Cognitive Science

Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies
Dunton Tower 2216
Telephone: 520-2368
Fax: 520-3985
Email: iis@carleton.ca

The Institute

Director of the Institute, J. Andrew Brook
Director of the Cognitive Science Doctoral
Program, To be announced

The Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies offers a program of study and research leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Cognitive Science.

The School of Computer Science and the Departments of Psychology, Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, and Philosophy participate in the doctoral program.

The program offers two fields of study:

• language and cognition
• representation and learning

The field of language and cognition includes the following sub-fields: linguistic theory, psycholinguistics, linguistic methodology, philosophy of language, the mind’s processing of language, acquisition of language and other symbolic systems, memory and language, text analysis, computational linguistics, natural language processing, and alternative architectures.

The field of representation and learning includes the following sub-fields: the mind’s cognitive resources and how it uses them, memory, vision, attention, the psychophysics and neural foundations of cognition, philosophical theories of representation, history of cognitive science, evolutionary approaches to cognition, knowledge representation, computer simulations of memory constraints, expert systems, case-based systems, genetic algorithms, heuristic theorems, neural networks, support systems for cognitive processes, and machine learning.

Members of the Cognitive Science Doctoral Program

• Andrew Brook, Philosophy of Mind and Language, Kant, History of Cognitive Science
• Jean-Pierre Corriveau, Natural Language Processing, Time-constrained Memory and Text Comprehension
• Susan Dwyer, Philosophy of Language, Cognitive Models of Moral Judgements
  (McGill - Adjunct)
• Helen Goodluck, Language Acquisition and Processing (Ottawa - Adjunct)
• Chris Herdman, Word Recognition, Phonemic and Lexical Processing, Attention and Word Recognition
• Marie-Odile Junker, Conceptual Semantics, Semantics of Quantifiers
• J.B. Kelly, Sensory Neuroscience and Related Issues in the Biological Foundations of Cognition
• G.F. Kersten, Complex Decision-making, Support Systems for Cognitive Processes
• W.R. Lalonde, Artificial Intelligence, Connectionism, Cerebral Computation
• Ann Laubstein, Speech-production Models, Phonology, Speech Recognition Algorithms
• Jo-Anne Lefevre, Numerical and Lexical Cognition
• John Logan, Spoken Language Perception, History of Cognitive Science
• Stanislas Matwin, Symbolic Machine Learning (0ttawa - Adjunct)
• Franz Oppacher, Genetic Approaches to Cognition, Genetic Algorithms, Natural Language and Knowledge-based Systems, Machine Learning, Computational Linguistics
• Lise Paquet, Visual Perception
• W.M. Petrusic, Psychophysics of Cognition
• Paul Pietrowski, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Cognitive Science
  (McGill - Adjunct)
• Monique Sénéchal, Vocabulary Acquisition
• Douglas Skuce, Knowledge Engineering, Semantics of Natural Languages, AI and Ontology (Ottawa - Adjunct)
• Robert Stainton, Philosophy of Language and Linguistics, Pragmatics and Semantics
• Lew Stelmach, Vision and Attention (Communication Research Centre) (Adjunct)
• Stanislas Szpakowicz, Computational Linguistics, Knowledge Acquisition, Decision Support Systems (Ottawa - Adjunct)
• R.S. Talmage, Inferential Processes, Neurophilosophy, Philosophy of Language (Adjunct)
• Helmut Zobl, Knowledge Representation, Second-language Acquisition and Processing

Admission Requirements

The requirements for admission into the Ph.D. program is a master’s degree (or the equivalent) from one of the participating disciplines, an Honours degree from a participating discipline, a combined Honours degree (or the equivalent) from two of the participating disciplines or an Honours degree in cognitive science. Students with an Honours bachelor’s degree from another discipline with a significant focus on cognition may also apply.

Normally, a substantial proportion of an applicant’s work will have been in natural and/or artificial cognition.

Applicants with a master’s degree are normally admitted to a 10.0 credit program while applicants with a bachelor’s degree are admitted to a 15.0 credit program.

Students who are eligible for admission to the 10.0 credit program but who have deficiencies may be required to take additional courses. In some circumstances, these students will be admitted to the 15.0 credit program.

An average of A- or better in relevant courses is normally required.

Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate a fluent knowledge of English. This is normally satisfied by passing a TOEFL test with a score of 580 or better. (See p. 56.)

Before admission, a candidate must submit a description of his or her proposed area of thesis research and a member of the core faculty must indicate in writing that he or she is willing to supervise the student.

Program Requirements

Program requirements for the Ph.D. degree are outlined in the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

All doctoral students must successfully complete:

• Cognitive Science 07.680 (1.0 credit)
• 2.0 credits in the area of cognition from the course offerings of at least three of the four participating academic units and other than those offered by the cognitive science program.
• Cognitive Science 07.690 (1.0 credit)
• Cognitive Science 07.695 (1.0 credit)
• a second language if required (see below)
• a thesis (equivalent to 5.0 credits) which must be defended at an oral examination

In addition, students in the 15.0 credit doctoral program in cognitive science must successfully complete:

• Cognitive Science 07.501, 07.502, 07.503 and 07.504
• Psychology 49.520
• 2.0 credits in the area of cognition at the 500- and 600-level, chosen from the course offerings of at least three of the four participating academic units

To enter the final 10.0 credits of the program, students must complete these courses with B+ or better. Students with a strong background in any of these required areas may apply to be exempted.

