoogd, S. Edelman, D. Field, T. Gilovich, M. Goldstein, C. Krumhansl, L. Niemi, A. Ophir, D. Pizarro, K. Swallow, V. Zayas (psychology); Laurent Dubreuil (romance studies); R. Canfield (human ecology) and S. Hertz (linguistics), associate members. J. Cutting, R. Darlington, J. Dunn, B. Finlay, J. Gair, W. Harbert, H. Howland, B. Lust, S. McConnell-Ginet, W. Harbert, H. Howland, R. Hoy, R. Ripple, S. Shoemaker E. Wethington (emeriti)
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The Major
Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the fundamental workings of cognition and the mind. It investigates perception, action, language, knowledge, development, and thinking from multiple perspectives—theoretical, experimental, and computational—with the aim of gaining a better understanding of human cognition and the nature of intelligent systems. The nature of mental representations and their acquisition and use are important themes, as are the comparison between human and artificial intelligence, and the relation between human cognition and its biological foundations. The major will make it possible for students to cultivate unique interests within cognitive science by allowing them to create novel course combinations that transcend the typical departmental boundaries.
Note: In addition to the major requirements outlined below, all students must meet the college graduation requirements .
To complete the major:
Majors are required to take three core courses that provide introductions to cognitive science and relevant methods, as well as a selection of upper-level courses that provide interdisciplinary breadth and depth within the field. Students have the opportunity to participate in lab/field/independent study and complete an honors thesis.
The major requires 40 credits, comprising of at least 12 courses. All courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students must earn a grade of C- or better to count a course toward the major.
Introductory Core (3 courses)
Statistical reasoning: Select one:
Structured thinking/data science: Select one:
Interdisciplinary Distribution Concentrations (3 courses)
Students must take at least one course from three of five concentrations below to ensure interdisciplinary breadth. A course can only be counted once for the interdisciplinary distribution requirement. Additional courses can be taken within a single concentration for the purpose of in-depth study.
*In addition, select specialized courses may be counted toward the major based on the academic advisor’s approval.*
Language Science
The Language Science concentration covers the interdisciplinary approach to language, drawing on linguistics, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, developmental science and philosophy to provide a broad perspective on the unique human ability for language.
Evolution and Development
The Evolution and Development concentration allows students to study the emergence of behavior across ontogenetic and phylogenetic timescales, and how these may interact (so-called evo-devo).
Computational Cognitive Science
The Computational Cognitive Science concentration focuses on the role of computation, broadly construed, in explaining and understanding cognition and the mind.
Cognitive Neuroscience
The Cognitive Neuroscience concentration explores the insights offered by neurobiological approaches to understanding how the mind works.
Mind and Culture
The Mind and Culture concentration aims to understand cognition in the context of its fundamental embedding in culture, drawing on insights from the humanities and social sciences.
Area Distribution (3 courses)
One course from from three different departments.
Depth Distribution (>=3 courses)
At least nine credits must be taken at the 3000/4000 level.
Independent Study
Students are encouraged to take independent study or fieldwork. Up to 12 of these credits may be counted toward the major (with 3 credits = 1 course). A paper or report should result from the independent study. To apply for independent research, please complete the online independent study form.
The Honors Program
The honors program in Cognitive Science will be designed for exceptionally motivated students who wish to pursue independent research within a specific area of cognitive science. The honors project will be conducted in close mentorship with a cognitive science faculty member. Students will produce a thesis of their work and complete an oral defense.
To join the honors program, students must apply at the end of their junior year. Admittance will require a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the major, and a letter of support from a faculty member who will serve as the mentor for the student’s thesis project. Students admitted to the honors program must register for 3 or 4 credits of an honors research course in both fall and spring semesters of their senior year.
Undergraduate Minor
An interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in Cognitive Science is available to Cornell University undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students from other colleges who seek such a minor are welcome to do so and need only approval from their college’s registrar.
The undergraduate minor in Cognitive Science is designed to enable students to engage in a structured program directly related to the scientific study of cognition and the mind. The minor provides a framework for the design of structured, supervised programs of study in this growing interdisciplinary field. Such programs of study serve as complements to course work in a single discipline as represented by an individual department. It is considered crucial that students gain a strong background in their major, independent of their work in the minor. Independent majors and college scholars may also apply. Colleges vary in their procedures for formal recognition of this minor (contact the Cognitive Science office for details). The Cognitive Science Program faculty have designed five structured “tracks” that offer students different ways of satisfying the minor. In addition, students are always able to construct their own programs of study subject to approval by their minor advisor. The courses listed under each track are program suggestions. The student should consult his or her Cognitive Science advisor to develop a more customized curriculum. In some cases, students may want to combine or cross tracks.
