About the Program
Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human and artificial cognition. It integrates research from experimental psychology, theoretical and computational linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy of mind, and other related areas to address questions about learning, knowing, and thinking. Students in Cognitive Science are expected to draw on work from at least three of the contributing disciplines. The researchers who are involved in Carleton's programs in Cognitive Science have strengths in areas such as consciousness, cognitive development, mathematical cognition, cognitive and computational modelling, human performance, applied cognition, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, philosophy of mind and language, symbolic and computational logic, intelligent information systems, knowledge representation, natural language understanding, swarm and collective intelligence, evolutionary computing, and some areas of neuroscience. The program also involves researchers from industry, government agencies, and other post-secondary institutions.
Academic Regulations
- See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
Admission Requirements
- Master's degree (or the equivalent) from one of the participating disciplines, an Honours degree from a participating discipline, or 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. An average of at least A- in courses in cognition is normally required.
- 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 eligible for admission to the 10.0 -credit program but with deficiencies may be required to take additional courses. In some circumstances, these students will be admitted to the 15.0-credit program. Students admitted to the 15.0-credit program may have some requirements waived based on courses in cognition already completed.
- 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, or 70 on the CAEL. (See the Proficiency in English section in the General Regulations of this Calendar.)
- To be admitted, 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
The requirements of the Ph.D. in Cognitive Science are:
- 0.5 credit in CGSC 6001 Theory and Methods of Cognitive Science
- 1.0 credit in CGSC 6800 Proseminar
- 1.0 credit in CGSC 6905 Methodology Rotation
- 5.0 credits in CGSC 6909 Prospectus and Thesis. The prospectus must be defended at an oral comprehensive examination on the subject-matter of the thesis. The thesis must also be defended at an oral examination.
- 2.5 credits in cognition from three different cognitive disciplines, including at least 0.5 credit in neuroscience if not already completed.
- Preparation in first year of a research paper for presentation at the Cognitive Science Ph.D Conference (see below). Usually prepared as an assignment for one of a student’s graduate courses in cognition.
- Preparation in second year of a research paper for presentation at the Cognitive Science Ph.D. Conference (see below). Usually prepared as an assignment for one of a student’s graduate courses in cognition.
- Program to be selected in consultation with the Graduate Supervisor of Cognitive Science.
In addition, students in the 15.0-credit doctoral program in cognitive science must successfully complete: - 2.0 credits in CGSC 5001, CGSC 5002, CGSC 5003 and CGSC 5004;
- 0.5 credit in a course in neuroscience;
- 2.5 credits in courses on cognition offered by at least three different participating academic units. Students with a strong background in any of these required areas may apply to be exempted.
- Any student planning a dissertation with an applied cognitive emphasis is required to work for at least one term at a facility approved by the student’s research supervisor and the Director of the Cognitive Science Program. Such a facility may include any institution, governmental laboratory, corporation, hospital or educational centre conducting research in the area of the student’s specialization. Students should complete this work while registered in either the Methodology Rotation (CGSC 6905) or the Ph.D. Thesis (CGSC 6909).
Methodology Rotation
The methodology rotation consists of three parts. Students spend one term each in three laboratories or other research venues using three different methods for studying cognition (behavioural, linguistic-theoretic, computational, conceptual, neuroscientific).
The purpose of the methodology rotation is to give students sufficient background in three different approaches to cognition to allow the student to use work from these approaches in his or her own research.
Assignments will be as specified by each rotation supervisor. Each rotation will be graded separately by the supervisor, Passed with Distinction (PWD)/Satisfactory(S)/Unsatisfactory (U). The grade for the course will be the most frequent passing grade. In the event of a grade of U the student may repeat a rotation only once.
Prospectus, Comprehensive Examination, Thesis and Defense
When a student is ready to begin work on a thesis (dissertation), the Director of Graduate Studies appoints a dissertation committee which must have at least three members from two different approaches to cognition, including the advisor or co-advisors plus the Director of the Cognitive Science doctoral program ex officio. Preparation of the thesis has two stages. First the student prepares a prospectus, which is examined at a comprehensive examination on the subject matter of the thesis. Then the student prepares the thesis, which is defended at a public oral examination. Specifically:
Prospectus
The prospectus must describe the proposed research and review the relevant literature in the field of the research. The research proposal must be sufficiently detailed to allow the examining committee to judge the likelihood of a successful dissertation ensuing from it. Preparation of the prospectus will follow the practices common in the advisor’s area of research. The committee may add further requirements.
Comprehensive Examination
The prospectus is examined orally by a board consisting of the members of the dissertation committee. The committee may add further examiners. The examination is a comprehensive examination of the thesis subject matter, to ensure that the student has a sound understanding of the context of his or her proposed research, and of appropriate methods, ethical considerations, and so on. The examining board will also consider the research that the student is proposing, which must be of sufficiently high quality and described in sufficient detail to allow the committee to judge whether, if completed successfully, it would be likely that the student would be awarded the degree. Should a student fail the comprehensive exam or his or her prospectus is unacceptable, the student may resubmit the prospectus and be reexamined once.
Thesis
The completed thesis is examined orally by an examining board consisting at minimum of the dissertation committee, an examiner at arm’s length to the project from within Carleton (the ‘internal external’) and an examiner from another university who is at arm’s length to the student and the committee and who is a recognized expert in the area of the dissertation. All university regulations apply.
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 is 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
Whether in the 15.0-credit or 10.0-credit program, students admitted in the same year enrol in CGSC 6800 Proseminar and CGSC 6001 Theories and Methods of Cognitive Science together in their first year. The research requirements in first and second year apply to all students. Students in the 10.0-credit program must make substantial progress on the methodology rotations in their second year, students in the 15.0-credit program in their third year. Students should allow two to three years to prepare their dissertation after all course work and the methodology rotations are complete. Thus, students in the 10.0-credit program can expect to take five years to finish, students in the 15.0-credit program, six years.
