MA in Cognitive Science and Philosophy of AI
Explore the cutting-edge field of cognitive science in which philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, anthropology and artificial intelligence come together to discover how biological and artificial minds work. The programme also allows you to investigate how advances in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and various areas of philosophy can mutually inform our understanding of biological and artificial minds.
The Cognitive Science and Philosophy of AI MA, housed in the School of History, Philosophy, and Digital Humanities at the University of Sheffield, provides the opportunity for interdisciplinary MA studies in Cognitive Science. Students are able to take modules (or what other universities call "courses") in a range of subjects from philosophy to neuroscience, from archaeology to psychology, and from music to AI, thereby specializing their studies to focus on those areas of cognitive science, philosophy, and AI that best fit their interest.
Some modules that students can regularly take include:
The programme, which can be taken either full-time (one year) or part-time (two years), also allows students to engage with the full range of research activities hosted by research centres at the University of Sheffield, including: the Hang Seng Centre for Cognitive Studies; Muses, Minds, and Machines Research Centre; Centre for Engaged Philosophy; and Centre for Machine Intelligence.
We welcome applications from all students who are interested in discovering how the mind works and who are passionate about interdisciplinarity. Previous and current students have had backgrounds in medicine, philosophy, english, psychology, linguistics, engineering, businesss, amongst other backgrounds. If you want to know more about this programme, please send an email to its director Dr Gerardo Viera.
The Cognitive Science and Philosophy of AI MA, housed in the School of History, Philosophy, and Digital Humanities at the University of Sheffield, provides the opportunity for interdisciplinary MA studies in Cognitive Science. Students are able to take modules (or what other universities call "courses") in a range of subjects from philosophy to neuroscience, from archaeology to psychology, and from music to AI, thereby specializing their studies to focus on those areas of cognitive science, philosophy, and AI that best fit their interest.
Some modules that students can regularly take include:
- Foundations of Mind: Cognitive Science, Philosophy, and AI
- Consciousness, Cognition, and Artificial Intelligence
- Introduction to AI for the Humanities
- Ethics of AI and Contemporary Technology
- Fundamentals of Cognition
- Fundamentals of Neuroscience
- Neural Dynamics and Computation
- Research Methods in Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurocognitive Modelling
- Current Issues in Psychological Research
- Current Issues in Applied Linguistics
- New Directions in Philosophy
- Thought, Language, and Reality
- Political Theory
- Ethics and Practical Philosophy
- Language Learning and Acquisition
- Discourse Analysis
- Intercultural Communication
The programme, which can be taken either full-time (one year) or part-time (two years), also allows students to engage with the full range of research activities hosted by research centres at the University of Sheffield, including: the Hang Seng Centre for Cognitive Studies; Muses, Minds, and Machines Research Centre; Centre for Engaged Philosophy; and Centre for Machine Intelligence.
We welcome applications from all students who are interested in discovering how the mind works and who are passionate about interdisciplinarity. Previous and current students have had backgrounds in medicine, philosophy, english, psychology, linguistics, engineering, businesss, amongst other backgrounds. If you want to know more about this programme, please send an email to its director Dr Gerardo Viera.
Testimonials
**Note: The Cognitive Science and Philosophy of MA is new for the 2026/2027 academic year. The MA is a development of prior Cognitive Studies MA. The testimonials below are from students from the Cognitive Studies MA.
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"I joined the Cognitive Studies MA from a very different educational background, with the goal of shifting my career into cognitive- and neuro-sciences and exploring the philosophical questions shaping current research. The faculty in the department were incredibly supportive, and I was fortunate to meet many wonderful people. Even as an outsider to the field, I was able to quickly catch up thanks to the guidance and feedback of faculty, peers, and the vibrant research environment. My time at Sheffield provided the foundation for my research journey into neuroscience, and I made some life-long friends. Sheffield itself is a gem of a city, and I had a great time there.”
Sriti Yadav; Cognitive Studies MA 2022; Currently PhD Student in Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorodo - Boulder |
"I chose the MA in Cognitive Studies because of the unique opportunity to study modules spanning the arts, humanities, and sciences. Coming from an arts background, I really appreciated being able to engage and think about scientific methodologies, and dive into the philosophy of how and why our minds - and therefore our societies - function the way they do. The range of backgrounds the cohort came from was in itself an unexpected bonus: I learned a lot from my peers in philosophy, psychology, politics, and archaeology.
The programme gave me confidence in my ability to think flexibly about complex theories and frameworks, as well as the opportunity to train these skills further, expanding into quantitative domains and new subject areas. I'm now beginning a funded doctoral project which will allow me to bring methodological rigour into the community, to help shape interventions and influence commissioning policy, applying and expanding the skills gained during my MA." Lindsey Hearspeak; Cognitive Studies MA 2022; Starting a funded Collaborative PhD Project at the University of Nottingham, School of English |