It is possible for participants in the Readings and Research in Cognitive Science seminar to increase their involvement to 3 credit hours per semester by writing a journal article on their work in the seminar. If you want to do this, you should sign up for 2 credit hours of independent study in addition to registering for the seminar. You will have to define a one- or two-semester research project that is interdisciplinary in approach and preferably one that you will conduct with one or two students from other home departments. This research must result in a publishable paper. Your work will be supervised jointly by the seminar instructor and another faculty member. Upon submission of the paper, you will receive credit for the Research Practicum requirement and for the independent study hours. If you are interested in this option, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your ideas.

Following are the rules from the Joint Ph.D. proposal:

The Research Practicum in Cognitive Science is required for the Joint Ph.D. in Cognitive Science. Two semesters are required at 2 credit hours each. During 1999/2000, the Research Practicum will be taken as an Independent Study.

During the two semesters of Readings and Research in Cognitive Science, students will enroll for a minimum of 2 credits of independent study with a faculty member in the program. During these concurrent enrollments, the student will write a substantial research paper that analyzes a problem and draws on the methods, data and theories of at least two of the following disciplines: computer science, education, linguistics, philosophy or psychology. Because at least two different disciplines are involved, appreticeship research with a faculty member outside the home department will be necessary to complete this paper successfully.

Under certain circumstances, this paper may be collaborative (e.g., if the collaborators have different home departments). The paper must be deemed publishable in a research journal or in a selective refereed conference proceeding and must have been submitted to such a publication before credit will be received for the independent study. The paper must be accepted by two members representing two disciplines (normally the instructor of the Readings and Research in Cognitive Science course and the faculty member supervising the independent study) and the Director of the Graduate Cognitive Science Program. The Director of the Graduate Cognitive Science Program will play a substantive role only when necessary to settle disagreements between the readers. Students will receive a grade of incomplete in the independent study until the paper is approved by all three faculty members.

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This page last modified on August 01, 2003