The Department of Cognitive Science offers two graduate degree programs, one leading to a PhD and one leading to a Master of Arts.

PhD Program

The PhD program trains students to become cognitive scientists who can meld multiple existing disciplines into a new, genuinely integrated science of the mind/brain. Graduates are competitive for positions in traditional disciplinary departments at research universities.

Students earn an MA after completing their first research paper, which is during the second year of the PhD program.

MA Program

The one-year Master of Arts program is intended to appeal to students who have an undergraduate degree in linguistics, psychology, computer science, neuroscience, or another subdiscipline of cognitive science.

The MA program is not a pathway into the department’s PhD program. In fact, the program is one of the few in the country that offers a stand-alone MA degree. Therefore, the program is an excellent opportunity for students who wish to strengthen their qualifications for a PhD program or for a career in which an MA in cognitive science would make them more competitive.