S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Gandhinagar is all about inviting applications for MSc (Cognitive Science) and MA (Culture and Society).
MSc Cognitive Science
Course at IIT Gandhinagar in Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary programme with content from philosophy, psychology, computer science, neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence.
IIT Gandhinagar courses: Apply before Jan 31
Cognitive Science, a course at IIT Gandhinagar is also a growing one is of utmost importance with applications in every major field.
It is interesting to note that IIT Gandhinagar has a state-of-the-art Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, which conducts high-quality research in the frontier areas of cognitive science on various cutting-edge topics.
The topics are perception, curiosity, attention, motor learning, decision making, prosthetics, rehabilitation, robotics, consumer behavior, multisensory perception, music cognition, and tactile perception, among other areas.
Taking into account the multi-disciplinary aspect, this course offered by IIT Gandhinagar also gives students flexibility to tailor the course according to their interests.
Students who wish to join this course at IIT Gandhinagar are encouraged to take courses from other disciplines, creating a vibrant learning environment.
Those who join MSc in Cognitive Science at IIT Gandhinagar are from variety of disciplines like psychology, physics, engineering, life sciences and philosophy, creating an atmosphere of curiosity and collaboration throughout the course.
This course at IIT Gandhinagar transcends traditional academic boundaries through rigorous multi-disciplinary coursework, focused faculty-mentored projects, exciting summer internships, and an in-depth dissertation.
MSc (Cognitive Science) programme at IIT Gandhinagar places a strong framework of the curriculum including core courses, electives, and a research project.
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It will follow a structure of four semesters with a total of eighty credits required for graduation.
The core courses establish a strong foundation for students coming from different backgrounds by offering a holistic understanding of cognitive science as a field of study.
These courses equip students with a wide range of perspectives and approaches to cognition, the brain, and the mind.
The M.Sc. program places a strong emphasis on both coursework and research project.
The Research project is compulsory for the award of an M.Sc. degree.
It is expected that the thesis project will result in high-quality scholarly publications and national and international conference presentations.
MA Society and Culture
IIT Gandhinagar is also inviting applications for MA in Culture in Society.
This is a unique programme that provides students from any disciplinary background, a focus on key disciplines within humanities and social sciences.
This course is running successfully at IIT Gandhinagar since 2013, takers of this course are employed in various sectors ranging from media and communication to NGOs.
Couple of students of this course at IIT Gandhi even took to research. They are pursuing doctorate in USA and Canada.
Masters in Society and Culture will give students a critical ability to approach the world and its many challenges.
Careers after the M.A. program could be related to journalism, advertising, media, communications, writing, teaching, human resources and non-profits (NGOs, policy think-tanks) besides higher studies.
Students opting to pursue a Ph.D. will also have the option of taking the University Grants Commission Lectureship exams (N.E.T/S.L.E.T) in the broad discipline that they choose to work for their M.A. thesis project.
The course provides for fundamental learning, debates, and methods in the disciplines of literature, sociology, anthropology, political science, and history.
The two year masters program emerges from a conviction that students need to be trained to understand the social and political context.
It brings theoretical and cutting-edge formulations on societies and nations that are necessary and must also be learned in tandem with real-life observation and fieldwork.
This programme at IIT Gandhinagar also helps students understand intersections between disciplines so that recurring themes such as identity, democracy, tradition, modernity, citizenship, selfhood do not get restricted to a narrow disciplinary focus.
This is further developed and tested through rigorous research projects.
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The minimum criterion to apply for the M.A. in Society and Culture is a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a minimum of 55 per cent marks (or equivalent CPI/GPA).
The last date
The last date to apply for these courses offered by IIT Gandhinagar is 31 January 2021.
Admission test and interviews for both the courses will be held online this time owing to COVID-19 situation.
How to apply
Students willing to apply for these courses at IIT Gandhinagar have to visit ‘https://admissions.iitgn.ac.in/loginindex.php’ and register to get username and password.
Post registration, candidates can login using the username and password created during the registration process and start applying for the courses.
More to the courses
The eligible students of MSc (Cognitive Science) and MA (Society and Culture) will get a monthly scholarship of Rs 5,000.
IIT Gandhinagar also provides travel scholarships of Rs 60,000 to encourage students of these two courses to present their research work at national and international conferences.
Point of view
Professor Jaison Manjaly, head, discipline of humanities and social sciences at IIT Gandhinagar said the interdisciplinary nature of all the IIT Gandhinagar courses makes a student’s learning experience highly enriching.
MA in Society and Culture offers students diverse perspectives on social and cultural factors with a nuanced and more in-depth understanding of their context, he said.
The MSc in Cognitive Science, on the other hand, offers a deeper understanding of mind, brain, and cognition, he said.
‘These programs are also uniquely aligned to the IIT Gandhinagar’s vision to enable lifelong learning among the students.’