In general, it is expected that students in the minor will take COGST 1101 or COGST 2200 as their introductory course requirement; either COGST 4620 , or COGST 4700 as their lab course requirement; and three courses at the 3000- and 4000-level in at least two departments (or certain suitable 1- 2000-level courses by petition). Courses are to be chosen by student and advisor to provide a coherent program. Even though only five courses are required to complete the minor, we assume students interested in Cognitive Science will often end up taking more. An independent research project (e.g., COGST 4700 if this is not used to satisfy the lab requirement) and a research workshop (COGST 4710 ) are encouraged. Please note: minor modifications to this outline may be made in extenuating circumstances by the advisor, in consultation with the program director.
The five typical tracks are as follows. Note that many of these courses might have prerequisites.
1. Perception and Cognition
This track focuses on psychological, computational, and neurobiological approaches to the interface between perception and cognition. Students will develop a grasp of the continuum between sensory impressions and complex thought.
2. Language and Cognition
This track focuses on the representation, processing, and acquisition and learning of language, as well as its role in cognition and culture. Students will acquire skills and knowledge in formal and applied linguistic theory, psycholinguistic experimentation, and computational modeling techniques.
3. Cognition and Information Processing
This track focuses on how the mind (or a computer) can encode, represent, and store information. Students will develop an understanding of concepts, categories, memory, and the nature of information itself.
4. Cognitive Neuroscience
This track focuses on neurobiological and computational approaches to understanding how perception and cognition emerge in the human brain. Students will acquire knowledge of which neural structures subserve, which perceptual/cognitive processes, and how they interact.
5. Independent Study
With approval from the Cognitive Science undergraduate curriculum committee, a student and advisor in the Cognitive Science program can arrange their own unique collection of courses that do not belong to the above categories for satisfying the minor requirements.
Additional Information
Students who complete the minor requirements will have their minor in Cognitive Science officially represented on their transcript. In addition, students who have made substantial progress toward completing the requirements for the minor will be eligible for enrollment in the graduate courses in Cognitive Science during their senior year.
Colloquia. The field sponsors a series of lectures and colloquia by internationally recognized scholars. Students are encouraged to meet with the speakers for informal discussion during their visits.
Film Series. Each spring the program hosts Sprocket, the Cognitive Science Film Series in conjunction with COGST 1101 . The evening, complete with pizza and conversation, is free and open to the Cornell community.
Funding. Travel funding for conferences and workshops is available to minor students.
The Cognitive Science Undergraduate Computer Laboratory (201 Uris Hall). The lab is available to all Cognitive Science minors. This facility provides a central location for developing and conducting experimental research in Cognitive Science. (Contact the cog sci office to gain access to lab.)
Minor Application Procedures. Inquiries concerning the undergraduate minor should be made to the Cognitive Science program manager, Julie Simmons-Lynch, jes257@cornell.edu, (607) 255-6431, who will provide application materials.
To formally initiate the minor in Cognitive Science, a student must meet with the program manager to select courses that form a coherent cluster for eventual approval by an advisor.
In addition to assisting in the student’s selection of courses, the program manager and/or an advisor serve as a general source of information about the field of Cognitive Science, independent research, and relevant resources around the university.
The current director of undergraduate studies is Shaun Nichols, philosophy, sbn44@cornell.edu.
Graduate Minor
Instructions for Application and Formal Entry to the Cognitive Science Field Minor: 1. Choose a member of the graduate field of the Cognitive Science faculty who you would like to work with in structuring and conducting this minor field. 2. Obtain permission from this faculty member and from your special committee for the addition of this minor to your studies. (Since Cognitive Science is a minor field, this faculty member may not be the chair of your major.) 3. You’ll need to make this change, and/or any committee updates, on your Student Center page.*
Courses. All cognitive science graduate minor students must take a minimum of two 6000-level courses, plus the proseminar: some 4000-level courses will be allowed with the approval of your minor committee member. One course should be taught outside your discipline (in another cog sci-affiliated department); one may be within your discipline/home department. Only one of these courses may be taught by your advisor.
[The proseminar, COGST 6101 , taught by members of the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science surveys the study of how the mind/brain works, drawing primarily from six disciplines: philosophy, psychology, developmental science, neuroscience, linguistics, and computer science. This 1-credit course meets every other week during the spring semester and is an additional requirement for all grad minors.]
Colloquia. Graduate students who are interested in cognition and in the cognitive sciences are encouraged to attend cognitive science colloquia throughout the school year. The field sponsors a series of lectures by internationally recognized scholars. Students are invited to meet with the speakers for informal discussion during their visits.
Film Series. Each spring the program hosts Sprocket, the Cognitive Science Film Series in conjunction with COGST 1101 . The evening, complete with pizza and conversation, is free and open to the Cornell community.
Funding. Travel funding for conferences and workshops is available to minor students. Research funding is available to all cognitive science graduate students.
Grad Convo/Info Blitz. The Annual Grad Convo/Info Blitz lunch is held each May in order for students to share their research with peers and faculty.
*This is a minor field. Application for admission is made only to the major fields. After matriculation, a student may select minor subjects from the major or minor fields.
For more information, consult the program manager, Julie Simmons-Lynch, jes257@cornell.edu, 278a Uris Hall, (607) 255-6431 or the director of graduate studies, Morten Christiansen, mhc27@cornell.edu.
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