About
COGNITIVE AND INFORMATION SCIENCES M.s.|PH.D.
The Cognitive and Information Sciences (CIS) graduate program offers its master’s and doctoral students interdisciplinary training in cognitive science with an emphasis on computation, technology, and applications. This emphasis distinguishes us from other Cognitive Science graduate programs. We view intelligent behaviors not just as emerging solely from neural processes, but from interactions between brain, body, and environment. Thus, intelligent behaviors may also emerge from group and social interactions situated in their economic and technological milieu. The word “information” in CIS denotes our multi-scale perspective on cognition, and our emphasis on computational approaches to understanding intelligent behavior.
Our award-winning faculty specialize in a variety of areas that intersect at this nexus, including computational modeling, complex systems theory, distributed cognition, categorization, psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics, visual perception, cognitive engineering, service science, artificial intelligence, reasoning, computer vision, philosophy of mind, cognitive neuroscience, and bioinformatics. The M.S. program builds on on our well-established Ph.D. program, which has propelled students to successful data and cognitive science careers in academia as well as with companies such as Netflix, Accenture, Kaiser, Facebook, Cisco, and Salesforce. The average annual salary for data scientists in the United States is approximately $121,000, and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that market demand for individuals trained in computer and information science research techniques is projected to grow 16 percent from 2018 to 2028, a rapid rate relative to other skill sets. With computational, technological, and application-oriented skills in these areas, students who graduate from the M.S. or Ph.D. programs will have career opportunities in both academia and industry.
cognitive and information sciences at uc merced
The Cognitive and Information Sciences (CIS) program emphasizes collaborative and interdisciplinary research training. Typically, graduate students work closely with one or more faculty in pursuing scientific research, while taking a series of courses that can be tailored to the specific needs and specialization of the student.
Prospective students are encouraged to begin the admission process as early as possible during the prior academic year. The application deadline is December 1, 2023.
research areas
- Action Dynamics
- Artifical Intelligence
- Behavioral Science
- Bioinformatics
- Categorization
- Cognitive Engineering
- Cognitive Linguistics
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Complex Systems Theory
- Computational Modeling
- Computer Vision
- Distributed Cognition
- Linguistic Analyses
- Neuroscience
- Philosophical Methods
- Philosophy of Mind
- Reasoning
- Service Science
- Visual Perception
Ph.d. FUNDING SUPPORT
Doctoral students are typically supported by teaching and research assistantships, and on occasion fellowships, which include payment of mandatory tuition and fees.
Cognitive and information Sciences
M.S. Program details
The Master of Science (M.S.) program in Cognitive and Information Sciences (CIS) trains students in experimental, analytical, and computational methods and theories of human cognition, perception, behavior, and interaction. Students may concentrate on applied methods and skills useful to careers in data science, careers at the interface of humans and technology, and other nonacademic career paths that stem from cognitive science training. The program also allows students to concentrate their studies on basic research in preparation for continued study at the doctoral level, at UC Merced or elsewhere. Cognitive science is a growing interdisciplinary field that combines knowledge and techniques from the social, natural, and computational sciences and philosophy to address problems related to mind, brain, and behavior. Due to the intrinsic interdisciplinarity of cognitive science, researchers often need training in multiple disciplines for advanced study, beyond what is typically covered in most undergraduate degree programs. The M.S. program addresses this growing need. Students may choose either a thesis track or a capstone track; both tracks are designed so that coursework may be completed over a single year in two full-load semesters—the capstone or thesis may then be completed by end of summer. An outline of the program’s requirements is below. Our program is always looking for talented people with the passion and drive necessary to take on tomorrow’s challenges today. If you are ready to take the next step in your academic career.
Please visit our website to learn more about CIS M.S. program learning outcomes, thesis/capstone project options and M.S. coursework.
alumni name
Class of 2015
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alumni name
Class of 2015
Satatium voloration pos volorem aut inuscip santur sa endignis etus, coruptatia aut fugiatis aut occullu ptatem que num exped quia volorerestia nectem a sequia et autatis. Nostiam es egi aleris noxim me vernica vividi menius in etiquam. Nostiam es egi aleris noxim me vernica patquodiu in.
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Subheading for this paragraph Satatium voloration pos volorem aut inuscip santur sa endignis etus, coruptatia aut fugiatis aut occullu ptatem que num exped quia volorerestia num exped quia volorerestia nectem a sequia et autatis et vernica autatis. Litatiorem atus blabore plate cerrum nobit. Satatium voloration pos volorem aut inuscip santur sa endignis etus fugiatis que.