Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Ph.D. in Cognitive Science
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
USD 56,884 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* $56,884 - $42,660 | based on credits taken
Introduction
RIT’s cognitive science Ph.D. provides an interdisciplinary study of the human mind that combines insights from psychology, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, augmented reality, and philosophy.
Students in the Ph.D. in cognitive science conduct research on human perception, cognition, action, and language with a focus on the representation and processing of information within biological and computational frameworks. The cognitive science Ph.D. prepares students for careers in academia or industry and develops abilities to analyze data, grasp complex concepts, and interpret and communicate concepts for a wider audience. Faculty advisors come from across the RIT campus to create a thriving, interdisciplinary community that supports students on their path to becoming independent scholars.
RIT’s Cognitive Science Ph.D.
Interdisciplinary Curriculum
The cognitive science program is jointly delivered by faculty experts from five RIT colleges, allowing students to develop valuable, career-enhancing interdisciplinary skills and communication competency as part of the program experience.
The five colleges include the College of Liberal Arts; College of Science; Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences; Kate Gleason College of Engineering; and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
RIT Graduate Scholarships are offered by academic programs in recognition of students’ records of academic excellence. The amount of the scholarship offer(s) varies by student and department. Scholarships do not include a stipend. These offers carry with them the expectation that students will maintain a minimum academic standard (3.0 cumulative grade point average) and make satisfactory progress toward their degrees.
Students who qualify for a full RIT tuition waiver or full reimbursement from an employer or an outside agency are not eligible for an RIT Graduate Scholarship.
Graduate Tuition Scholarships
- Typically, 10-40% tuition scholarship range. The amount of scholarship offered varies by student and department.
- Offered to top candidates in recognition of academic excellence and outstanding admission credentials.
- Those offered a graduate scholarship will receive a scholarship letter in their admissions portal at the time they are notified of their acceptance.
- Students pursuing degrees in designated online programs that pay the online tuition rate are not considered for this scholarship.
Cost and Financial Aid
An RIT graduate degree is an investment with lifelong returns. Ph.D. students typically receive full tuition and an RIT Graduate Assistantship that will consist of a research assistantship (stipend) or a teaching assistantship (salary).
Curriculum
Research
Cognitive Science Research
Ph.D. in cognitive science faculty, all sharing a passion for understanding the biological and computational foundations of human cognition - including memory, perception, attention, language, learning, decision-making, creativity, and problem solving. While faculty research interests are broad, our program emphasizes:
- Context, culture, and cognition: Whilst the existence of cognitive universals is likely given the high degree of genetic overlap across animal species, there are significant variations in environments that are likely to lead to individual differences in cognition. Understanding how context and culture drive this variability can both improve our understanding of human cognition and lead to a more inclusive cognitive science.
- Biologically-inspired computational models: Computational models provide insights into the mechanisms of cognition and how information is represented and processed in cognitive systems. Biologically-inspired models not only help us constrain our cognitive theories, they also allow us to apply the insights of cognitive science to the development of innovative and powerful computational tools.
- Cognition and human action: Cognition cannot be separated from action. The purpose of cognition is to allow us to navigate the world around us in both goal-driven and stimulus-responsive ways. Therefore it is important to explain how cognition is realized in human behavior, and the role of cognition in guiding human action.
Program Tuition Fee
English Language Requirements
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