Administration

• Robert Goldstone: Director, 812-855-4853 (rgoldsto@indiana.edu)
• Michael Gasser: Director of Graduate Studies, 812-855-7078 (gasser@cs.indiana.edu)
• Colin Allen: Director of Undergraduate Studies, 812-855-8916 (colallen@indiana.edu)

• Ruth Eberle: Director of Technology and Adjunct Assistant Professor, 812-856-5722 (reberle@indiana.edu)
• Terri King: Fiscal Officer / Administrative Assistant, 812-855-2722 (telking@indiana.edu)
• Susan Towle: Administrative Secretary / Graduate Secretary, 812-855-0031 (stowle@indiana.edu)
• Shannon Kelley: Undergraduate Academic Advisor, 812-855-4658 (kelleysl@indiana.edu)

A full faculty list is available.

When should I arrive?

When do I start my duties as an Associate Instructor?

Students assigned an Associate Instructor position should meet with the course instructor who will discuss duties and expectations. Students should contact the course instructor a week before the start of class, Monday, August 27th.

All international students who assigned Associate Instructor positions must pass the Test of English Proficiency for International Associate Instructor Candidates before the start of their position.

• All international students must take the English Proficiency Examination (IEPE). Students should sign up as soon as possible to guarantee they can take the exam during the week of International Student Orientation, August 14 -17, to avoid possible conflicts with other campus orientation events.
  
  
• All international students with Associate Instructor appointments must take the Test of English Proficiency for International Associate Instructor Candidates (TEPAIC). Before registering for the TEPAIC exam, students must first pass the English Proficiency Examination (IEPE) and then obtain a memo from the Cognitive Science Program office stating that they have taken and passed the IEPE exam.
  
  
• The TEPAIC is given four times a year: early January, mid-April, late August and mid-November. Sign-up for the August exam starts on Monday, August 6, 2007. The TEPAIC Interviews take place on Monday, August 20 and Tuesday, August 21, 2007 from 2:00-7:00 p.m. The Appeal Exams will be held on Wednesday, August 22, 2007. International Associate Instructor candidates should sign up in Memorial Hall 313, Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. during the two-week period before each examination.

What to do after arriving in Bloomington

• If you arrive in Bloomington before New Student Orientation, feel free to explore the IU campus.
• Attend New Student Orientation. (Visit the GPSO website for more information.)
• Contact the Cognitive Science Program office to schedule an appointment with the Director of Graduate Studies.
• Meet with your faculty mentor.
• Register for classes.
  • New student registration runs through Monday, August 20 – Thursday, August 23. You may register for classes online or at Warren W. Shirey Registration Center, Franklin Hall 101. Please visit the registrar's website for online registration information.
• Get a student ID card
  • After registering for classes, you may obtain your student ID card from the Campus Card Centers. There are two locations: Eigenmann Hall on the ground floor and the IU Bookstore at the Indiana Memorial Union.
• Sign up for the Cognoscente mailing list
  • Cognoscente is a mail server account used for announcements of meetings, conferences, and colloquia. To subscribe and unsubscribe to Cognoscente send a message to: listserv@indiana.edu. In the body of the message, type: subscribe cognoscente or unsubscribe cognoscente. Please also visit http://www.cogs.indiana.edu/general/elist.html.
• Buy required textbooks at bookstore(s).
• Email your username to the Graduate Secretary, Susan Towle
  • Your welcome / acceptance letter contained information on how to set up an IU account. This information can be found at: https://itaccounts.iu.edu.

Please contact Michael Gasser, Director of Graduate Studies (gasser@indiana.edu), or Susan Towle, Graduate Secretary (stowle@indiana.edu) for course planning assistance.

Registration guidelines

• "Satisfactory progress" for COGS students assigned an assistantship will depend on taking and successfully completing at least 6 credits of COGS and other courses contributing towards their degree requirements each fall and spring semester.
  
• "Satisfactory progress" for COGS students receiving a full fellowship without an assistantship assignment will depend on taking and completing at least 8 credits of COGS and other courses contributing towards their degree requirement each fall and spring semester.
  
• Students are expected to maintain a normal course load as they make up incompletes.

Important notes for international students

• Course loads
  International students should note that SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) regulations are stringent about having a full course load, and it is essential to check with the Office of International Services well in advance of any event that might affect the status of a student's visa to avoid the risk of deportation for being out of status. Visit the immigration regulations page to check on current policies.
• Completion dates for visa purposes
  International students are considered to have completed their degrees as soon as they have completed the degree requirements, regardless of whether they have filed for the degree. It is essential to make sure that post-graduation visa arrangements are in place before completing the requirements. Please contact the Office of International Services to check on the current policies and rules for post-graduation visa.
• Completion dates for Optional Practical Training (OPT) applications
  For Optional Practical Training (OPT), a student's date of graduation is normally the end of the semester in which they take the last courses needed for the degree, regardless of whether they will receive an incomplete in one of these courses. Even if they have an incomplete that prevents receiving their degree, they should expect the OPT to be processed using the normal completion date for their last courses (the last day of finals).