Comprehensive Examinations

The comprehensive examination consists of three parts. Each part must be completed in a different participating discipline (Psychology, Computer Science, Linguistics and Applied Language Studies or Philosophy). Under special circumstances another discipline may be substituted.

The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to provide a student with background in a number of approaches to cognition adequate for his or her thesis.

The comprehensive examination is graded as Passed with Distinction/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. If any part is graded Unsatisfactory, the student may resubmit the final assignment only one time.

As part of preparation for the comprehensive examination, the student must spend one term in a laboratory or other research venue in each of the three chosen disciplines.

Thesis

A thesis committee is created prior to completion of the comprehensive examination. The committee is comprised of the thesis supervisor, one faculty member from outside the department, one other member of the core faculty and the director of the program, ex officio.

Normally students will conduct the research for their thesis in the research facilities of their supervisor.

A thesis proposal, prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the thesis supervisor’s discipline, must be defended at an oral examination.

The thesis must be defended at an oral examination.

Residence Requirement

All Ph.D. candidates must be registered full-time in a minimum of six terms to satisfy the residence requirement (nine terms in the case of a 15.0 credit program).

Language Requirement

A second language is required when relevant to the student’s program of research. Whether a second language is required and the level of proficiency expected will be determined at the time of admission based on the student’s description of his or her proposed area of thesis research.

Guidelines for Completion of the Ph.D. Degree

All students must complete Cognitive Science 07.680 and will normally complete the required 2.0 credits within three terms of beginning the final 10.0 credits of the program. Cognitive Science 07.690 must be completed within six terms of beginning the final 10.0 credits of the program.

The first part of the comprehensive examination must be completed by the end of the fourth term after beginning the 10.0 credit program or the final 10.0 credits of the 15.0 credit program. The remaining two parts must be completed within an additional two terms.

Students in the 10.0 credit doctoral program will normally complete the degree in twelve terms of full-time study. Students in the 15.0 credit doctoral program will normally complete the degree in fifteen terms of full-time study.

Graduate Courses

Not all of the following courses are offered in a given year. For an up-to-date statement of course offerings for 1998-99, please consult the Registration Instructions and Class Schedule booklet published in the summer.

F,W,S indicates term of offering. Courses offered in the fall and winter are followed by T. The number following the letter indicates the credit weight of the course: 1 denotes 0.5 credit, 2 denotes 1.0 credit.

Area Seminars

The purpose of an area seminar is to offer an advanced survey of one of the four participating disciplines.

Cognitive Science 07.501F1,W1,S1
Cognition and Artificial Cognitive Systems

An introduction to the contribution of artificial intelligence and computer modelling of cognitive processes to cognitive science.
(Also listed as Computer science 95.510)

Cognitive Science 07.502F1,W1,S1
Experimental Research in Cognition

An introduction to the contribution of experimental psychology and neuroscience to cognitive science.
(Also listed as Psychology 49.570)

Cognitive Science 07.503F1,W1,S1
Cognition and Language

An introduction to the contribution of theoretical linguistics and linguistic research to cognitive science.
(Also listed as Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 29.561).

Cognitive Science 07.504F1,W1,S1
Cognition and Conceptual Issues

An introduction to the contribution of philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and other conceptual investigations to cognitive science.
(Also listed as Philosophy 32.520)

Core Seminars

Cognitive Science 07.680T2
Proseminar in Cognitive Science

An intensive survey of the central problems and issues of natural and artificial cognition and a brief examination of contemporary neuroscience. Compulsory in the first year of the final 10.0 credits. Students are required to complete the proseminar in the first year of registration.

Cognitive Science 07.690T2
Research Seminar in Cognitive Science

A full-credit seminar course devoted to the research of students, faculty, and guests of the cognitive science doctoral program. Normally a different researcher will present each week. Compulsory in the second year of the final 10.0 credits. Students in other years are expected to attend on a regular basis.

Cognitive Science 07.691F1,W1,S1
Directed Studies in Cognitive Science I

Cognitive Science 07.692F1,W1,S1
Directed Studies in Cognitive Science II

Cognitive Science 07.695F2,W2,S2
Comprehensive Examination

Cognitive Science 07.699F,W,S
Ph.D. Thesis

Selection of Courses in Related Disciplines

Students may register in courses in the area of cognition offered by any of the participating departments, including Computer Science, Psychology, Linguistics, and Philosophy. Students may also register in courses offered by the University of Ottawa, subject to the General Regulations. Please note that not all courses are offered every year and some courses have limited enrolment. Students are advised to consult the Institute for scheduling details.

Courses prefixed by a number are offered at Carleton, by letters at the University of Ottawa.

Computer Science Courses