Cognitive Science

The interdisciplinary field of Cognitive Science promotes the scientific investigation of questions of cognition, knowledge, information representation and processing, and communication. It includes study of the foundations of knowledge (systems of knowledge representation, logic, and language), of the biological and electronic systems that represent and use knowledge, and of formal models of cognition. In applications, the study of Cognitive Science can yield improvements in the design of control and communications systems, expert systems, and educational software.The MSc in Cognitive Science at the University of Otago is the first of its kind in New Zealand, providing an interdisciplinary approach to fundamental and applied questions in cognition within the framework of a single degree. Staff from the disciplines of Anatomy, Computer Science, Information Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Zoology provide complementary and interdisciplinary approaches to problems of cognition. In Psychology, areas of interest include human information processing, decision processes, human-machine interaction, computational models of cognition, cognitive neuroscience, and cognitive psychophysiology/neuropsychology. In Computer and Information Sciences, interests include artificial intelligence, expert systems, deductive databases, natural language processing, and pattern recognition. Philosophy and Linguistics contribute studies of logic, mind, semantics, and language. These are complemented by studies of theoretical neuroscience and neurophysiology in Anatomy, Psychology, and Zoology. The MSc in Cognitive Science provides a foundation for students intending to undertake advanced research in Cognitive Science, Cognitive Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, or Information Technology, especially where these involve communication, knowledge-based systems, and human-computer interaction. The degree also provides an important background for students entering careers in Information technology, particularly in the areas of Knowledge Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. 

The MSc in Cognitive Science is designed especially for students with multidisciplinary interests, and it is the appropriate degree choice for students wishing to study Cognitive Science using an approach that emphasises topics offered by two or more departments. Students intending to carry out studies within a single department should seek an MSc within that department.