The interdepartmental graduate specializations in cognitive science are available as electives to students who are enrolled in master's and doctoral degree programs in Audiology and Speech Sciences, Computer Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Linguistics, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, Physiology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Telecommunication, and Zoology. The College of Social Science administers the specializations. The Cognitive Science Program is not an independent degree-granting department.

One of the most important remaining mysteries in science is the nature of mind, whether mind be embodied in the biological stuff of neurons in a brain, or in the silicon stuff of computer chips in an artificial brain-like system. At the most general level, cognitive science is directed toward this mystery: How do biological systems process complex information to produce thought and adaptive behavior, and can artificial systems be endowed with the same capabilities? The scientific study of the nature of mind requires a concerted effort by investigators with many intellectual talents, from many different theoretical perspectives and empirical traditions, and across many different academic disciplines. The Cognitive Science Program at Michigan State University represents a cross-college, campus-wide effort directed at the study of complex information processing and intelligent systems. Cognitive scientists at MSU come from a wide range of backgrounds, including psychology, computer science, linguistics, audiology and speech sciences, philosophy, neuroscience, education, physiology, physics, telecommunications, psychiatry, and zoology, and a large range of research topics are investigated by cognitive science faculty. It is the intention of the Cognitive Science Program that graduate students who elect one of the specializations (master's or doctoral level) will recognize cognitive science as an interdisciplinary field that encompasses approaches to solving the problems of understanding the mind from a number of sharply different directions. Specialization students will not only learn about, but will also experience the process of engaging in research on these problems, under more than one disciplinary umbrella.

The specializations are supervised by the Graduate Affairs Committee of the Cognitive Science Program. Students must meet the requirements of both the degree program and the specialization. Students should work closely with their academic advisors to ensure that meaningful experiences that are directly related to cognitive science are included in their degree programs. With the approval of the department or school and college that administer the student's degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the specialization may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the student's degree program.

An interdepartmental graduate specialization in cognitive science is offered at both the master's and the doctoral level, although a given student may not receive certification for the specialization at both levels. If a student has completed some of the requirements for the specialization that is available to master's students, but is subsequently admitted to the doctoral program and plans to complete the requirements for the specialization that is available to doctoral students, the requirements that the student has completed may be counted toward the requirements for the specialization that is available to doctoral students.

Admission to the specializations is by cognitive science faculty approval. A student who is seeking admission must have earned a bachelor's degree with a grade-point average of at least 3.00, and have been admitted to one of the disciplinary majors leading to the master's or doctoral degree programs referenced above. To be considered for acceptance into the specialization, the student should submit the specialization application form, a personal statement describing the student's objectives and interest in cognitive science, and a current curriculum vita. Please send all materials to 55A Psychology Bldg. by October 15 (Fall admission) and April 1 (Spring admission). In addition, the student should request a letter of support from the student's major professor. Additional documentation may be requested as needed. Admission to the program must be approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee (comprising three members of the cognitive science faculty) and Director of the Cognitive Science Program.

During the first year of study toward a master's or doctoral degree, the student and the major professor select a guidance committee that will assist in planning the student's program for both the degree and specialization. At least one member of a master's student guidance committee shall be a member of the Cognitive Science faculty. At least two members of a doctoral student guidance committee shall be members of the Cognitive Science faculty including one member from outside the student's major department.

Requirements for the Specializations in Cognitive Science

Master's Students

The student must:

  1. Complete 18 credits of course work as specified below.
  2. Participate in a research project outside their home department. This requirement may be met by participating in a research project during at least one semester in a lab outside the student's home department, or by enrolling in an independent study involving close collaboration with a member of the cognitive science faculty outside the student's home department.

In addition to meeting the requirements referenced above, the thesis of a student on Plan A must reflect the integration of the student's discipline and cognitive science.

Doctoral Students

The student must:

  1. Complete 18 credits of course work as specified below.
  2. Participate in a research project outside their home department. This requirement may be met by participating in a research project during at least one semester in a lab outside the student's home department, or by enrolling in an independent study involving close collaboration with a member of the cognitive science faculty outside the student's home department.
  3. Complete a dissertation that reflects the integration of the student's discipline and cognitive science.

Required Core Courses

The courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for an interdepartmental graduate specialization in cognitive science must be approved by the student's guidance committee for the specialization. The courses should be selected within the context of the student's educational and career goals and with the goal of demonstrating competence in at least two areas of cognitive science.

***The Cognitive Science Program Graduate Specialization course requirements are presently being reviewed. Currently a student must complete:

  1. The following core courses:

    PSY 863 Seminar in Cognitive Science (2 semesters, 1 credit each)

  2. 16 additional credits in courses relevant to cognitive science. At least 6 of these credits must be in courses outside the student's home discipline, chosen from among the following:
    • CEP 903 Cognitive Development
    • CSE 802 Pattern Recognition and Analysis (4)
    • CSE 803 Computer Vision (3)
    • CSE 841 Artificial Intelligence (3)
    • CSE 845 Knowledge-Based Systems (3)
    • CSE 847 Machine Learning (3)
    • CSE 848 Evolutionary Computation (3)
    • CSE 885 Artificial Neural Networks (3)
    • CSE 941 Selected Topics in Artificial Intelligence (3)
    • CSD 813 Neuroanatomy and Physiology of Speech, Language, and Hearing
    • CSD 823A Acquired Language Disorders: Aphasia
    • LIN 824 Phonological Theory I (3)
    • LIN 834 Syntactic Theory I (3)
    • LIN 837 Advanced Studies in Semantics and Pragmatics (3)
    • LIN 850 Advanced Studies in Child Language Acquisition (3)
    • LIN 855 Advanced Studies in Neurolinguistcs (3)
    • LIN/CSE 875 Advanced Studies in Computational Linguistics (3)
    • PHL 860 Seminar in Metaphysics and Epistemology (3)
    • PHL 880 Seminar in Philosophy of Science (3)
    • PSY 801 Sensation and Perception (3)
    • PSY 802 Basic Cognitive Processes(3)
    • PSY 803 Higher Order Cognitive Processes(3)
    • PSY 851 Neuropsychology (4)
    • ZOL 822 Topics in Ethology and Behavioral Ecology (3)
    • ZOL/PSY/PHL/LIN 867 Nature & Practice of Cognitive Science (3)
    With the prior approval of the Cognitive Science Graduate Affairs Committee, other courses may be substituted for the ones listed here.

Pending adminstrative approval, ZOL/PSY/PHL/LIN 867 is intended to become a required core course for all Program graduate students. Under the proposed requirements, students will need to complete thirteen credits of elective cognitive science courses in addition to the two credits of 863 and three credits of 867. Students who have only recently started their cognitive science studies should plan on taking ZOL/PSY/PHL/LIN 867 in anticipation of the new requirements.

Upon completion of the requirements for the degree program and of the interdepartmental graduate specialization in cognitive science, the student should contact the Cognitive Science Program and request certification for the completion of the specialization. After the certification is approved by the Cognitive Science Graduate Affairs Committee, by the Director of the Program and by the Dean of the College of Social Science, the Office of the Registrar will enter on the student's academic record the name of the specialization and the date that it was completed. This certification will appear on the student's transcript.

For further information and questions about the graduate program, please see our contact information page.