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Requirements for the Doctoral Degree in Cognitive Sciences
Requirements for the Concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience
Requirements for the M.S. in Cognitive Sciences and M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience
Joint M.S. Degree in Statistics / Ph.D. in Cognitive Sciences Program
Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy (for the Ph.D.)
Requirements for for the Ph.D.
Requirements for the Doctoral Degree in Cognitive Sciences
The degree requirements listed below are as noted in the 2022-23 Catalogue.
For prior catalogue years, please refer to this link: Catalogue for Prior Years
Course work: Students must complete 12 courses distributed as follows:
Two (2) Cognitive & Brain Sciences Core Courses: | COGS 210A, 210B, 210C |
Three (3) Quantitative Courses: | COGS 203A, 203B, 203C, 203D, 214, STATS 210 |
Two (2) Computational Methods Courses: | COGS 205B, 205C, 205D, 214 |
Five (5) Electives | Open (At least two must be taken in Cognitive Sciences. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the Graduate Director) |
Many of these courses require familiarity with computer programming, which an be obtained by taking COGS 205A. Students are expected to enroll in the Cognitive Sciences Research Seminar COGS 201A-COGS 201B-COGS 201C during all quarters in residence prior to passage of the advancement-to-candidacy examination. During the fall of the first year in the program, students must enroll in COGS 202A. Note that no course may be used to fulfill more than one requirement in the program.
Second-year examination. The second-year exam is one of the major milestones of the graduate program in Cognitive Sciences. During the first year, in consultation with their advisor, the student should establish an advisory committee consisting of three faculty members, one of whom should be the primary advisor. At least two of the three must be Cognitive Sciences faculty members. The committee should meet with the student no later than spring quarter of the first year to determine the student’s area(s) of research interest and to identify the published literature with which the student must be familiar. At the beginning of the fall quarter of their second year, students will be required to take a second-year examination. It will involve (1) the student writing a critical review of work in their area of research interest, and (2) a presentation by the student followed by an oral examination by the committee. Should the student fail the second-year exam, the student will be allowed to repeat the exam in the winter quarter. A subsequent failure results in the student exiting the program.
Further information about the review paper and the exam can be found here. The finished paper should be officially submitted (via email) to your committee and to the Department Office no later than ten days before the exam is scheduled to take place. Once completed, fill out the 2nd Year Exam Request Form so the Docusign form can be routed for approval.
Pre-advancement talk. Prior to advancement, usually in the third year, each student is required to give a talk to the department faculty and students. Each student is expected to carry out theoretical/empirical research during the first two years. By the start of the third year, each student should have completed a research project of a scope and nature that is potentially publishable in a professional journal. This talk is required prior to the student’s advancement to candidacy. Further information about the third-year talk can be found here.
Advancement examination. The advancement examination consists of a written research proposal, for example in NIH NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship format, and an oral defense of the proposed research. The requirements for advancement are detailed below. Normative time for students to advance to candidacy is by the end of their fourth year in the program. Further information about advancing to candidacy (for the Ph.D.) can be found here. Once completed, fill out this internal PhD Advancement Request form so the official Docusign can be routed for approval.
Dissertation. Students must submit a dissertation describing original publishable research and present a public defense of the dissertation as the final requirement of the Ph.D. program as detailed below.
Doctoral Defense. The doctoral defense is the final milestone in the program. After you have finished the disseration, or when you are close to finishing it, you should set a defense date with your doctoral committee. The defense must be publicly announced no later than ten days in advance, and by the time of the announcement the dissertation should be in a final draft stage. To schedule your doctoral defense including reserving a room and announcing your defense, submit the Doctoral Defense Scheduling Request form.
During the defense, your will present your dissertation research in a 45-minute presentation. During and immediately after the presentation, your committee members can ask you questions about the content of the paper and presentation. After that, other members of the audience may ask questions also. When there are no more questions, the dissertation committee will meet to discuss your work, and will render a decision immediately. Note that the committee may ask you for revisions.
Requirements for the Concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience
The degree requirements listed below are as noted in the 2022-23 Catalogue.
For prior catalogue years, please refer to this link: Catalogue for Prior Years
Course work: Students must complete 12 courses distributed as follows:
Two (2) Cognitive & Brain Sciences Core Courses: | COGS 210A, 210B, 210C |
Two (2) Quantitative Courses: | COGS 203A, 203B, 203C, 203D, 214, STATS 210 |
One (1) Computational Methods Course: | COGS 205B, 205C, 205D, COGS 214 |
Two (2) Neuroscience Methods Courses: | COGS 205D, 265, 268A |
Five (5) Electives | Open (At least two must be taken in Cognitive Sciences. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the Graduate Director) |
Many of these courses require familiarity with computer programming, which an be obtained by taking COGS 205A. Students are expected to enroll in the Cognitive Sciences Research Seminar COGS 201A-COGS 201B-COGS 201C during all quarters in residence prior to passage of the advancement-to-candidacy examination. During the fall of the first year in the program, students must enroll in COGS 202A. Note that no course may be used to fulfill more than one requirement in the program.
