Undergraduate Studies in Cognitive Science

Fall 2015

News

• We had 6 graduating cognitive science majors last spring:– 2 straight COGS– 3 COGS/CSCI duals– 1 COGS/GSAS dual

• We have 7 incoming COGS freshmen– Largest incoming cohort so far– … and I already have 1 more declared

through Minds and Machines!

Latest Numbers

• 48 COGS majors (34 male, 14 female)• By year:

– 18 seniors– 9 juniors– 14 sophomores– 7 freshmen

• By major:– COGS: 22– COGS/CSCI: 18– COGS/GSAS: 2– Other duals: 6 (PSYC,BIOL,CSYS,DIS,STS)

Curriculum

Curriculum for BS in Cognitive Science (2013+)

• Basic Math /Science– Calc. I + II– Comp Sci I, Data Structures, FOCS, Intro to Algorithms– Intro to Biology

• 10 core courses:– Minds & Machines / Philosophy of Science– Introduction to Cognitive Science– Introduction to Logic– Experimental Methods and Statistics– Cognitive Psychology– Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience– Introduction to Artificial Intelligence– Cognitive Modeling / Programming for AI and Cog Sci– Sensation and Perception– Knowledge and Rationality / Metaphysics & Consciousness

• 2 Electives– Cog Sci related courses from PHIL, PSYC, CSCI, and a few others

• Undergraduate Thesis

Possible Dual Majors

• COGS / CSCI• COGS / MATH• COGS / GSAS• COGS / PSYC• COGS / PHIL• COGS / ITWS• COGS / BIOL• COGS / BMED• COGS / CSYS (very tight, but can be done!)• COGS / PHYS?• COGS / COMM?

Minors

• Cognitive Science minor:– Introduction to Cognitive Science– Plus 3 more courses (Minds and Machines counts)

• Possible future minors:– 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 (takes

only 1 extra course in addition to COGS courses!)

Other Concentrations and Programs

• GSAS has Cognitive Science concentration– Contact: Ralph Noble (nobler@rpi.edu)

• ITWS has Cognitive Science track (as well as Psychology track)– Contact: Bram van Heuveln (heuveb@rpi.edu)

• MGMT: 5 year Masters in Management in Technology Commercialization and Entrepreneurship program (Cognitive Science track)– Contact: Jeff Durgee (durgej@rpi.edu)

• COGS: 5 year Co-Terminal (M.S. and B.S.) and 7 year Co-Terminal (PhD and S.B) degree programs– Contact: Wayne Gray (grayw@rpi.edu)

Online Courses

• Udacity (~50 courses, mostly CSCI, self-paced)– Introduction to AI– Artificial Intelligence for Robotics

• Coursera (400+ courses; wide variety)– Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, Computational

Neuroscience, Natural Language Processing, etc.

• EdX (~70 courses, various fields)• I can give 1-2 credits Independent Study for

successful completion of these courses (Add Deadline: Monday, 9/14)

Study Abroad

• RPI has a Study Abroad agreement with the University of Sussex, that has an excellent Cognitive Science Program

• Other students have gone to University of Groningen and University of Nijmegen, both in the Netherlands

• Study Abroad Informational Sessions:– Thursday, September 3 at 10am and 12noon – Tuesday, September 15 at 12noon – Wednesday, September 23 at 10am and 2pm – All sessions in Academy Hall, room 3267

Advising

Advising

• There are several people that can help you:– Faculty Advisor/Mentor

• Helps with general direction of your studies– Keeps you on track; Suggests courses based on your interests

• Mandatory Student-Advisor Meeting (SAM)

– Staff Advisor: Betty Osganian, Sage 4301• Helps with ‘day-to-day’ issues

– Helps get you into courses; get forms signed; can tell you what courses you still need to graduate

– Undergraduate Program Director: Bram van Heuveln• All of the above

Talks

EMPAC Talk: The Machine is the Message

EMPAC TheaterThursday, October 22 7pm

Researcher and composer Rob Hamilton explores the converging spaces between sound, music, and interaction. His research focuses on the cognitive implications of sonified musical gesture and motion and the role of perceived space in the creation and enjoyment of sound and music.

Minds and Machines Thursday Night Lectures

• All lectures 7-8:20pm in Sage 3303• Open to the Public! Full schedule of lectures• October 29: Moral Robots

– Dr. Selmer Bringsjord will have a philosophical discussion on how to ensure that robots behave morally

• November 5: RPI Watson Research– Graduate student Simon Ellis will talk about Watson, RPI’s

involvement with Watson, and ‘Cognitive Computing’

• November 12: Animal Cognition– Post-Doctoral Student Oliver Layton discusses various forms of

animal cognition

Issues in Cognitive Science• September 9, Recorded talk of Steven Pinker, Linguistics, Harvard

– “The Curse of Knowledge”• September 16, Rick Dale, Cognitive and Information Sciences, UC Merced

– Behavioral explanations of Linguistic Performance• September 30, Susan Eppstein, Computer Science, CUNY and Hunter

– Toward Cognitively Plausible Robot Navigation• October 7, Lael Schooler, Psychology, Syracuse University

– Simple Heuristics for Decision-making• October 21, Todd Gureckis, Cognition and Perception, New York University

– Self-Directed Learning• For a complete schedule of speakers go to Speaker Series off of Cognitive

Science department home page

1 Credit for Issues in Cognitive Science

• 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 COGS “Issues in Cognitive

Science” at 200 (for freshmen) or 400 level– Restricted to COGS majors or dual majors

with PHIL or PSYC

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: 9/14)

– Also fill out an Independent Study/URP Registration form• for $ (deadline: 9/18)

• Research can be used for Senior Thesis

Overview Research Labs

• CogWorks Lab– led by Dr. Wayne Gray– Graduate Students:

• John Lindstedt• Catherine Sibert• Ryan Hope• Matthew Sangster

• Language Endowed Intelligent Agents (LEIA) Lab– Led by Dr. Marjorie McShane and Dr. Sergei Nirenburg

• Social Interaction (SI) Lab (slides)– Led by Dr. Mei Si

• All Cognitive Research Labs• All Cognitive Science Research Areas

Paperwork• Declare or add Cognitive Science Major

– Fill out Change of Major form– Advisor: ???– Curriculum Coordinator: Betty Osganian (Sage 4301)

• 1 credit for lectures– Fill out Independent Study form

• 200/400 COGS “Issues in Cognitive Science”• 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, 9/14

– For $:• Find faculty member with $!• Deadline: Friday, 9/18