Program Overview

Introduction to the Cognitive Science Program

The Cognitive Science program is a joint interdisciplinary master's program offered by the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics at Comenius University in Bratislava. This program is part of the Middle European Interdisciplinary Master Programme in Cognitive Science, which is a consortium of universities including the University of Vienna, the University of Ljubljana, Loránd Eötvös University in Budapest, and Comenius University in Bratislava.

Program Details

• Field: Cognitive Science
• Form: Full-time
• Typical Duration: 2 years
• Language of Courses: English
• Program Director: Prof. Ing. Igor Farkaš, Dr.
• Co-Guarantors:
  • Doc. RNDr. Zuzana Černeková, PhD.
  • Doc. RNDr. Martin Takáč, PhD.
  • Doc. RNDr. Martin Homola, PhD.
  • Doc. RNDr. Mária Markošová, PhD.
• Related Programs: Bachelor's degree programs in Applied Informatics, Psychology, and other relevant study programs.

Program Description

Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field that connects various disciplines, including technical, social, and humanities, to study the basic components of cognition – perception, reasoning, thinking, and behavior. The key disciplines of cognitive science are psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, philosophy, linguistics, and anthropology. The master's program in cognitive science combines formal approaches of informatics with experimental methods of psychology and neuroscience.

What to Expect

The program is designed to provide students with the latest knowledge about human thinking, acting, and sociability. Graduates will be able to combine formal computer science techniques with experimental methods of psychology and neuroscience and use and enrich knowledge of other scientific, social, and humanity disciplines. The program includes a mandatory mobility semester at one of the universities in the consortium, where students can gain hands-on experience working on research projects.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Graduates of the program will gain the ability to:

• Specify, design, implement, and maintain integrated intelligent systems and large-scale modern applications with a high degree of use of cognitive science and artificial intelligence methods.
• Design, implement, analyze, evaluate, and interpret computational simulations related to applications of cognitive science.
• Design, test, and evaluate behavioral and neuroscience experiments (using statistical analysis and data interpretation).
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the key areas of knowledge of cognitive science, together with the ability to make critical judgments in the full range of information technology issues.
• Apply computer methods, concepts, and programming skills in empirical areas of research such as psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics.
• Work independently with literature, including English, and present results in writing in this language.
• Work as a researcher in cognitive science or a creative worker in applications of one of the sciences related to cognitive science.

Master's Thesis

The master's thesis is an essential part of the program, where students demonstrate their ability to independently acquire theoretical and practical knowledge based on the current state of science and creatively apply, use, and develop them. The thesis is prepared under the guidance of a thesis supervisor and is assessed by the supervisor and an opponent.

Examples of Successful Final Theses

• A quantitative analysis and characterization of mouse CA1 neuron classes: A knowledge base for computational models.
• Computational model of memory consolidation.
• The role of the left inferior frontal cortex in semantic retrieval: a tDCS study.
• The role of mirror neurons in cognition.

Graduates' Career Opportunities

Graduates of the cognitive science program can work in various professions, depending on their overall education, including previous studies. They can be employed in IT, the health sector, business, academia, and research. According to the 2023 cognitive science alumni survey, 37% of respondents were employed in IT, followed by the health sector (16%), business (14%), and academia/research (10%). Approximately 14% continued with PhD studies. Graduates can apply their skills in professions related to working with people or designing and using intelligent systems. Examples of occupations include IT programmer, analyst, human resources coordinator, job consultant, marketing worker, clinical trials coordinator, occupational therapist, UX & web designer, university teacher, and researcher.

Admission and Deadline

The deadline for applications is April 30, 2026. Detailed information on the admission process is available upon request. The program is administered by the Centre for Cognitive Science.