Second-year examination. The second-year exam is one of the major milestones of the graduate program in Cognitive Sciences. During the first year, in consultation with their advisor, the student should establish an advisory committee consisting of three faculty members, one of whom should be the primary advisor. At least two of the three must be Cognitive Sciences faculty members. The committee should meet with the student no later than spring quarter of the first year to determine the student’s area(s) of research interest and to identify the published literature with which the student must be familiar. At the beginning of the fall quarter of their second year, students will be required to take a second-year examination. It will involve (1) the student writing a critical review of work in their area of research interest, and (2) a presentation by the student followed by an oral examination by the committee. Should the student fail the second-year exam, the student will be allowed to repeat the exam in the winter quarter. A subsequent failure results in the student exiting the program.
Further information about the review paper and the exam can be found here. The finished paper should be officially submitted (via email) to your committee and to the Department Office no later than ten days before the exam is scheduled to take place. Once completed, fill out the 2nd Year Exam Request Form so the Docusign form can be routed for approval.
Pre-advancement talk. Prior to advancement, usually in the third year, each student is required to give a talk to the department faculty and students. Each student is expected to carry out theoretical/empirical research during the first two years. By the start of the third year, each student should have completed a research project of a scope and nature that is potentially publishable in a professional journal. This talk is required prior to the student’s advancement to candidacy. Further information about the third-year talk can be found here.
Advancement examination. The advancement examination consists of a written research proposal, for example in NIH NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship format, and an oral defense of the proposed research. The requirements for advancement are detailed below. Normative time for students to advance to candidacy is by the end of their fourth year in the program. Further information about advancing to candidacy (for the Ph.D.) can be found here. Once completed, fill out this internal PhD Advancement Request form so the official Docusign can be routed for approval.
Dissertation. Students must submit a dissertation describing original publishable research and present a public defense of the dissertation as the final requirement of the Ph.D. program as detailed below.
Doctoral Defense. The doctoral defense is the final milestone in the program. After you have finished the disseration, or when you are close to finishing it, you should set a defense date with your doctoral committee. The defense must be publicly announced no later than ten days in advance, and by the time of the announcement the dissertation should be in a final draft stage. To schedule your doctoral defense including reserving a room and announcing your defense, submit the Doctoral Defense Scheduling Request form.
During the defense, your will present your dissertation research in a 45-minute presentation. During and immediately after the presentation, your committee members can ask you questions about the content of the paper and presentation. After that, other members of the audience may ask questions also. When there are no more questions, the dissertation committee will meet to discuss your work, and will render a decision immediately. Note that the committee may ask you for revisions.
Requirements for the M.S. in Cognitive Sciences and M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience
Although the Department does not have a terminal master's program, students may earn an optional master's degree as part of the Ph.D. program. Students in the Ph.D. program in Cognitive Sciences may earn an M.S. in Cognitive Sciences. Students in the concentration may earn an M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience. To be eligible for the M.S. in Cognitive Sciences and the M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience, the student must: 1) complete the required course work; and 2) pass the Second-Year Examination.
All students who have started in our Ph.D. program have the opportunity to apply for an M.S. in Statistics through a joint M.S./Ph.D. program offered with the Department of Statistics. Students admitted to this joint program are not eligible for the M.S. degrees in Cognitive Sciences and Cognitive Neuroscience. The M.S. Statistics paperwork will be handled by the Department of Statistics. Please provide a copy of your approved master's advancement and final degree paperwork to the Cog Sci Department Office for our records.
To obtain the M.S. in Cognitive Sciences or M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience (and upon
completion of the required course work and Second-Year Exam), please do the following:
- Request a Master's Advancement to Candidacy (Comprehensive Exam) form to be routed for approval by completing the Masters Advancement Request Form.
- The Final Degree Report - Master's Degree Comprehensive Exam form will be routed for approval during the quarter after the advancement form has been approved by Graduate Division.
- NOTE: Students cannot advance and earn the master's degree within the same quarter. In addition, advancing for the Ph.D. does not automatically advance a student for the master's degree.
- If you have any questions, please contact the Department Office at: cogsci@uci.edu.
