General information
| Name of study programme | University graduate/masters study programme Cognitive Sciences: Cognition and the Mind |
| Type of study programme | University study programme |
| Format of study programme | Full-time |
| Duration | 2 years ( 4 semesters) |
| ECTS | 120 |
| Academic title awarded upon completion | Masters of Cognitive Sciences |
| Name and code of teh qualification in the CROQF Register | |
| Completion of study programme | All courses passed and Master thesis written |
| Vertical mobility | PhD programmes in cognitive sciences or one of its constituent disciplines |
| Job market | Cognitive Sciences graduates often seek careers in consulting, UX design, data science, science communication, as well as other fields that are research-oriented. |
| Web site | https://cogsci.uniri.hr/ |
Course list
Year 1
| Semester I | Semester II | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to the Disciplines and Work in Cognitive Sciences | 7 | Interdisciplinary module sin cognitive sciences 2 | 9 |
| Interdisciplinary module sin cognitive sciences 1 | 6 | Ethics | 6 |
| Statistics | 5 | Empirical Research Methods 2 | 7 |
| Empirical Research Methods 1 | 5 | Rotation project 2 | 5 |
| Rotation project 1 | 4 | Elective course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 |
Year 2
| Preparation of Masters Thesis 1 | 20 | Preparation of Masters Thesis 2 | 20 |
| Journal Club 1 | 2 | Journal Club 2 | 2 |
| Science Communication 1 | 4 | Science Communication 2 | 4 |
| Elective course | 3 | Professional Development | 2 |
| Elective course | 3 |
Elective courses
| Group A elective courses: elective courses offered only to students of the this Masters programme. | |
| Academic English | 3 |
| Current Issues in Empirical Cognitive Sciences | 3 |
| Cognitive and Neural Modelling | 3 |
| Artificial Intelligence and Cognition – Selected Topics | 3 |
| Developing Minds | 3 |
| Evolution of the Mind: Brain and Behaviour | 3 |
| Advanced Statistical Methods | 3 |
| Science Writing and Reviewing | 3 |
| Cognitive Linguistics | 3 |
| Group B elective courses: List of integrative elective courses offered by the Division of Cognitive Sciences: elective courses are offered for students of this Masters programme (half the quota) and students of other Masters programmes in those disciplines that are represented within cognitive sciences (half the quota). | |
| Social Cognition: What do We Know about Others’ Minds? | 3 |
| Introduction to Individual Differences | 3 |
| Open Science and Its Tools | 3 |
| Philosophy of Science | 3 |
| Foundations and Current Topics in Philosophy of Mind | 3 |
| Introduction to Philosophy of Psychology and Neuroscience | 3 |
Learning outcomes
Core learning outcomes
| Collective learning outcomes | Individual learning outcomes |
|---|---|
| Basic research processes | 1. to synthesise extensive professional literature 2. to clearly formulate arguments 3. to set up logical arguments 4. to accurately use the terminology of specific disciplines and research areas |
| Use of scientific literature | 1. to effectively look up literature according to current goals 2. to evaluate the literature from different disciplines and research areas within cognitive sciences 3. to critically evaluate the theory, methods, analyses, and inferences in the literature of different empirical disciplines and areas 4. to evaluate the validity (whether they logically lead to the conclusion) and reliability (if they are valid, are their premises true) of arguments in philosophical literature |
| Interdisciplinary work in cognitive sciences | 1. to connect concepts, approaches and methods in different disciplines and areas within cognitive sciences 2. to identify areas with interdisciplinary work 3. to identify barriers to interdisciplinary work in specific areas 4. to analyse challenges to interdisciplinary work within cognitive sciences |
| Theory development | 1. to discuss the benefits and challenges of formalised theory 2. to compare approaches to theory development between disciplines and fields within cognitive sciences 3. to analyse procedures for the construction of cognitive models 4. to describe the relationship between theory and cognitive models by critically assessing the adequacy of the cognitive models 5. to evaluate models and theories in cognitive sciences |
| Advanced application of empirical methods and independent research | 1. to identify the relationship between design, statistical analysis and possible conclusions 2. to plan research according to the above analysis 3. to plan critical elements of research (sample size, analysis, stopping criteria, etc.) 4. to perform data collection 5. to describe and analyse data using adequate methods 6. to critically interpret results (including assessing the generalisability and replicability of the research) |
