Cognitive and Decision Sciences

MSc in Cognitive and Decision Sciences

Part-Time Programme

This programe is run jointly by the Department of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, and the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at UCL. It studies the cognitive processes and representations underlying human thought, knowledge and decision-making. The programme integrates a wide range of disciplines and methodologies, with the core assumption that human cognition and choice are computational processes, implemented in neural hardware. Key topics include: the nature of computational explanation; the general principles of cognition; the scope of rational choice explanation; probabilistic models of the mind; learning and memory; applications to economics and business. The program involves intensive training in experimental design and methodology, building computational models, and carrying out a substantial piece of original research.

Why CoDeS?

The program draws on an outstanding faculty, ranging across many disciplines, including internationally renowned researchers in psychology, computational modelling, neuroscience and economics. London is one of the global "hot-spots" for research in cognition, decision-making, and neuroscience; and it is an intellectual "hub", with a high density of research seminars and scientific meetings that attract leading international researchers. London is also one of the world's foremost commercial and political centres, with consequent opportunities for high-level applied research; and it is a vibrant, culturally diverse and international city, with world-class music, theatre and galleries.