Joint M.S. Degree in Statistics / Ph.D. in Cognitive Sciences Program
Current students in the Department of Cognitive Sciences' Ph.D. program are eligible to apply for the joint program with the Department of Statistics. Ph.D. students interested in pursuing the joint program must notify the Graduate Director and receive approval to enroll in STATS 210 and either STATS 210B or STATS 211, which fulfills the quantitative requirement in the Ph.D. program.
ADMISSIONS
In the winter quarter of their first year, interested Ph.D. students must contact
the Graduate Director to indicate interest in applying for the joint M.S./Ph.D. program.
The application consists of:
- A copy of the original application to the Department of Cognitive Sciences’ Ph.D. program, including transcripts, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation.
- A letter from the Cognitive Sciences Department Chair recommending the student for the joint program in Statistics/Cognitive Sciences.
- A letter of approval from the School of Social Sciences’ Associate Dean for Research
and Graduate Studies.
The Department of Statistics reviews the application in spring quarter to determine whether the student is adequately prepared for the M.S. in Statistics component.
Upon admission into the joint program, the student is expected to pass a comprehensive exam covering the material in either STATS 210-STATS 211-STATS 212 or STATS 210-STATS 210B-STATS 210C, following the spring quarter. In the fall of the second year, the student enrolls as an M.S. in Statistics student through the Department of Statistics and completes the remaining coursework and comprehensive exam. During this year, the student continues to receive financial support from the School of Social Sciences, as outlined in the original admissions letter.
After successfully completing one year in the Statistics program, the student will enroll in the Cognitive Sciences Ph.D. program in year three, and complete the normal requirements for the Ph.D.
REQUIREMENTS (COURSEWORK) FOR THE M.S. IN STATISTICS
A. Complete the following:
STATS 200A-200B-200C | Intermediate Probability & Statistical Theory |
STATS 210B | Statistical Methods II: Categorical Data1 |
STATS 210C | Statistical Methods III: Longitudinal Data1 |
STATS 210 | Statistical Methods I: Linear Models |
STATS 205 | Introduction to Bayesian Data Analysis |
B. Complete three quarters of STATS 280
C. Select two elective graduate courses offered by the Department of Statistics2
D. Select three electives from the Ph.D. program in Cognitive Sciences. The three electives must be selected from the following two areas3:
Computational Methods
COGS 205B | Computational Lab Skills for Cognitive Scientists I |
COGS 205C | Computational Lab Skills for Cognitive Scientists II |
COGS 205D | Neural Networks and Machine Learning |
COGS 214 | Bayesian Cognitive Modeling |
COGS 237 | Advanced Bayesian Cognitive Modeling |
Neuroscience Methods
COGS 265 | Introduction to Functional MRI |
COGS 268A | Computational Neuroscience |
1 STATS 211 and STATS 212 may be substituted for STATS 210B and STATS 210C.
2 At most, one of the two electives courses may be STATS 299, and only with prior approval from the Department's Graduate Committee.
3 These three courses fulfill requirements for both programs.
The entire program of courses must be approved by the Statistics Department Graduate Committee. Students with previous graduate training in statistics may petition the Committee to substitute other courses for a subset of the required courses. Students are required to pass a written comprehensive examination ordinarily at the end of the first year covering the material in either STATS 210 and STATS 210B-STATS 210C, or STATS 210, STATS 211, and STATS 212. At the end of the second year, the student must pass a written comprehensive examination covering the material from STATS 200A-STATS 200B-STATS 200C. Note that no course may be taken to fulfill more than one requirement within this program.
REQUIREMENTS (COURSEWORK) FOR THE PH.D. IN COGNITIVE SCIENCES
Students must complete nine (9) courses distributed as follows:
Two (2) Cognitive and Brain Sciences Core Courses: | COGS 210A, 210B, 210C |
One (1) of the following: | COGS 205B, 205C, 214 |
Two (2) Technical Electives: | COGS 205B, 205C, 214, 237, 265, 268A |
Four (4) Electives: | Open (At least two from Cognitive Sciences) |
Many of these course require familiarity with computer programming, which can be obtained by taking COGS 205A. Students are expected to enroll in the Cognitive Sciences Research Seminar COGS 201A-COGS 201B-COGS 201C during all quarters in residence prior to passage of the advancement to candidacy examination. During the fall of the first year in the program, students must enroll in COGS 202A. Note that no course may be used to fulfill more than one requirement in the program.
Second-year examination. The second-year exam is one of the major milestones of the graduate program in Cognitive Sciences. During the first year, in consultation with their advisor, the student should establish an advisory committee consisting of three faculty members, one of whom should be the primary advisor. At least two of the three must be Cognitive Sciences faculty members. The committee should meet with the student no later than spring quarter of the first year to determine the student’s area(s) of research interest and to identify the published literature with which the student must be familiar. At the beginning of the fall quarter of their second year, students will be required to take a second-year examination. It will involve (1) the student writing a critical review of work in their area of research interest, and (2) a presentation by the student followed by an oral examination by the committee. Should the student fail the second-year exam, the student will be allowed to repeat the exam in the winter quarter. A subsequent failure results in the student exiting the program.