| Project Management | 1. to independently conceptualise a project 2. to define a working plan and a research plan 3. to critically evaluate the benefits of a project 4. to plan and consider ethical aspects of the project (e.g., applying for permits) 5. to organise work on a collaborative project (i.e., when a team of researchers is working on a project) |
| Data Science and data analysis | 1. to visualise data and relationships between variables 2. to choose ways to share and manage data appropriately, depending on the specific research area 3. to plan and perform data analyses 4. to implement steps to ensure reliability of analyses |
| Digital skills | 1. to code statistical analyses (e.g., in R) 2. to implement steps to ensure code reproducibility 3. to code cognitive experiments and – where relevant – use online platforms to carry out data collection 4. to effectively use project management platforms 5. to use different data management platforms |
| Dissemination of research | 1. to write a scientific paper in a chosen discipline or area 2. to design and give an oral presentation 3. to design a poster and present it 4. to design and give a presentation to the general public 5. to adapt presentations to a target audience 6. to implement steps to ensure accessibility of materials and resources |
| Open Science | 1. to use Open Science tools to increase the transparency and openness of research (in empirical research: data, materials, methods, analysis, registrations) 2. to plan dissemination of research that ensures availability to the public 3. to identify challenges of the above processes 4. to evaluate the relevance and usefulness of Open Science (tools) for specific research areas 5. to evaluate the literature according to the principles of Open Science |
| Ethics in cognitive sciences | 1. to identify and synthesise questions about ethics in cognitive sciences 2. to design studies according to ethical principles and regulations 3. to analyse possible uses and risks of misuse of data and results 4. to describe and discuss the role of ethics in empirical research in cognitive sciences from the perspective of philosophy |
| Personal and professional development | 1. to formulate professional objectives 2. to identify steps to achieve the above objectives 3. to design a time management plan 4. to identify own skills, knowledge and experiences 5. to formulate and present personal skills, knowledge and experiences for professional purposes |
Elective learning outcomes
| Collective learning outcomes | Individual learning outcomes |
|---|---|
| Advanced writing skills in cognitive sciences | 1. to identify the writing style for different ways of dissemination 2. to adapt the writing style for general journals vs. specialized journals 3. to constructively review others’ work 4. to give constructive criticism and comments on the work of colleagues 5. to organise work with multiple co-authors |
| The role of philosophy in cognitive sciences and related disciplines | 1. to analyse the role of philosophy in cognitive sciences 2. to evaluate the use of results from empirical cognitive sciences from a philosophical perspective 3. to phrase arguments based on personal reading of philosophical problems |
| Integration of neuroscience and behavioural studies in cognitive sciences | 1. to evaluate neuroscientific methods in studies on cognition and the mind 2. to analyse the application of brain imagining in studies on cognition 3. to identify challenges in neuroscience studies investigation cognition and the mind 4. to analyse the integration of neuroscientific and behavioural methods in studies on cognition |
| Integration of research on cognition and the mind in humans and non-human animals | 1. to link concepts, approaches, and methods of research on human cognition and of research on non-human cognition 2. to identify the impact of research on human cognition on research on non-human cognition, and vice versa 3. to evaluate the approaches and methods of comparative studies 4. to identify challenges of comparative studies |
| Advanced knowledge and skills in selected research areas in cognitive sciences | 1. to analyse theory, approaches, and methods in selected research areas in cognitive sciences (e.g., cognitive linguistics, neuroscience, comparative cognitive science, Artificial Intelligence, etc.) 2. to evaluate theory, approaches, and methods in selected research areas in cognitive sciences 3. to identify challenges in cognition research in selected research areas in cognitive sciences 4. to link theory, approaches, and methods in selected areas in cognitive sciences with concepts and problems from philosophy of mind 5. to link theory, approaches, and methods in selected areas in cognitive sciences with discussions from philosophy of science 6. to evaluate the work in selected research areas in cognitive sciences from the perspective of developing theories and models |