UCD offers a range of degrees in Cognitive Science. The most common option is the 12 month taught masters degree, leading to either an M.A. or and M.Sc. (depending on the background of the student). We also offer thematic research degrees at masters and Ph.D. level.
Applicants to the Cognitive Science programme should apply online. The webpage from which online applications are made is www.ucd.ie/apply/howtoapply.htm. If you encounter difficulties, contact us. The documents you will need to submit are described below.
Who will be admitted?
In order to qualify for admission to the degree, a student must have a good honours undergraduate degree in one of computer science, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, neuroscience, or a cognate discipline. Typically a minimum final grade of II.1 or equivalent is expected.
How do I apply?
Your online application will request enough personal information to enable you to be recorded within our application system. This will include details of previous degrees. References from two academic referees must be submitted, as well as a 400-600 word statement of research interest which outlines your reasons for wanting to follow this course. Official transcripts from your university will also be required. Details are given on the Online Applications website. The Cognitive Science programme is listed under the School of Computer Science and Informatics.
Full details of the minimal requirements for documenting English language proficiency are provided in this document. Applicants whose primary language is not English will have to submit evidence of either a TOEFL score of 600 or an IELTS score of 6.0 in each category, and 6.5 overall. These represent an absolute minimum and have to be strictly enforced, as the course requires a lot of written work and reading in primary literature in a variety of fields, including philosophy. Please consult the above document for full details.
If you encounter any difficulties in applying, please contact the programme director at the address below.
Ph.D. or M.Sc. by Research
Both the Ph.D. and M.Sc. by research degrees requre that incoming students first identify an appropriate principal supervisor with expertise in the intended area of research. Staff assocaited with the cognitive science programme can be found through the ‘staff’ and ‘schools’ links above.
Can you provide funding?
Unfortunately not. For the taught masters programme, fees for the year 2011/2012 were € 6,750 for EU residents and € 13,900 for non-EU residents. For the part-time taught masters degree, fees were €3,950 for EU students and € 7,900 for non-EU students. In general, we are unfortunately unable to provide assistance with funding.
Please note that students are required to provide their own laptop computers for use throughout the year. For those who are purchasing a laptop for the first time, a special deal has been arranged with HP/DSS and Apple. Details here.
Deadline for Applications
Applications for research degrees are accepted on an ongoing basis. The taught masters programme begins in September each year., and application before mid-July is recommended.