The Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics (FMFI) at Comenius University of Bratislava offers a unique Master of Cognitive Science program, which is the result of a coordinated project of five Central European universities. This program is one of the few successfully developing multilateral master programs in the Central European context. It focuses on the study of human cognition, including perception, cognition, thinking, knowledge representation, learning, and decision-making, and how these processes are implemented in the brain. In this article, we will explore the details of this program.
Program Description:
The Master of Cognitive Science program at Comenius University of Bratislava is a two-year, full-time program that is part of the joint Master’s program MEI:CogSci. The program is directed by Professor Igor Farkaš, and co-guarantors are Professor Ľubica Beňušková, Docent Martin Takáč, Docent Martin Homola, and Docent Mária Markošová.
The program is interdisciplinary in nature and combines knowledge and methods from various fields, including psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, and others. The graduate of the program will be equipped with the latest knowledge about human thinking, acting, and sociability. They will be able to combine formal computer science techniques with experimental methods of psychology and neuroscience and use and enrich knowledge of other scientific, social, and humanity disciplines.
The program’s strength lies in interdisciplinarity, i.e., the study of a selected phenomenon from the perspective of more than one discipline, and the search for associations and connections between them. Graduates of the program will gain the ability to specify, design, implement, and maintain integrated intelligent systems and large-scale modern applications with a high degree of use of cognitive science and artificial intelligence methods. They will also be able to design, implement, analyze, evaluate, and interpret computational simulations related to applications of cognitive science.
Mobility Program:
A unique feature of the Master of Cognitive Science program is the mandatory mobility at one of the universities of the consortium, during which the student will gain foreign experience. The student can choose to complete internships abroad at other universities during their studies, as well. The program also offers the annual international conference MEi:CogSci and regular meetings of students and teachers of the consortium at FMFI UK in Bratislava.
Graduation:
The final thesis is a crucial part of the Master of Cognitive Science program. The student has to demonstrate the ability to independently acquire theoretical and practical knowledge based on the current state of science and creatively apply, use, and develop them. The final thesis will be prepared by the student under the guidance of the thesis supervisor, who will prepare a written report on the final thesis and propose its evaluation. The final work is assessed by the opponent, who will prepare a written report.
Career Opportunities:
Graduates of the Master of Cognitive Science program will have various career opportunities. They can work as researchers in cognitive science or creative workers in applications of one of the sciences related to cognitive science. They can also work in various fields, including academia, research institutions, and companies that require expertise in cognitive science.
Conclusion:
The Master of Cognitive Science program at Comenius University of Bratislava offers a unique opportunity for students interested in the interdisciplinary study of human cognition. The program’s interdisciplinarity and international character significantly increase the potential of graduates on domestic and international labor markets. The mandatory mobility program, internships abroad, and annual international conference also provide students with valuable opportunities to gain foreign experience and develop their skills further.
