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Cognitive Science
What is Cognitive Science? o
Philosophy of Cognition: The relation
of mind and brain, formal logic and
Language Sciences emphasises theoretical and
experimental approaches. Both degrees permit
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary attempt
computer reasoning as a model of significant student choice, with the number
to understand the human mind. It focuses on
human understanding. of required courses decreasing after the first
abilities such as reasoning, perception, memory,
two years. A particular feature of the ‘group
awareness, emotion, attention, judgment, motor
o Computational Neuroscience: Combining honours’ degrees is that it is possible to take
control, language use, and the connections
experimental, observational and up to 60 credits of the required pre-honours
between them. Cognitive science brings
computational exploration of the human courses in the third year. Usually students will
together scholars from informatics, linguistics,
brain. choose to focus on particular disciplines in the
philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology. Its
last two years. Nevertheless, the programme
methods include computer modelling, linguistic
is fundamentally interdisciplinary and inclusive,
analysis, philosophical reasoning, robotics,
neuroimaging, and psychological experiments.
Why study Cognitive Science aiming to create a community of students and
staff from both Schools and all years.
Cognitive science degrees can be relevant to at Edinburgh?
careers ranging from academic research on Between the two Schools which offer the Please note that the Cognitive Science
human mental capacities to highly practical Cognitive Science programme, Edinburgh has (Humanities) MA degree is currently called
work in robotics or software development. the largest centre in Europe for the study of “Mind and Language MA” and you will find
human cognition. We not only helped create further information in the Undergraduate
Edinburgh played a key role in founding this the field, we are still at the forefront of it, so you Prospectus under that name. The name change
discipline, exploiting and enriching long- will be taught by the researchers who laid the and the greater integration of the BSc and MA
standing connections between the disciplines foundations and are still making key advances. (Humanities) degrees are intended to take
that contribute to the study of human cognition. The course content is regularly reviewed effect during 2010-11. Also, it should be kept in
The Cognitive Science programme at to ensure our students learn about current mind that there are several planned changes
Edinburgh is jointly organised by the School developments. to pre-Honours courses in both Informatics
of Informatics and the School of Philosophy, and Linguistics, and possibly in Psychology.
Psychology and Language Sciences, creating The two Schools both received outstanding
ratings in the 2008 Research Assessment These changes mean that the details of the
an exciting and stimulating research, teaching degree curricula will change over the next few
and learning environment. Cognitive Science Exercise, achieving the best result in the UK in
the areas of Informatics and Linguistics. Both years, without any fundamental change to the
students can register in either School, and interdisciplinary focus.
choose their courses from both. Schools also received an ‘excellent’ rating in
the latest Teaching Quality Exercise. As well
as a thorough grounding in the fundamentals, In first year, students from both degrees study
The Cognitive Science programme allows together in a general cognitive science course
we offer you a large range of specialist topics,
students to combine the study of core that gives an overview of perception, memory,
and the opportunity to participate in leading-
computing and human science subjects with a motor control, language and reasoning, as
edge research projects. We have excellent and
specialisation of their choosing. The possible well as introducing experimental, neural
extensive facilities, both for computing and for
specialisations include: and computational methods. Students also
experimental investigation.
choose two or three introductory courses
o
Computational Linguistics: The nature
of human language, and computational
What does the programme from informatics, philosophy, psychology,
linguistics. In the MA degree, the courses aim
models of language and language use. involve? to introduce students to philosophical, linguistic
The Cognitive Science programme offers a and psychological approaches to studying the
o Computational Cognitive Psychology: choice of two ‘group honours’ degrees, both nature of language and the mind. Students on
The nature of the human mind, and of which are four years long and flexible the BSc degree will also take a mathematical
computational models of reasoning, in structure. The Cognitive Science BSc foundations course.
vision, memory and other cognitive in the School of Informatics emphasises
processes. mathematical and computational approaches. In second year you choose among more
The Cognitive Science (Humanities) MA in specific courses in the sub-disciplines: artificial
the School of Philosophy, Psychology and intelligence, algorithms and learning (in
informatics), knowledge and reality (philosophy)
language processing, linguistics, mind and
language (linguistics), and various courses in
psychology. You will also take further maths
Degrees in Humanities and Social Science Degrees in Science and Engineering courses if you are registered for the BSc
BSc Honours in: degree.
MA Honours in:
Cognitive Science (Humanities)* Cognitive Science
See also separate sheets on Artificial Intelligence, Psychology, Philosophy, and Linguistics.
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336
Cognitive Science
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this leaflet at the time of going to press. However, it will not form part of a contract between the
University and a student or applicant and must be read in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions of Admission set out in the Undergraduate Prospectus.