University
at Buffalo
MA IN PHILOSOPHY
with specialization in:
ONTOLOGY AND
INFORMATION SCIENCE
Ontologists are needed by private industry and by governments, non-profit organizations and other institutions to develop and manage large databases and directories, to model and analyze complex structures and processes, and to build systems for data and enterprise integration. Students interested in this fast-growing field who wish to acquire a background in the theory and practice of ontology may apply for the MA in Philosophy with specialization in ONTOLOGY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE. This interdisciplinary program, offered by the Department of Philosophy of the University at Buffalo, allows students to work with relevant faculty in Computer Science and Engineering, Geography, Linguistics, Mathematics, and Psychology. We aim to train professionals who will understand the work that ontologists do and will have the ability to apply ontological theories to a broad range of problems.
CORE FACULTY
Barry Smith Philosophy
Roberto Casati Philosophy (Fall Semesters)
Randall Dipert Philosophy
David Koepsell Philosophy
David Mark Geography ; Director of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
Leonard Talmy Linguistics ; Director of the Center for Cognitive Science
William Rapaport Computer Science and Engineering
THE DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
The Department of Philosophy of the University at Buffalo is an international center of ontological research and is involved in collaborative projects with ontologists throughout the world, including the IEEE Standard Upper Ontology Project and the GOL (General Ontological Language) Project of the University of Leipzig. Ontological research in Buffalo is currently centered on the ontological foundations of geographic information science , on the ontology of artifacts , and on related topics in applied ontology .
THE UNIVERSITY
The University at Buffalo, with roughly 23,500 graduate and undergraduate students, is the largest institution of higher learning of the State University of New York system. It is a graduate center and a major U.S. public university located on the US-Canada border near Niagara Falls . As the only public member in New York and New England of the prestigious Association of American Universities, the University at Buffalo stands in the first rank among the nation’s research-intensive public universities. Interactions among the university’s professional schools and its arts and sciences faculties, especially in cross-disciplinary research centers, give graduate and professional education at the University at Buffalo a particular richness and depth.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The degree may obtained by completing 30 credit hours (normally 10 courses) distributed among the required and recommended courses listed below. The MA Thesis (6 credit hours) or Project (3 credit hours) will be under the supervision of a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy.
REQUIRED COURSES
1. PHI 531 Problems in Ontology
2. PHI 517 Introduction to Logic, or PHI 615 Logical Theory I
3. CSE 503 Computer Science for Non-Majors (unless already qualified)
4. CSE 562 Database Systems, or GEO 504 Designing Spatial Information Systems
5. One additional Philosophy course
6. MA Thesis or Project
RECOMMENDED COURSES
PHI 579 Special Topics: Geospatial Ontology
PHI 616 Logical Theory II
PHI 640 Graduate Research Ethics
CSE 562 Database Systems
CSE 635 Multimedia Information Retrieval
CSE 563 or 663 Topics in Knowledge Representation
GEO 591 Introduction to Geographic Information Science
GEO 592 Cognitive Geography and Geographical Cognition
LIN 567/CSE 567 Computational Linguistics
LIN 667/CSE 667 Advanced Topics in Computational Linguistics
LIN 543 Semantics
LIN 636 Space, Time, Force
MTH 566 Special Topics: Lectures on Logic and Set Theory
MTH 615-616 Axiomatic Set Theory
PSY 627 Perception
PSY 639 Cognitive Processes
An approved Summer Internship may be substituted for one of the above courses for up to 3 credit hours. Other relevant courses may be offered at various times.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Students may apply for the MA either with a BA in Philosophy or with a major in one of the above fields and with some undergraduate experience in Philosophy. GRE scores, transcripts and two letters of recommendation are required for admission. For students applying from abroad the GRE requirement may in exceptional circumstances be waived. As part of your application materials, please include an official transcript from all of the universities you have attended and your scores on the GRE test. Foreign students must also report their TOEFL scores. Applications are accepted for both August and January for admissions. Requests for applications to the M.A. in Ontology and Information Science can be made to either the postal address or the e-mail address listed below. Applications may also be made electronically. Applications are accepted for both August and January admission. Since we currently offer rolling admission, there are no specific deadlines for receipt of applications.
TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
Tuition rates at the University at Buffalo are highly competitive -- one-third to one-quarter the cost of attending some other institutions. For example, the 1998/99 academic-year tuition for full-time students who are residents of New York State was $5,100; $8,416 for nonresidents. A limited number of partial tuition scholarships are available for exceptional first-year students. We also encourage you to contact the Office of Financial Aid to inquire about other sources of financial aid that may help defray the cost of attendance.
HOUSING
The University will assist you in finding suitable on-campus or off-campus housing. Among the options are new apartment-style housing designed specifically for graduate students.
Further information on ontology is available at the Buffalo Ontology Site .Applications for Admission and Requests for Information
Application forms and detailed information on the requirements for admission are available here .
Inquiries may be sent to:
Barry Smith <phismith@buffalo.edu>
State University of New York At Buffalo
Department of Philosophy
135 Park Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260 (U.S.A.)