Further information about the review paper and the exam can be found here. The finished paper should be officially submitted (via email) to your committee and to the Department Office no later than ten days before the exam is scheduled to take place. Once completed, fill out the 2nd Year Exam Request Form so the Docusign form can be routed for approval.
Pre-advancement talk. Prior to advancement, usually in the third year, each student is required to give a talk to the department faculty and students. Each student is expected to carry out theoretical/empirical research during the first two years. By the start of the third year, each student should have completed a research project of a scope and nature that is potentially publishable in a professional journal. This talk is required prior to the student’s advancement to candidacy. Further information about the third-year talk can be found here.
Advancement examination. The advancement examination consists of a written research proposal, for example in NIH NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship format, and an oral defense of the proposed research. The requirements for advancement are detailed below. Normative time for students to advance to candidacy is by the end of their fourth year in the program. Further information about advancing to candidacy (for the Ph.D.) can be found here. Once completed, fill out this internal PhD Advancement Request form so the official Docusign can be routed for approval.
Dissertation. Students must submit a dissertation describing original publishable research and present a public defense of the dissertation as the final requirement of the Ph.D. program as detailed below.
Doctoral Defense. The doctoral defense is the final milestone in the program. After you have finished the disseration, or when you are close to finishing it, you should set a defense date with your doctoral committee. The defense must be publicly announced no later than ten days in advance, and by the time of the announcement the dissertation should be in a final draft stage. To schedule your doctoral defense including reserving a room and announcing your defense, submit the Doctoral Defense Scheduling Request form.
During the defense, your will present your dissertation research in a 45-minute presentation. During and immediately after the presentation, your committee members can ask you questions about the content of the paper and presentation. After that, other members of the audience may ask questions also. When there are no more questions, the dissertation committee will meet to discuss your work, and will render a decision immediately. Note that the committee may ask you for revisions.
Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy (for the Ph.D.)
To advance to candidacy for the PhD, the following must occur: (1) the student must meet the requirements listed above for the appropriate Master's degree; (2) the student must, in addition, form a five-member faculty committee selected according to Graduate Division policy. The committee will examine the student on a topic which is determined in consultation with the committee. A written document describing the student’s work on this topic must be submitted to the committee prior to advancement. The student must demonstrate an understanding of the background and issues for the research topic and show sufficient preparation and creativity to undertake planning for a dissertation project (e.g., by describing a possible experimental design or outlining a possible theoretical development).
Further information about advancing to candidacy (for the Ph.D.) can be found at this link: https://sites.uci.edu/cogsphd/the-advancement-to-candidacy/.
Your finished paper should be officially submitted (via email) to your committee and to the Department Office no later than ten days before the exam is scheduled to take place.
Once you have advanced for the PhD, please complete the internal PhD Advancement Request Form so it can be routed via Docusign for signature.
NOTE: Students cannot advance and earn the degree within the same quarter. In addition, advancing for the Ph.D. does not automatically advance a student for the master's. Each degree requires a separate advancement.
Requirements for the Ph.D.
The requirements for the Ph.D. degree are (1) the student must formally present and defend a written dissertation proposal to a committee of at least three members selected according to Graduate Division requirements. The dissertation proposal presentation may take place as part of the examination for Advancement to Candidacy, in which case, that five-member committee will approve the dissertation proposal; (2) the proposal must be approved prior to the final dissertation defense (usually at least three months before to allow time for the candidate to incorporate suggestions and changes required by the committee); (3) the accepted proposal must be archived with the department; (4) prior to the approval of the final version of the dissertation the student is expected to defend the dissertation in a public colloquium announced with at least two weeks' notice; and (5) all requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be fulfilled within three years after advancement to candidacy.
The normative time for advancement to candidacy is four years. The normative time for completion of the Ph.D. is five years, and the maximum time permitted is six years.
To schedule your defense, please complete the Doctoral Defense Scheduling Request Form.
Forms
The second-year examination, advancement examination, and doctoral defense all require paperwork that must be completed and routed for signature via Docusign in order to be recorded as complete. In addition, general petition requests such as course substitution requests, leave of absence, and filing fee requests also require official paperwork to be routed for approval via Docusign.
All official forms are routed by the department administrative office. To submit a request, please visit the CogSci Request Form weblink for all internal graduate student request forms. If you have questions before submitting a request, please contact MyLee Ryan-Glass.
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