It integrates teaching and learning through a multidisciplinary and diverse pedagogical curricula.
The advertisement for admission with all details are available on the Cognitive Science Programme website http://cogsci.iitd.ac.in
The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi launched a two-year full-time programme, Master of Science in Cognitive Science from July 2020. The programme will familiarize students with diverse theories, methods, and tools to understand the architecture and functioning of the human mind. It also envisages developing new state-of-the-art labs involved in finding better solutions to cognitive challenges and questions faced in the Indian scenario. It integrates teaching and learning through a multidisciplinary and diverse pedagogical curricula. The MSc programme trains students to pursue academic careers and to work at the crossroads of academic-industry linkages for advancing and leading intellectual creation in the cognitive science space. The graduates from this programme could work in diverse sectors from basic research, brain sciences, management, engineering/design (robotics, smart software, and technology, human-machine interaction), social organizations; or decide to pursue higher education in cognitive science or any of its allied disciplines.
Applications will be invited from highly motivated students who would like to excel in the study of cognition and start their careers in academia and industry.
Eligibility: The minimum qualification for admission to the programme is one of the following degrees or their equivalents: BA/B.Sc./B.Tech./B.E. The minimum cut-off grade/percentage in the qualifying degree will be advertised on the cogsci website. Those who did not appear in cogJET can apply if they have a valid GATE/JAM/NET score.
Programme Intake: 25 (reservation as per the Institute norms)
Application portal: https://ecampus.iitd.ac.in/PGADM/login
Programme Structure
The total duration of the programme is four semesters that involves laying the foundations through core courses in semester I and II, followed by elective courses in semesters III and IV that allow students to pursue questions in their own areas of interest and/or disciplines of cognitive science.
The course requires students to complete 75 credits spread across two years (37 in the 1st year and 38 in the 2nd). The core coursework would train the incoming students in broad areas of cognition. Program electives will introduce students to advanced topics and developments in specific areas of cognitive science while open electives allow flexibility to choose any additional courses of interest from both within and outside the department. Visiting faculty from both national and international institutions could offer specific modules of a course.
Apart from the core and elective courses, targeted lab-intensive courses will provide hands-on sessions to enable students acquire the skills necessary to delve into research, while also adding to their employability. Three advanced research methods courses are there as part of the elective credits which students can take for gaining more insights into how to conduct different kinds of methods. Additionally, an external project would enable them to engage with some basic or applied project beyond the courses. This requirement can be fulfilled through engagement in laboratory activities or by taking on a task with an organization. Lecture series would initiate students to engage with scholars and industry practitioners from diverse areas of cognition science.
Program Core
In the first year of the programme, the focus will be on basic concepts, theories, methods and tools used in the scientific investigation of cognition. These courses will comprise of introductory courses on cognitive science (including psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, mathematics, computation and data analysis). To cater to the heterogeneous nature of the incoming students, a bridge course on foundational subjects such as mathematics, biology, etc. will be offered in the 1st semester. All of these courses include a component of learning in a lab for the students to link the theoretical discussions with concrete examples. In this year, students will get acquainted with various skills, such as experimental design, programming, data analysis and latest tools used in cognitive science that will also be advanced in later elective courses that will help in their career advancements.
Program Electives
Nine credits need to be completed from programme electives to be taken in the 2nd (three credits), 3rd (three credits), and 4th (three credits) semesters. A student can decide on the courses based on one’s interest. These electives can be taken to specialize in a specific discipline cognitive science is comprised of or to gain broad perspectives across disciplines. The list of electives would be continuously updated, albeit with due consideration of recent advances in the field, faculty and emerging needs of the students.
Open Electives
Students are required to complete six credits through open elective courses offered in other departments such as Mathematics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Neuro/Biosciences, Management, etc. based on the student’s background and ability. These courses will provide them with more cross disciplinary perspectives on cognitive science. We have formed a brief list of suggested electives keeping in mind the cross-disciplinary nature of the programme but they are not meant to be binding. A student can take any course at the requisite level from any department at IIT Delhi (after fulfilling eligibility criteria for the course as specified by the specific instructor and in consultation with co-ordinators in the cognitive science programme).
Project & Lecture Series
External Project. Each student has to do an external project for 2 credit points during the lecture-free semester time, between 2nd and 3rd semesters. This is envisioned to be an opportunity for students to engage in basic or applied research outside the course curricula that can be at other academic labs, industries or organizations in India and abroad. The students will be required to submit a report which will be evaluated by a committee of faculty members.
M.Sc Project. Being able to demonstrate abilities to perform research is crucial. The credits for project are split in two parts across semesters 3 and 4. In semester 3, a student has to develop the idea and conduct preliminary studies while the complete study is to be conducted in semester 4 along with writing up the report. This helps the student to think about a problem, explore possible studies, have discussions and then go on to complete the project.
Lecture series. To build a broader understanding of the breadth and applications of cognitive science, 2 credits (across 3rd and 4th semesters) have been allocated for attending guest lectures by experts from academia and industry. If speakers are not able to come down to the campus, they would be offering their lectures via online platforms. Students would then prepare a report on these lectures that would be graded.