Student ID:__________________________ Student Name:_______________________ Adviser Name:_______________________ Catalog: Rensselaer Catalog 2014-2015 Program: Cognitive Science Minimum Credits Required:__________________

Cognitive Science

Cognitive Science is the scientific study of cognitive phenomena such as reasoning, decision making, memory, learning, language, perception, and action. This young and emerging interdisciplinary field lies at the intersection of psychology, computer science, and philosophy, and has further important links to neuroscience, linguistics, anthropology, mathematics, biology, and education.
 

Cognitive Science tries to understand one of the most complex and fascinating entities in the known universe — the human mind. Cognitive science also tries to understand other kinds of minds, whether they be animal minds, alien minds, or artificial minds. Thus, Cognitive Science promises to be the next ‘basic’ science, in line with physics, chemistry, and biology, as much of the research being conducted is aimed at discovering fundamental principles that underlie minds in general.
 

Just as the technologies based on physics, chemistry, and biology have had a tremendous impact on our lives, technology based on our understanding of cognitive systems has the potential to profoundly change the way we live and who we are. From using knowledge of human cognition to build ‘cognitively ergonomic’ tools and environments, to building devices to repair and augment cognitive skills and capacities, to creating artificially intelligent computers and robots, the applications of this discipline are right in line with Rensselaer’s slogan: “Why not change the world?”.


The Cognitive Science Department at Rensselaer is perfectly positioned to offer one of the very best degree programs of its kind in the world. While many cognitive science programs in the country have a definite focus on one of the contributing disciplines – whether this is psychology, computer science, philosophy, neuroscience, or linguistics – the cognitive science program at Rensselaer is truly interdisciplinary in that it carefully balances all of the important contributing fields. Moreover, students have ample opportunity to perform undergraduate research in any of the associated laboratories and research groups.
 

First Year

Fall

Course NameCredit Hours:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
BIOL 1010 - Introduction to Biology Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 1100 - Computer Science I Credit Hours: 4
MATH 1010 - Calculus I Credit Hours: 4
IHSS 1140 - Minds and Machines Credit Hours: 4

or

PHIL 2130 - Introduction to Philosophy of Science Credit Hours: 4

Spring

  •  HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
Course NameCredit Hours:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
COGS 2120 - Introduction to Cognitive Science Credit Hours: 4
CSCI 1200 - Data Structures Credit Hours: 4
MATH 1020 - Calculus II Credit Hours: 4

Second Year

Fall

  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
Course NameCredit Hours:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
CSCI 2200 - Foundations of Computer Science Credit Hours: 4
PHIL 2140 - Introduction to Logic Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4310 - Experimental Methods and Statistics Credit Hours: 4

Spring

  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
Course NameCredit Hours:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
CSCI 2300 - Introduction to Algorithms Credit Hours: 4
PHIL 4440 - Knowledge and Rationality Credit Hours: 4

or

PHIL 4480 - Metaphysics and Consciousness Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4330 - Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience Credit Hours: 4

Third Year

Fall

  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
Course NameCredit Hours:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
CSCI 4150 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4410 - Sensation and Perception Credit Hours: 4

Spring

  • Cognitive Science Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
Course NameCredit Hours:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
COGS 4210 - Cognitive Modeling I Credit Hours: 4

or

COGS 4410 - Programming for Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4370 - Cognitive Psychology Credit Hours: 4

Fourth Year

Fall

  • Cognitive Science Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring

  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
Course NameCredit Hours:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
COGS 4990 - Undergraduate Thesis Credit Hours: 3-6

Cognitive Science Elective Options

Choose two from:

  • COGS 4xxx - Cognitive Robotics Credit Hours: 4
  • PSYC 2xxx - Thinking Credit Hours: 4
Course NameCredit Hours:Term TakenGradeGen Ed
CSCI 4100 - Machine and Computational Learning Credit Hours: 4
CSCI 4480 - Robotics I Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 4490 - Robotics II Credit Hours: 3
ECSE 4540 - Introduction to Image Processing Credit Hours: 3
IHSS 1140 - Minds and Machines Credit Hours: 4

or

PHIL 1120 - Minds and Machines Credit Hours: 4
PHIL 2100 - Critical Thinking Credit Hours: 4
PHIL 2130 - Introduction to Philosophy of Science Credit Hours: 4
PHIL 4140 - Intermediate Logic Credit Hours: 4
PHIL 4260 - Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence Credit Hours: 4
PHIL 4440 - Knowledge and Rationality Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4110 - Motivation and Performance Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4310 - Experimental Methods and Statistics Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4320 - Behavioral Neuroscience Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4450 - Learning Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4510 - Cognitive Modeling Credit Hours: 4
PSYC 4620 - Cognitive Engineering Credit Hours: 4
Notes: