INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM IN
COGNITIVE SCIENCE

Cognitive Science is somewhat of a misnomer since it is not a science in the strict sense: it has no single conceptual framework and no special methodology. Rather, it is defined by a problem: human cognition, which is of interest to a fair number of different disciplines, some of which are scientific (e.g. biology, linguistics, etc)  while others are not (e.g. philosophy of mind, logic, etc).

Cognitive Science is thus the result of contributions from different disciplines clustered around the issue of human cognition. There are several ways of approaching this issue: from the mechanisms that underlie it (e.g. neuroscience), to the observable manifestations of cognitive and mental activities, as studied for example by linguistics and cognitive psychology. It may also be approached in terms of  the cognitive experience itself (e.g. dispositions, feelings, intentionality), a concern of the philosopher
of mind among others. Finally, it may also be approached in terms of specific methodologies related to information processing (e.g. computer science, statistical analysis).

As a consequence of the fast pace of research in many of these areas and of their rapid developments, the very notions of mind, intelligence, and more generally of cognition, are undergoing  profound transformations with all sorts of implications for what it means to be human.  For example, do animals think? Can some of them talk? Can intelligent machines be constructed that could go to where we fear to tread (e.g. to clean up places like Chernobyl) or to where we can’t go (e.g. deep space)? Could they be more intelligent than we are in some interesting sense? Are we the smartest animal in creation? Etc.

The program is open to all interested students, whether they intend to minor in it or not. Its offerings consist principally of courses and seminars, but they include tutorials and research internships as well for qualified students. Since cognitive science is largely driven by current research,  the program and its components are highly flexible. The syllabi change frequently, new seminars are introduced to reflect the changing research landscape, and students are encouraged to undertake guided research
in areas of interest to them within the constraints of what’s available at the time. We  collaborate closely with the Georgetown Institute for Cognitive and Computational Sciences (GICCS) on the Medical Campus. Several of our students are active in research being conducted by faculty from the Main Campus, the Medical Center as well as researchers elsewhere (e.g. NIH}.

There are two main avenues to the program. One is completely open while the other is not. The former is almost exclusively guided by the interests of the students themselves, who are helped in the selection of offerings from various departments. The other avenue is governed by the requirements of the minor in cognitive science, as well as by the student’s own interest. In either case, students are encouraged to start with two special seminars: the proseminars, the first of which is designed as an
introduction to both the conceptual frameworks and the methodologies used in the main disciplinary approaches to the study of cognition, while the second is designed to familiarise students with some of the research strategies used by Georgetown faculty in their own research.


PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The Minor in the College  is strongly  biased  toward  research. It  is normally deployed during the last two years, though exceptions are made for well prepared and motivated students. The requirements for the minor are as follows:

Two propaedeutic seminars in the first year, normally Junior year. A  thesis seminar in the last year, coordinated with a thesis done preferably in the field of the student's major, on a problem with implications for cognitive science. In addition, students are required  to take three courses,  seminars or tutorials selected  from at  least  two relevant disciplines other than their major. In addition, an effort is made to include a number of research tutorials for well prepared students, including internships.

All offerings are open to all students from the university, save for the Senior seminar which is specifically designed for students who minor in the Program.  For further information, contact the program director, Dr. Darlene Howard, in the Psychology Department.


COURSES, SEMINARS, TUTORIALS


ICOS 320   INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE SCIENCE

Description not available at this time.


ICOS 321   RESEARCH PROSEMINAR IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE II

This proseminar, given in the Spring Term, is designed to introduce students to some of the research strategies used in the different disciplines of cognitive science. About ten research modules are offered in the Spring Term, of which students select a minimum of three and a maximum of four. Roughly half of them are conducted by members of the GICCS faculty, and the rest by the Main Campus faculty. In the modules, students become engaged in some of  the research currently done on Campus. A  paper is normally required to complete each module.


ICOS 330/331 SENIOR SEMINAR

This seminar is coordinated with either the research thesis in the student's major field or with a research project in some related field.  Its point is to develop a paper focused on  the implications of their research for other areas of cognitive science, and to interact with the other seniors similarly engaged.


ICOS 350 SEMINAR ON THE LANGUAGES OF THE BRAIN

Distinguished Research Professor Karl Pribram offers this seminar in the Fall of 1999, as a sequel to his seminar on Brain, Behavior and Conscious Experience.


ICOS 351 BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE

Offered by Distinguished Research Professor Karl Pribram in the Spring of 1999. Cf the syllabus on the Program page (http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/farreg/index.htm) and click on Seminars and Research.


STEERING COMMITTEE
Wayne Davis (Philosophy)
George Farre (Philosophy)
Jeffrey Urbach (Physics)
Darlene Howard (Director)
Doug Eagles (Biology)
Paul Portner (Linguistics)
Rhonda Friedman (GICCS)
Mahe Velauthapillai (Computer Science)
Paul Kainen (Mathematics)

For further information, contact:
Dr. Darlene Howard
Director
311F White-Gravenor
Tel: (202) 687-4271
Fax: (202) 687-6050
howardd@georgetown.edu


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