Cognitive Science

Study Type

graduate

Admission semester

Summer and Winter Semester

Focus

Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience, (Computational) Linguistics, Neuroinformatics, Philosophy of Cognition

Target group

Graduates of the Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science or closely related courses of study such as Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Computer Science, (Computer) Linguistics, Mathematics, Neurosciences, Medicine, Philosophy, Psychology or a degree course with a high proportion of computer science content, if necessary with additional conditions depending on their subject aptitude.

Annotation

Cognitive science examines phenomena such as perception and attention, memory and learning, planning, decision-making and problem solving, feeling, thinking, speaking and acting. In the 1970s, it evolved from a series of scientific/technical and humanities-related individual subjects into an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subject. On the one hand, it is about understanding cognitive phenomena in biological systems. On the other hand, the knowledge that is gained is used to create artificial systems with comparable capabilities. While cognition was originally understood as a symbol processing process in the brain, cognitive research is now interested in a broad spectrum of phenomena that often also include the body and parts of the environment. Nevertheless, methods such as those of machine learning in artificial neural networks remain central to cognitive research. However, it also uses modern measurement methods (e.g. EEG, eye tracking) and allows subjects to explore virtual realities or examines the social behaviour of primates to learn more about cognition beyond the classic laboratory situation. Philosophical questions such as those on the ethics of artificial intelligence are not neglected either. The Master's degree programme in "Cognitive Science" gives students the opportunity to specialise at greater depth in at least two sub-fields of cognitive science – (computer) linguistics, cognitive (neuro) psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroinformatics, neurosciences and philosophy – and to develop their individual academic profile in accordance with their interests and academic background. In interdisciplinary courses, students learn to understand and establish connections between the sub-areas of cognitive science. As part of a two-semester study project, they deal intensively with a research question and develop a solution approach, present and document it and gain valuable experience in independent project management under conditions that are common in professional scientific research at universities and in industry. The master's thesis, in which students can demonstrate their research competences in detail, takes place at the end of the course. Students of the Master's degree programme in "Cognitive Science" in Osnabrück can apply for an international double degree programme in collaboration with the University of Trento/Rovereto (Italy).

Admission modus

Without admission restriction

Admission requirements (Link)

Admission requirements

Qualified Bachelor's degree in a 'Cognitive Science' course or a comparable degree. Graduates from participatory or related disciplines may also be admitted. Additionally, proof of a command of English at language level B2 according to the CEFR, as well as a written application providing evidence of aptitude and motivation for the course.