Academic policies and requirements

• Graduate course grades
  Courses completed with grades below C (2.0) will not count towards degree requirements; however, such grades (e.g., C-, D+, D, D-, F) are counted in calculating the grade point average, which must be a B (3.0) or above to continue in graduate study. For additional information please visit the online bulletin.
• Time limits for course counted towards graduate degrees
  Normally, a course may not count towards degree requirements if it has been completed more than
  • five years prior to the awarding of the degree for master's students or,
  • seven years prior to the passing of the qualifying examination for Ph.D. students.

Enrollment requirements

Students who have passed the written and oral qualifying examinations must enroll each semester (excluding summer sessions) for any remaining required course work or dissertation credits. Once students have accumulated 90 credit hours in completed course work and deferred dissertation credits, they must enroll for a minimum of 1 hour of graduate credit each semester until the degree is completed. Students who have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except the dissertation are eligible to enroll in G901 Dissertation Research (6 credit hours) for a flat fee of $100 per semester. Enrollment in G901 is limited to a total of six semesters.

Students who will graduate in June, July, or August of any year must enroll in a minimum of 1 hour of credit as described above in either the current or the immediately preceding summer session.

Ordinarily, students shall be considered full-time by the University Graduate School if they are registered for 8 hours of credit (4 credit hours during each summer session) and their programs of study meet with the approval of the departments. Courses taken as an auditor may not count in the definition of "full-time study"; however, courses taken to remove undergraduate deficiencies for admission may count.

Transfer of graduate credit

Transfer of graduate credit is at the discretion of the department and subject to approval by the Graduate School. It is never automatic, and decisions are made on an individual basis. Up to eight credits of graduate course work can be transferred for the MS, provided the credits have not previously been applied to a degree. Up to 30 hours of credit can be transferred to the Ph.D., provided the credits were not applied toward a previous Ph.D. Approvals must be obtained before a student can be nominated to candidacy. Credit from institutions operating on a quarter or trimester schedule is adjusted to units of semester credit. For example, a three-hour, one-quarter course would normally be transferred for two semester-hours of credit. It is often difficult to measure work done at institutions that do not assign units of credit, as is the case at most European universities. Also, the Graduate School requires an official transcript on which a grade is recorded. It is in the student's best interest to gain approval for credit transfers as early as possible. However, students who are undecided about their final degree objective should defer their requests until a final decision is made because the request must state to which degree the credit will be applied.

Students applying for transfer of credit should provide evidence of course content, including catalog descriptions and any other material (text, course notes, tests, assignments, etc.) that might be helpful. The courses must fall within the time limits of applicable credit, namely, seven years prior to qualification. It is the department's responsibility to certify that the content and level of the course work is appropriate. To make this determination, the director of graduate studies may consult with other faculty members or arrange for the student to be interviewed by them.

• An official record (e.g., a transcript) that the course was passed with a grade equivalent to 3.0 (B).
• Official verification that the course work was not applied to (the equivalent of) a bachelor's degree if transferring credit for the Master's degree or the Ph.D. degree. Note also that, while graduate courses not applied to a degree can be transferred towards a Master's degree or a Ph.D. degree, courses credited towards a previously completed Master's degree can only count towards a Ph.D. degree.

Advisory committee

Students should assemble an advisory committee no later than one year after the student has been admitted to the Ph.D. program. The advisory committee will help with arrangements and evaluations of the qualifying examination. There must be at least two members from the core cognitive science faculty area and one from the minor(s). At least two of the members of the committee must be members of the graduate faculty.

Qualifying examination

Normally qualifying examinations are taken after the student has completed all the course work for the Ph.D. The examinations will cover the major subjects and may, at the discretion of the minor department(s), cover the minor subjects as well. The form of the examination is determined by each student's advisory committee.

Nomination to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree

After passing the qualifying examination, fulfilling all major and minor requirements, and receiving approval from the graduate school, the student is awarded a Certificate of Candidacy. Students have 7 years from the date the qualifying examinations were passed to complete their degree.

Research committee

To initiate research for the dissertation, the student chooses a professor who will agree to direct the dissertation. Once this choice is approved by the Dean, the assigned director (who will also serve as the chairperson) along with two or more additional faculty members from the core cognitive science faculty and a representative of the minor department(s) will make up the research committee. This committee should be selected from the members of the graduate faculty and should consist of faculty who are qualified to judge the student's dissertation research. This committee and the student's thesis prospectus must be approved six months before the defense of the dissertation.

Defense & dissertation

Students must submit to the University Graduate School a one-page announcement of the final examination thirty days prior to the scheduled defense of the dissertation. This announcement must bear the signature of the research committee chairperson. The Cognitive Science Program office will also receive a copy of this announcement prior to the defense and a copy of the dissertation. (Dissertation submission can now be done electronically. Visit the Dissertation Submission Site for more information.) There is a guide to the preparation of theses and dissertations available online.

