S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Gandhinagar is inviting applications for its Masters in Cognitive Science program. Get application at ‘https://admissions.iitgn.ac.in/pgadmission/’
IIT Gandhinagar has established a state-of-the-art Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, which conducts high-quality research in the frontier areas of cognitive science.
It has been a pioneer in the field of cognitive science as the first IIT to start the M.Sc. (Cognitive Science) (https://cogs.iitgn.ac.in/cogs-msc/) in 2013 and a PhD program in Cognitive Science in 2010.
Written Examination will be conducted online while interviews will be conducted in offline mode. Applications for the course can be obtained from – https://admissions.iitgn.ac.in/pgadmission/
Heart of the program at IIT Gandhinagar
The heart of the program lies in its forward-thinking curriculum, with core courses embracing the interdisciplinary fields of Psychology, Philosophy, Computation, and Neuroscience.
The program is designed to immerse students in research with integrated laboratory courses covering research methodologies and experimental techniques such as Behavioural studies, Physiological measurements, Eye tracking, Motion tracking, Brain Stimulation, Brain mapping with EEG, and functional MRI, say sources from IIT Gandhinagar.
Unique feature
The unique feature of the MSc program is a two month summer internship that the students pursue in various top Indian institutes such as NIMHANS, Bengaluru, IIT Delhi, IIT Mandi, IIIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras and abroad.
It has with competitive fellowships such as the Shastri Indo-Canadian Fellowship, DAAD Exchange Fellowship, Computation and Cognition Tübingen Summer Internship, Radboud Gateway Fellowship, Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship, etc.
Interdisciplinary
Highlighting the unique aspects of this course, Prof. Sameer Dalvi, Head, Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, said, “The interdisciplinary nature of all the courses at IIT Gandhinagar makes a student’s learning experience highly enriching.
The M.Sc. in Cognitive Science offers a deeper understanding of mind, brain, and cognition. Respecting the multidisciplinary spirit, this course offers students the flexibility to tailor the course according to their interests.
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Students are encouraged to take courses from other disciplines, creating a vibrant learning environment, said Prof Sameer Dalvi.
Disciplines
The students of M.Sc. in Cognitive Science come from a variety of disciplines ranging from psychology, physics, engineering, life sciences, and philosophy, among others, creating an atmosphere of curiosity and collaboration throughout the course, say sources from IIT Gandhinagar.
Career opportunities
The key careers opportunities and research options available to students of M.Sc. in Cognitive Science include:
Ø Industry roles such as Educators, User Experience (UX), Linguistic analysts, Data analysts, Product developers/designers, AI engineers, Cognitive rehabilitation, Robotics, consumer behavior etc.
Ø Academic roles such as Teaching or Research in Human-Computer Interface, Neuroscience, Decision Making, etc. and International Ph.D. opportunities
Ø Establishing a start-up
Alumni
Alumni from this M.Sc. program are currently enrolled in top universities across Europe, North America and Asia that are renowned for high standards of academic excellence and research output, like the University of California, (Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Diego), Oxford University, Carnegie Mellon University, say sources from IIT Gandhinagar.
They are also with Max-Planck Germany, MIT, Yale, Rutgers and MCGill, Indiana, Northwestern among others, say sources from IIT Gandhinagar.
The program
The Cognitive Science program at IIT Gandhinagar has produced a total of 120 alumni, including 103 MSc and 17 PhD graduates.
Around half of PhD graduates have taken up academic positions as Assistant Professors in various institutions across India, including IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee, and Ahmedabad University, and FLAME University, say sources from IIT Gandhinagar.
The program alumni are also working in private industry and non-profit organisations such as TCS R&D, Cognizant, Nielsen Neuro, Teach For India, and J-PAL South Asia.
Support
For financial support, eligible candidates admitted to the M.Sc. (Cognitive Science) program can apply for the ‘On-Campus Employment Opportunities Program,’ say sources from IIT Gandhinagar.
The Institute also encourages the M.Sc. (Cognitive Science) students to present their research work at national and international conferences and provides travel scholarships of up to Rs. 60,000, say sources from IIT Gandhinagar.