Overview
What mental processes happen in the brain when making a decision? What changes in the brain correspond with changes in behaviour? How does the brain work? By studying cognitive science, you will not only understand how we think, feel and act, but why.
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of the mind and its processes. Studying the mental and computational abilities that make up the human mind, you will learn how nervous systems represent, process and transform information. Combining a range of modules from psychology, mathematical sciences, computer science, linguistics and philosophy, it is the study of perceptions, language, memory, attention, reasoning and emotion.
On our BSc Cognitive Science degree you experiment, explore and research why we think, feel and act the way we do. You cover core areas of psychology, mathematics and computer science including:
- Critical reasoning and logical argument
- Linear mathematics
- Understanding data in linguistics
- Memory attention and language
- Statistics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Knowledge and Reality
Our Department of Psychology provides one of the most immersive and exciting experiences of studying the human mind in the UK. You have the freedom and the facilities to study, experiment, explore and research why we think, feel and act the way we do. We’re committed to giving you the best access to state-of-the-art equipment, in our purpose built psychology facilities with dedicated labs, suites and classrooms.
Study abroad
Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course.
Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised.
If you spend a full year abroad you’ll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year. You won’t pay any tuition fees to your host university.
Placement year
You can also undertake a placement year in which you gain relevant work experience within an external business, giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market and providing you with key contacts within the industry. You will be responsible for finding your placement, but with support and guidance provided by both your department and our Employability and Careers Centre.
If you complete a placement year you’ll only pay 20% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year.
Our expert staff
Our psychology lecturers include award-winning teachers and prize-winning researchers who are international experts in their own research areas.
The Cognitive Developmental Psychology Group research attention, language, decision-making and memory. The Social and Health Psychology Group work on motivations, needs, intercultural contact and sexual attraction. The Cognitive and Sensory Neuroscience Group research brain function and human behaviour.
Specialist facilities
We are committed to giving you access to state-of-the-art facilities in higher education, housed entirely within our purpose-built psychology building on our Colchester Campus:
- Dedicated laboratories including virtual reality suite and an observation suite
- Specialist areas to study visual and auditory perception, developmental psychology and social psychology
- Study the development of perceptual and cognitive abilities in infants in our BabyLab
- Our multimillion pound Centre for Brain Science (CBS) allows staff to investigate brain activity, and to measure eye movements and other physiological responses
Your future
The discipline of psychology is increasingly requiring coding and analytical skills, as using big data, web scraping and corpus studies is featuring in modern day research. Cognitive Science will give you the skills required for a broad range of careers, from the IT industry, data science, data journalism, to trades and professions that rely on computing systems such as the media, communications, finance, energy and medicine.
Some of our recent psychology graduates have gone on to work for a wide range of high-profile companies, including:
- East of England Strategic Health Authority
- The Crown Prosecution Service
- M&G Investments
- NHS Investments
- NHS Suffolk
- Accenture
- The BBC
We also work with our University’s Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.
Why we’re great
- Benefit from our unique mix of practical based assessment and innovative teaching methods.
- The interdisciplinary nature of this course means that you will have the opportunity to take modules from our Department of Mathematical Science and School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering.
- Our Research Experience Scheme (RES) gives you the opportunity to work one-to-one with a psychologist as their research assistant.
Structure
Course structure
We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists.
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change.
Teaching and learning disclaimer
Following the impact of the pandemic, we made changes to our teaching and assessment to ensure our current students could continue with their studies uninterrupted and safely. These changes included courses being taught through blended delivery, normally including some face-to-face teaching, online provision, or a combination of both across the year.
The teaching and assessment methods listed show what is currently approved for 2022 entry; changes may be necessary if, by the beginning of this course, we need to adapt the way we’re delivering them due to the external environment, and to allow you to continue to receive the best education possible safely and seamlessly.
Placement
On a placement year you gain relevant work experience within an external business or organisation, giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market and providing you with key contacts within the industry. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Year abroad
On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Assessment
Your assessment is based on written essays, practical lab reports, and examinations