Degree requirements for the Cognitive Science Program Ph.D.

• Q530 - Programming Methods in Cognitive Science (3 credits)
  Introduction to computer programming methods for artificial intelligence and computer simulation of cognitive models. Emphasis on the necessary data structures and their applications to cognitive science. Programming projects may be related to state-space search for problem solving and game playing, production systems, and cognitive modeling including memory and neural simulations. (Offered fall semester every other year.)
• Q540 - Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive and Information Sciences (3 credits)
  Introduction to the philosophical foundations of cognitive and information sciences Causal issues: cognitive architecture, physical embodiment, neuroscience, networks, dynamic systems, etc. Semantic issues: meaning, interpretation, representation, information flow. The role of both in language, logic, reasoning, action, perception, learning, categorization and consciousness. Emphasis on writing, analysis and exposition. (Offered fall semester.)
  
• Q551 - Brain and Cognition (3 credits)
  An introduction to neural mechanisms underlying complex cognition, and a survey of topics in neuroscience related to cognition. Provides a solid background in human biopsychology. (Offered fall semester.)
  
• Q560 - Introduction to Dynamic Systems in Cognitive Science (3 credits)
  Specific goals of this course include: an understanding of experimental design and the resources for future studies; an understanding of converging measures and programmatic research; discussion of current controversies in experimental design; and hands-on experience designing, conducting, and critiquing experiments.
• Q700 - Seminar in Cognitive Science (3 credits)
  Intensive study of specific topics in cognitive science. Topics and instructors will change regularly. May be repeated. (Varies, normally offered fall and spring semester.)
• Q733 - Colloquium Series (0 or 1 credit)
  Colloquium and research presentations by members of the cognitive science community, both from Indiana University and from other institutions. Three semesters at zero credits and one semester at one credit when the required colloquium is given by the student. (Offered fall & spring semesters.)
• Q799 - Readings and Research in Cognitive Science (1-6 credits)
  Tutorial research and study in specialized topics in cognitive science.
• Q899 - Ph.D. Dissertation Research (1-12 credits)

Cross-Listed graduate courses

There are approximately 160 graduate courses in 22 departments and 85 undergraduate courses that are cross-listed in cognitive science.

For a complete list of departments and schools, see Affiliated Schools and Departments.

A complete list of cross-listed courses is available online.

Procedures for independent study courses:

• Which research course should students take:
  • Q799 - Readings and Research in Cognitive Science (1-6 credits)
  • Q899 - Ph.D. Dissertation Research (1-12 credits)
  • G901 is allowed after candidacy and completion of the required 90 credits. (Enrollment limited to a total of 6 semesters.)
• How to sign up:
  To sign up for Independent Research Courses, the Independent Research Permission Form must be signed by the research supervisor and submitted to the Graduate Secretary. This applies to any Q799, Q899, and G901 sections. Please be sure to allow enough time to get the instructor's signature before the deadline to avoid late registration fees.
• With supervision outside COGS:
  If the student's supervisor is outside of the COGS faculty, he / she will need to find a COGS faculty member to co-supervise the project and co-sign the form. The COGS faculty member must assess the student's work at the end of the semester and submit the grade for the course. It is important to be sure that all needed information is provided to him or her at the end of the semester, in time for the grade submission deadline.
• Time limits on G901:
  Students are only allowed 6 semesters of G901. If students have used up their allotment of G901s they must register for Q899. Students should make sure they are eligible for the G901 registration before submitting their form to the Graduate Secretary.

Finding a place to stay

• Housing bulletin board
  The Indiana Memorial Union has a bulletin board on the ground floor, where people post cards for housing wanted or rooms available. The Memorial Union is located at 900 E 7th Street. (Directions and map.)
• Indiana Daily Student (IDS) & Herald-Times newspapers
  Both the Indiana Daily Student (IDS) & Herald-Times newspapers have classified advertisements for housing. Both papers can be found around campus.
• Graduate and professional student organization housing bulletin board
  The Graduate and Professional Student Organization provides a bulletin board online to allow students to list a vacancy or to find a place to live.
• Apartment and Condominium Guide
  The Apartment and Condominium Guide gives locations and phone numbers for some of the properties available in and around town. Some places have complexes for graduate students, so be sure to mention your status when you call. This guide can be obtained from numerous displays among the businesses and shops on campus.

Legal services

Student Legal Services advises students free of charge on the legality of a lease and provides information about tenant / landlord rights and responsibilities.

Utilities and transportation

Getting around town

Contact list

• Ronaldo Vigo
  Email: rvigo@indiana.edu
• Carlos Zednik
  Email: czednik@indiana.edu
• Sun Ah Kim
  Email: suakim@indiana.edu