The University of Rochester allows graduate students to construct special interdisciplinary curricula between independent departments. Interdisciplinary Ph. D. programs are guided by a committee of at least three faculty members from at least two departments appointed by the University Dean of Graduate Studies. This is an advisory committee guiding the student's early years of study, helping to determine the precise form of the qualifying examination for the student, and so on. The advisory committee may well be distinct from the student's dissertation committee: the committee that supervises the student's doctoral research in the final stages of study. Both of these committees, the advisory committee and the dissertation committee, are distinct from the general steering committee of the Cognitive Science program which must approve or recommend the other committees.
Five departments concerned with the Cognitive Sciences cooperate in the construction of such special curricula: Computer Science, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Brain & Cognitive Sciences. Students are only admitted to graduate study in one of the existing U of R departments. This department serves as a major, home, department, and at least one of the three faculty advisors will be from that department, though not necessarily the director of the dissertation. Each of the cooperating departments and the Cognitive Science Steering Committee must endorse such interdepartmental degrees. The Ph. D. diploma will have the form, "Ph. D. in [Home Department] and [second department(s)]."
The departments involved have agreed to flexible guidelines for students who are engaged in the interdepartmental cognitive science curriculum. Roughly, a Cognitive Science student fulfills 2/3 of the home department base requirements and 1/3 of the second department requirements. Samples of the 'major' and 'second' requirements for each program are given in the appendix.
The major focus of the cognitive science program is on an integrated course and research sequence that gives students thorough grounding in at least two disciplines, within the framework of cognitive science. Thus, the specific base course and exam requirements are a minor part of the total educational curriculum, which is designed by the student and advisors. The most important part of the curriculum is the research associated with the degree. Ordinarily, a cognitive science student's main advisor will be from the home department, with another advisor from the second department. The thesis advisor may be drawn from the second department; this occurs quite frequently.
Cognitive Science students also have three extradepartmental requirements: (1) They must serve at least once in the undergraduate program; (2) they must participate in ongoing special seminars with local and visiting speakers in cognitive science; and (3) the Ph. D. dissertation must have a cognitive science aspect, combining elements from at least two of the departmental areas participating in the program. Serving in the undergraduate program includes such activities as being a teaching assistant in one of the core courses, close advising of some undergraduate research projects, advising the undergraduate cognitive science council, and other such activities. During each year Cognitive Science sponsors a number of special colloquia and short courses. Cognitive Science students are expected to attend these. In addition, it is expected that the Ph. D. dissertation topic will have a cognitive science aspect to it. The guidelines are broad, and previous practice suggests a very large degree of latitude.
The actual requirements are those determined by the student's advisory committee, with the approval of (a) the relevant departments and (b) the Cognitive Science Steering Committee. Listed in the appendix are requirements for 'major' and 'second' concentrations in each department. They have been approved of in principle by both the Cognitive Science Steering Committee and the relevant department. Like all departmental requirements, they are subject to change, though changes are not likely to be either large or retroactive. The final say, subject to departmental and steering committee approval, lies with the advisory committees.
Students wanting to work toward a graduate degree in Cognitive Science should visit the chair of the Cognitive Science Steering Committee (James Allen) or the Cognitive Science Secretary. The secretary will have a form that should be filled out, and should be accompanied by a proposed program. The form also calls for a rough indication of the area in which research for the Ph. D. dissertation will be conducted.
The proposal will be presented to the Cognitive Science Steering Committee, which will make suggestions for improvements, or approve it as it stands. When the proposal is approved, the Cognitive Science Steering Committee will recommend to the University Dean of Graduate Studies that the student be accepted as an interdisciplinary Ph. D. student, working under an approved interdisciplinary advisory committee. When the Dean has approved this recommendation, the student is an official Cognitive Science graduate student.
It should be noted that it is the advisory committee that determines the qualifying examination process for the student. In general, this will reflect the guidelines outlined in the appendix.
In general the student will be meeting requirements of the home department during the first year, and thus will not usually be in a position to submit a proposal before the second year. The proposal should be submitted during the second year of study, and in any case before the qualifying examination, which must be designed and approved by the studentÍs advisory committee. Exceptions must be approved by the Cognitive Science Steering Committee.
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Last modified: 9/2/2004
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