Master
About the Cognitive Science Master's Program
Studies in the Cognitive Science Master Program cover multiple aspects of cognition, such as perception, attention, memory, learning, problem solving reasoning, emotions, and language. We are concerned with questions related to how these cognitive abilities are realized in biological and artificial systems, and how such systems are organized (e.g. brain structure, neural architectures and connectionist networks, and autonomous agents). In addition, complex information processing systems such as teaching systems and spoken language dialog systems are treated from a design and implementation perspective, including human-computer interface aspects.
Each student selects one or two out of four focus areas of the Cognitive Science Masters' program:
- "Cognition: Mind, Ethics, and Society" mainly focuses on philosophical questions and comprises topics in the Philosophy of Mind and Cognition and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
- "Cognition: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning" focuses on Cognition in Artificial Systems and comprises topics in Artificial Intelligence, Neuroinformatics, NeuroAI, Computational Linguistics and Computer Vision.
- "Cognition: (Computational) Neuroscience" focuses on topics in Neuroscience and Computational Neuroscience.
- "Cognition: Psychology, Language, and Communication" focuses on Cognition in Biological Systems and comprises topics in Cognitive Modelling and Psychology, Theoretical and Experimental Linguistics, and Animal Cognition.
How to apply:
For prospective students
- with a German university entrance qualification,
- with German citizenship and a foreign higher education entrance qualification,
- from the EU/EEA with a direct foreign higher education entrance qualification
Application portal of Osnabrück University.
International prospective students apply via the service center uni-assist e.V.
Further information can be found on the website of the Admissions Office.
Important note
Please send your application to the address given in the application form. Students who do not have a Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science are strongly encouraged to include in their application materials a CV and a statement explaining why they wish to change their previous field of study and obtain an MSc in Cognitive Science, and how their interests in Cognitive Science relate to their previous field of study and other competencies previously acquired. Please be as specific as possible. It is not required and we do not encourage you to include a picture of yourself in the CV.
Concerning applications via ASSIST, we strongly recommend that you send your application as early as possible. Open questions can then be settled within the application period and before the deadline.
Facts and Figures
Degree | Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
Standard period of study | 4 semesters |
Start | winter & summer semester |
Admission: | admission-free |
| Course language | English |
| Tuition | Semesterbeitrag |
The Master Program consists of 120 ECTS credits, 30 of which refer to the Master thesis. In the second and third semester, students participate in a students' project. The Master Program is completed with a Master thesis in the fourth semester and leads to a "Master of Science (M.Sc.)" degree in Cognitive Science.
The 90 ECTS credits of coursework comprises of
- a one-year study project (24 ECTS)
- coursework from the focus areas (44 ECTS, with 20 ECTS per selected focus area)
- coursework from free electives (22 ECTS)
The language of instruction is English (level B2 or higher required). We particularly encourage international students to apply for the Cognitive Science program.
exemplary study plan MSc Cognitive Science (PDF). (PDF, 229 kB)
Applicants with a Bachelor degree (or a comparable degree) in Cognitive Science can be admitted to the Cognitive Science Master's Program at Osnabrück University.
Applicants with a Bachelor degree (or comparable degree) in a related field, such as the life sciences, computational linguistics or linguistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, mathematics, medicine, neuroscience, philosophy, psychology or a field with a high degree of information technology content may also apply to the Master's program. The admission board decides on a case-by-case basis whether or not such an applicant can be admitted to the Master's Program. A Bachelor's degree in a related field does not automatically make an applicant eligible for being admitted to the Master's program.
Applicants are required to have a good command of English in order to understand lectures, participate in discussions, and take examinations. Applicants can demonstrate that they have attained level B2 in the English language according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in the following ways:
- the relevant level of English proficiency was already an admission requirement for the earlier Bachelor’s degree, or
- the applicant has already successfully completed an English-language undergraduate or graduate degree program, or
- English was the language of the education system of the applicant at the time they earned their higher education entrance qualification, or
- the applicant has passed a language test at level B2 (CEFR) (for possible language tests and the corresponding points required, see: language certificates at Osnabrueck University).
Note: Usually, applicants who have taken the German "Abitur" satisfy the requirement B2.
For details see Regulations.
If you still have unanswered questions... : Get in touch:
The Studierendensekretariat takes care of questions about the application process.
The CogSci Student Mentoring Team will be happy to answer any informal questions about the program.
If you have formal questions about the program, please contact the Selection Committee.