Undergraduate Research Opportunities Form

Students pursuing undergraduate degrees in cognitive science are encouraged to engage in research related activities at some point during their time at Indiana University. The nature of this research will depend on the student’s academic interests and knowledge, skills/experience, and motivation.

The Cognitive Science Program offers four options for students to obtain academic credit for participation in research activities:

• COGS-X 497 Research in the Cognitive & Information allows students to obtain research knowledge and skills by participating in and contributing to the ongoing research of cognitive science faculty members. Student responsibilities may include conducting literature reviews, running experiments, providing computer programming and/or data management assistance, participating in research meetings, and more. May be repeated for credit. (Course formerly COGS-Q 493.)
• COGS-X 498 Research Project in the Cognitive & Information Sciences allows students to engage in individualized research projects, typically within a faculty-sponsored research laboratory. Students will conduct a research project in the cognitive and information sciences by designing, conducting, and analyzing an independent experiment; by developing and testing a computer simulation of some aspect of cognition; or by otherwise engaging in a program of original research. Projects must be approved in advance a
• COGS-X 490 Readings in the Cognitive & Information Sciences allows students to explore a topic in-depth through individualized readings. Under the direction of a faculty sponsor, students identify a readings list, establish a schedule for discussion of those readings, and complete a written assignment related to the topic. It may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours in X490 and Q498. (Course formerly COGS-Q 498.)

Students who wish to engage in one of the research activity options above must secure a faculty sponsor and complete the Readings/Research Agreement on the back of this sheet. The faculty sponsor must be a core faculty member of the Cognitive Science Program. Together, the student and the faculty member will prepare a description of the student responsibilities, proposed project, and/or reading list, the amount of work expected per week, and the means for evaluating student performance. Students must submit the research agreement in order to obtain authorization for enrollment in cognitive science research courses.

• COGS-Q 499 Honors Research Project in the Cognitive & Information Sciences allows students to expand upon research experience and activities described above through the development of a comprehensive research thesis. Students who complete at least 3 hours of Q499, submit an honors thesis, and maintain a 3.3 cumulative grade point average are eligible for the Departmental Honors designation on their transcript. Students interested in pursuing departmental honors in cognitive science should discuss their interest with a faculty member and the undergraduate advisor. A separate form is required for obtaining authorization to enroll in Q499.