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For current application deadlines, please refer to: www.uni-potsdam.de/en/studium/application-enrollment/application-master.
This research-oriented Master's degree programme opens up new perspectives on addressing questions related to cognitive science and embodied cognition. Under the two keywords of interdisciplinarity and internationality, young scientists are given the opportunity to develop promising concepts and technologies and to test them in a state-of-the-art research environment.
The Master's course of study serves to extend and deepen the discipline-specific and methodological knowledge and skills you have already acquired in your Bachelor's degree programme on the topic of human cognition. On the basis of a specific and interdisciplinary array of methods, you will be placed in a position to formulate questions pertaining to cognitive process analysis and to develop solutions. Discussions of the most recent research results will enable you to work towards modelling neurocognitive processes and systems. Aside from learning to present complex stimuli and measure human responses, you will also acquire broad and fundamental skills in experimental and psychophysical methods, especially pertaining to computer-based implementations of experimental designs with programming languages and their application for data collection.
You will learn to identify new areas of research and to study these areas experimentally, and you will be enabled to further develop existing analytical approaches in an appropriate manner. In collaboration with other team members, you will be able to present your research results so that they will be ready for international dissemination.
Graduates of this degree programme will be able to work scientifically in the cognitive and neurosciences. They will also be qualified for research and leadership positions in corresponding industrial sectors. Based on their deep knowledge of cognitive processes and their neuronal foundations as well as mathematical and methodological skills, the graduates of this programme will be able to conceptualise complex projects and experiments in various subfields of the cognitive sciences, formulate hypotheses and examine them quantitatively.
The degree programme is a four-semester Master's programme with 120 credit points. The following overview provides information about the weighting of individual modules and the types of courses. For additional information, please consult the subject-specific degree regulations or the Departmental Advisory Office.
Modules (120 CP)
Compulsory modules (54 CP)
Cognitive Science (15 CP)
Mathematical Modelling in Cognitive Science (6 CP), Cognitive Neuroscience (9 CP), individual research modules (12 CP), Introduction to Statistical Data Analysis (12 CP)
Compulsory elective modules (36 CP)
(Modules amounting to 36 to 39 CP must be selected from the compulsory elective modules and completed successfully.)
Bayesian Statistics (12 CP), Advanced Methods: Experiment Programming (6 CP), Cognitive Development (6 CP), Current Topics in Cognition (6 CP), Advanced Topics in Cognition (9 CP), Cognitive Modelling (6 CP), Current Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience (6 CP), First Language Acquisition (6 CP), Advanced Topics in First Language Acquisition (12 CP), Language Processing (6 CP), Advanced Topics in Language Processing (12 CP), Advanced Natural Language Processing (12 CP), Evidence Bases for Language Disorders (6 CP), Advanced Topics in Evidence Bases for Language Disorders (12 CP)
Bridge modules (up to 18 CP)
(Bridge modules are determined by the examination committee's decision upon admission. Each bridge module taken reduces the CP in the compulsory elective area accordingly.)
Experimental Psychological Training (6 CP), Foundations of Mathematics (6 CP), Programming experiments (6 CP)
Master's thesis (30 CP)
No tuition is charged for studying at the University of Potsdam (with the exception of a few continuing education courses). There is only an administrative fee, which is currently 292 EUR. This semester contribution includes the "Deutschland-Semester-Ticket" entitling you to free use of local public transport all over Germany.
The average monthly living expenditures of students at the University of Potsdam are 935 EUR, but this can vary between 600 and 1,100 EUR, largely depending on accommodation. A more detailed list of the average monthly expenditures of our students can be found here.
A good foundation for being accepted into the programme is provided by your continued interest in the mathematical and natural sciences as well as your curiosity to establish neuronal foundations of human behaviour. In contrast, an interest in clinical psychology and an interest in psychiatric problems and the therapies designed to treat such problems are clear contraindications – these topics are not relevant to this degree programme.
A general prerequisite for the Master's degree at University of Potsdam is a first professional qualification, e.g. a Bachelor's degree. Your first degree should come from a discipline that is relevant to the cognitive sciences, such as cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, or cognitive science. Alternatively, your first degree may come from a discipline such as informatics, medicine or human biology with strong cognitive focus, or it may come from a discipline such as philosophy and linguistics with a clear link to human thinking and knowledge. Degrees in engineering without clear cognitive focus or in pedagogy are normally not sufficient qualifications.
Your previous studies should already demonstrate your interest in cognitive sciences and embodied cognition. This should also be highlighted in your motivation letter, in which you can also list other relevant qualifications you may have (such as research internships, programming skills, or knowledge of specific literature). You should specifically describe whether you have already completed an experimental internship course and also state your knowledge of calculus and linear algebra because these qualifications are relevant for your admission.
You can read more about the subject-specific admission requirements in the respective admission regulations.
English language proficiency requirements correspond to the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
For current application deadlines, please refer to: www.uni-potsdam.de/en/studium/application-enrollment/application-master.
Please submit your application via uni-assist.
Job opportunities for students alongside their studies are numerous. Depending on personal and professional skills, students can find jobs in the service sector (e.g. in restaurants, supermarkets, cinemas, museums, theatres, etc.) or work as student research assistants at the University of Potsdam or at one of the many non-university research institutions located in the area. Berlin, the capital city of Germany, is located just around the corner, and students can also find jobs there. Please see this website for further information.
There are several student dormitories in Potsdam. These are administered exclusively by Potsdam's Association for Student Affairs ("Studentenwerk Potsdam"). You can apply for a room in one of these dormitories if you are under the age of 30. If you are a Master's student, you can only apply if the degree at the University of Potsdam is your first Master's programme. Additionally, there are also a few private dormitories in Potsdam, to which these conditions do not apply. However, many students prefer to find an apartment in Potsdam or Berlin, which they often share with fellow students. The housing market is very tight, so please start looking for an accommodation as early as possible.
For information on how to register for a dorm room or find accommodation elsewhere, please click here.
The Career Service of the University of Potsdam supports students and graduates who want to actively shape their careers. The aim is to ensure comprehensive career orientation and to provide opportunities for the development of professional skills. The Career Service offers workshops, seminars, and individual counselling. There are information pages on a wide range of occupational fields as well as a database of internships and jobs. Many of the services are also available in English.
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