IIT Gandhinagar invites applications for M.Sc. in Cognitive Science, an interdisciplinary field with cutting-edge applications in AI & ML

Gandhinagar: Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar is inviting applications for its M.Sc. in Cognitive Science. The discipline of Cognitive Science is a steadily growing interdisciplinary field consisting of philosophy, psychology, computer science, neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence.

Now, more than ever, Cognitive Science is growing as a discipline of utmost importance with applications in every major field. The Institute 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 such as perception, curiosity, attention, motor learning, decision making, prosthetics, rehabilitation, robotics, consumer behavior, multisensory perception, music cognition, and tactile perception, among other areas.

Respecting the multidisciplinary spirit, this course offers students the flexibility to tailor the course according to their interests. Students are encouraged to take courses from other disciplines, creating a vibrant learning environment.

The students of M.Sc. in Cognitive Science come from a variety of disciplines ranging from psychology, physics, engineering, life sciences and philosophy, among other fields, creating an atmosphere of curiosity and collaboration throughout the course. This course transcends traditional academic boundaries through rigorous multi-disciplinary coursework, focused faculty-mentored projects, exciting summer internships, and an in-depth dissertation.

The Institute is also calling for applications for the Masters in Society and Culture, a unique program that provides students (from any disciplinary background) breadth and focus in the key disciplines within the Humanities and Social Sciences. Successfully running since 2013, students of the MA programme have made their careers in diverse job sectors ranging from prominent media and communication houses, leading NGOs to doctoral students, currently pursuing their PhDs in the United States and Canada.

The deadline for both M.Sc. (Cognitive Science) and M.A. (Society and Culture) is 31st January 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both admission tests and interviews for the courses will be conducted online. Applications for these two courses can be obtained from the following link – https://admissions.iitgn.ac.in/loginindex.php 

Highlighting the unique qualities of these two courses, Prof Jaison Manjaly, Head, Discipline of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar, said, “The interdisciplinary nature of all the IIT Gandhinagar courses makes a student’s learning experience highly enriching. The 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. The MSc in Cognitive Science, on the other hand, offers a deeper understanding of mind, brain, and cognition. These programs are also uniquely aligned to the IITGN’s vision to enable lifelong learning among the students.”

Eligible candidates admitted to the M.Sc. (Cognitive Science) and M.A. (Society and Culture) programs will receive a monthly scholarship of Rs. 5,000/-. The Institute also encourages the M.Sc. (Cognitive Science) and M.A. (Society and Culture) students to present their research work at national and international conferences, and provide travel scholarships of up to Rs. 60,000/-.

The M.Sc. (Cognitive Science) program places a strong framework of the curriculum including core courses, electives, and a research project. 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.

M.A. in Society and Culture

This 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.

The program 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.

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).