Undergraduate Research

How to Get Involved in Undergraduate Research in Cognitive Science

Students in the Minor are encouraged to explore independent study and thesis opportunities to deepen their research experience in Cognitive Science.

ICOS 4949, ICOS 4941: Research Tutorial in Cognitive Science

This is an independent research course, offered for a variable number of credits. Interested students should identify a Cognitive Science faculty member who agrees to supervise the student’s research, and written permission must be obtained from that faculty member and the Director in order to enroll. Cognitive Science minors who are considering undertaking a senior thesis may undertake preparatory work for the thesis during their junior year via this course.

ICOS 4970, ICOS 4971: The Cognitive Science Senior Thesis Option

Students who are not doing a thesis for their major are encouraged to exercise the Cognitive Science Senior Thesis option. They should enroll in the Senior Thesis in Cognitive Science (ICOS 4970, ICOS 4971) for a minimum of four credits distributed across the two semesters. ICOS 4970 is offered in the fall and ICOS 4971 is offered in the spring.

The number of credits and their distribution across semesters (e.g., 2 in fall, 2 in spring; 1 in fall, 3 in spring) must be approved by the thesis mentor. Regardless of the number of credits, the senior thesis substitutes for one of the four distribution courses. Thus, students undertaking a thesis in Cognitive Science need to take only 3, instead of 4, designated distribution courses.

Students considering the thesis option should connect with a Senior Thesis Advisor willing to support their research project as early as possible, preferably no later than the beginning of their senior year, prior to the Fall Add/Drop period, and they should plan to work on the thesis throughout the year. Students must enroll in ICOS 4970 and 4971 according to their approved credit distribution plan.

Theses in some disciplines might require preparatory work during the junior year, which can be started within the context of a Cognitive Science Tutorial (ICOS 4949, ICOS 4941).

• All students undertaking a Cognitive Science thesis should notify the Director at the beginning of the senior year, at the latest, prior to the end of the Add/Drop Period.
• Students will submit a Project Intake Form (available upon request, by email) with their Thesis Advisor. The form must be signed by the student, Advisor, and the Director, as an agreement to the student’s proposed thesis research project, estimated timeline of project milestones and target dates, the advisor’s willingness to advise and grade the thesis, and the Director’s approval of the thesis process and the student’s credit distribution plan in ICOS 4970 and 4971 across the fall and spring semesters of the student’s senior year.
• The deadline for submitting the final draft of the thesis to the Advisor is the final day of classes in the spring semester.
• Upon completion of the thesis, the student must submit the thesis title, an abstract outlining the completed work, and an electronic version of the thesis to the Director.
• Usually, the format of the thesis (e.g., in-text citations, references, general formatting) will be dictated by the customs of the discipline in which the thesis mentor works.

Students who will be undertaking a thesis to fulfill the requirements of their major are encouraged, but not required, to conduct the thesis in an area related to cognitive science. However, they should not enroll for any thesis credits other than those required for the major.