Cognitive Science
Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary effort to understand and explain the mind. It draws on knowledge from psychology, computer science, philosophy, linguistics, anthropology, neuroscience, and biology.
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Degree Offerings
- Faculty
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Application Requirements
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Contact the Department
Questions about your application?
Contact us:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Bendetson Hall
Medford, MA 02155
(617) 627-3395
gradadmissions@tufts.edu
Cognitive Sciences Ph.D. Program
- Ph.D. in Psychology: Cognitive Science
Indicate "Cognitive Science" on application.
- Ph.D. in Child Study and Human Development
Enroll in Cognitive Sciences program after matriculation.
- Ph.D. in Computer Science
Indicate "Cognitive Science" on application.
- Ph.D. in Education: Cognitive Science
Indicate "Cognitive Science" on application.
Cutting across the information and life sciences, cognitive science is a paradigmatic multi- and inter-disciplinary research program with enormous future societal benefits, especially as intelligent artificial agents are becoming part of our lives.
In recent years, Tufts has built up a world-renowned faculty in Cognitive Science, some of whom have been prominent since the beginnings of the field. The new joint Ph.D. program has particular interdisciplinary strength in the area of human language, including theoretical linguistics, psycho- and neurolinguistics, reading and dyslexia, and computational linguistics, and it offers considerable expertise as well in other traditional subareas of cognitive science including animal cognition, human memory, behavioral/cognitive/affective neuroscience, cognitive modeling, robotics, and human computer interaction.
Learn more about the Cognitive Science Program
- Students will have a knowledge base that reflects mastery of important areas in field of child development.
- Students will have knowledge of methodologies and working ability in statistical techniques used in applied child development research.
- Students will demonstrate ability to assume the role of a professional in the field.
- Students will have exposure, experience with, and develop expertise in, the conduct of research in the field of Applied Child Study and Human Development.
- Students will gain experience in the process of reading and critically evaluating empirical research, and in preparing their own work for publication.
- Students will gain experience in the evaluation, preparation, and submission of grant proposals.
- Students will be actively engaged in work that promotes health and positive development among children and families.
- Students will develop skills in communicating knowledge and supporting the intellectual growth of others through teaching and mentoring.
- Students will demonstrate their competence in disseminating the results of their work to non-academic audiences.
- Students will demonstrate cultural sensitivity in the conduct of research, teaching, policy work and engaging with others.
The graduate program's course-work and milestone requirements have been constructed to consider the student's professional development and to foster a successful research career. Effective written communication is an essential research skill. As such, one of the main objectives of the graduate program focuses on effective written communication of scientific research. To achieve this objective, students receive extensive feedback on writing from personalized faculty committees
- Written communication—students will gain facility in written scientific communication.
- Oral communication—students will gain facility in oral scientific communication.
- Synthesizing psychological research literature—students will gain facility in understanding scientific research from theoretical and methodological perspectives.
- Independent scientific research—students will move toward conducting independent and peer-collaborative scientific research.
- Statistical competence—students will learn fundamentals of promoting and responding to the broader research community about their work
- Teaching competence—students will learn fundamentals involved with teaching courses in psychology.
Faculty
Application Deadline
Fall: December 1 (Child Study and Human Development), December 15 (Psychology), December 15 (Computer Science)
Spring: September 15 (Computer Science)
Currently, three departments are associated with the joint cognitive science Ph.D. program: Child Study and Human Development, Computer Science, and Psychology. Students apply to and enroll in the joint cognitive science Ph.D. program through one of these departments either as a prospective graduate student or as a current graduate student after they have been accepted by one of the departments (e.g., after they have already started their Ph.D.).
There is no separate admissions process for the cognitive science Ph.D. program. Applicants simply indicate in their application to a home department that they would like to be admitted to the cognitive science Ph.D. program. The program director will work with faculty responsible for admission in the home department to determine the applicant's eligibility. The director proposes candidates to the Steering committee, who will vote on admissions. Note that this process will not conflict with the admissions process (or criteria) in the student's home department; only students that satisfy the admissions criteria of the home department can be considered for admission into the cognitive science Ph.D. program.
Current Tufts graduate students in one of the affiliated departments can send the program director an informal petition to be admitted to the cognitive science Ph.D. program. As with prospective graduate students, the director proposes eligible candidates who meet the prerequisites for the cognitive science program to the Steering Committee which then approves admissions.
Application Requirements:
> Application Fee
> Resume/CV
> Personal Statement
> GRE General Test scores not required for applicants who will have received a degree from a U.S. institution by time of enrollment. GRE scores required for all other applicants
> Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores, if applicable
> Transcripts
> Three Letters of Recommendation
For questions about this program, including scholarships and assistantships, please contact your graduate program director:
Computer Science/Cognitive Science
Anselm Blumer
Psychology/Cognitive Science
Gina Kuperberg
Child Development/Cognitive Science
Chip Gidney or Maryanne Wolf