Phone: 703-993-4333
Web: krasnow.gmu.edu
James L. Olds, Director
Kenneth De Jong, Associate Director
James L. Olds, Chair, Department of Molecular Neuroscience
Claudio Cioffi-Revilla, Chair, Department of Computational Social Science
Ascoli, Axtell, Barreto, Blackwell, Butler, Cebral, Cioffi-Revilla, Cressman, De Jong, Dumas, Grefenstette, Kalbfleisch, McCabe, Morowitz, Olds, Palkovich, Parasuraman, Parker, Peixoto, So, Tsvetovat
The Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study seeks to expand the understanding of mind, brain, and intelligence by conducting research at the intersection of the separate fields of cognitive psychology, neurobiology, and the computer-driven study of artificial intelligence and complex adaptive systems, including social systems. These separate disciplines increasingly overlap and promise progressively deeper insight into human thought processes. The institute also examines how new insights from cognitive science research can be applied for human benefit in the areas of mental health, neurological disease, education, computer design, and social system analysis.
The Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study was chartered in 1990 as a private nonprofit Virginia corporation and merged with Mason in 2002, becoming a chartered institute under the Office of the Provost. The Center for Social Complexity joined the Krasnow Institute in 2005. In 2007, the institute became an academic unit housing the Department of Molecular Neuroscience and the Department of Computational Social Science (pending SCHEV approval). With an annual budget of $3.1 million, the institute is home to a scientific staff of 60. Cognitive research at the institute spans from molecules to the mind to social systems. Krasnow scientists have published extensively in the most prestigious scholarly journals and collectively have brought in more than $22 million in sponsored research from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and private sources such as the Sir John Templeton Foundation.
SC-PHD-NEUR
Phone: 703-993-4381
Web: neuroscience.gmu.edu
The Krasnow Institute, together with the College of Science (COS) and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), oversees the campuswide Neuroscience Council in developing the Neuroscience PhD curriculum.
Neuroscience PhD courses are listed under NEUR in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog. Neuroscience PhD admissions and program requirements are listed under Neuroscience in the College of Science section of this catalog.
SC-PHD-CSS
Phone: 703-993-1402
Web: socialcomplexity.gmu.edu
E-mail: cssgrad@gmu.edu
The core objective of the PhD in Computational Social Science (CSS) Program is to train graduate students to be professional computational social scientists in academia, government, or business. The program offers a unique and innovative interdisciplinary academic environment for systematically exploring, discovering, and developing skills to successfully follow careers in one of the areas of computational social science.
Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in one of the social sciences; computer science, engineering, or a relevant discipline, and have taken undergraduate courses in these and related areas. Bachelor’s degrees in the physical or biological sciences are also eligible, but applicants may be advised to take additional courses in social science or computer science as prerequisites to admission. Minimal requirements also include one undergraduate course in calculus and knowledge of a computer programming language, preferably an object-based language. Applicants should have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, with a GPA of at least 3.25. To apply, prospective students should send to the COS Fairfax Campus Graduate Admissions Processing Center a completed Mason graduate application, two copies of official transcripts from each college and graduate institution attended, a current résumé, an expanded goals statement not to exceed 2,000 words, and the names of two Mason faculty members who may be suitable advisors. Applicants should also include three letters of recommendation from faculty members or individuals with direct knowledge of the student’s academic or professional capabilities. The letters must arrive directly from the senders. Applicants should also submit an official report of scores obtained on the GRE. TOEFL scores are required of all international applicants.
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 in the program. The program requires 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree, with a minimum of 48 credits in course work, and 24 credits of dissertation research. For those holding a master’s degree, the 72 required credits may be reduced by up to 30 credits, depending on graduate courses. A maximum of 24 credits of prior graduate course work may be transferred, provided such credits have not been used for another degree. The 48 credits of courses have the functional distribution and learning objectives indicated below:
Areas for dissertation research include, but are not limited to, the following:
During the first year, each student will form a graduate studies committee, called the First-Year Committee, consisting of the student’s advisor plus two or three appropriately qualified individuals. The committee assists the student in designing a specific plan of study and evaluating the student’s progress by the end of the first year. During the second year, the student forms a doctoral committee, with membership approved by the CSS program director. The committee will advise the student on preparing for the doctoral candidacy exams and preparing, developing, and defending the doctoral dissertation.
The candidacy exam is taken after students have completed all core requirements and a majority of additional course work (18 plus 15 credits), which typically corresponds to the fifth semester in the program. The purpose of the candidacy exam is to assess the student’s substantive and methodological knowledge in CSS as a whole and in the chosen area of concentration; ability to integrate materials from different courses; and potential for a successful dissertation.
The exam will consist of written and oral parts. On passing the candidacy exam and submitting an acceptable dissertation proposal, students are advanced to doctoral candidacy. The degree is awarded on the successful defense of a PhD dissertation that represents a detailed written report of an original and significant research contribution to the CSS field.
SC-CERG-CSS
This 15-credit program is designed for students who seek training in computer simulation and related computational methods for analyzing social systems and processes. The program is open to all students with graduate standing at Mason and all students who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. The CSS certificate allows students with social science or computational backgrounds to acquire new knowledge and modeling skills to improve their qualifications and attractiveness to employers in government, academia, or industry. The core courses provide a common foundation; additional elective courses allow for a variety of student interests across diverse social domains.
Students in the CSS certificate program must take both CSS 600 Introduction to Computational Social Science and CSS 610 Computational Analysis of Social Complexity. Students are also required to take a minimum of 9 credits in elective courses (for example, CSS 605, 620, 692). Students may include a maximum of 3 credits of programming courses to meet the requirements. Such programming courses as procedural, object-oriented languages, or other approved programming approaches (such as CSI 603 or 604 Introduction to Scientific Programming I or II may be used with approval of the director. Some courses on computational techniques, modeling, or statistics, such as visualization, graphics, and statistical and database packages (such as CSI 606 and 607), may also be used to meet the requirements with prior approval of the director. Students intending to obtain the CSS certificate must apply to the CSS certificate program before beginning any CSS course work intended to satisfy requirements. They must also have their course work plan approved by the director.
Applicants should have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.00. To apply, prospective students should send to the COS Fairfax Campus Graduate Admissions Processing Center a completed Mason graduate application, two copies of official transcripts from each college and graduate institution attended, and a current résumé. TOEFL scores are required of all international applicants.