UCL DIVISION OF PSYCHOLOGY AND LANGUAGE SCIENCES

Course structure

The course is made up of eight taught modules and a research project. There are six core modules, which will provide students with a firm basis in both the theory and practice of cognition science and decision-making, and two specialist modules, selected by students from a wide list of options. The options and research project will allow students to pursue their own specific interests, and complete a significant piece of research work.

Obligatory Modules

The programme has the following obligatory components:

CORE MODULES:

Option Modules

In addition, students register for two optional modules (each worth 15 credits) in consultation with the programme director chosen from the following:

OPTIONAL MODULES:                                                        

Time table
TBC

Programme Director (and lecturer)  David Lagnado

Programme Lecturer Brad Love 

Programme Lecturer  Adam Harris

Programme Teaching Fellow Stephanie Baines

Module convenor for Statistics Maarten Speekenbrink

Module convenor for Programming for Psychologists (MATLAB) Keith Langley

Course Administrator Pia Horbacki.

Funding

UCL Scholarships

For further information on UCL Scholarships, please visit:  Scholarships

Application

Entry Requirements

Eligibility: Applicants for this UCL graduate programme are normally expected to hold at least a 2.2 in a UK undergraduate degree (or equivalent overseas qualification) in a relevant subject such as psychology, economics, neuroscience, philosophy, computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics and engineering. Usually this means a 2.1 level or above, but additional relevant experience or qualifications are also taken into account when considering applications. Overseas applicants also need to provide evidence of proficiency in English.

Deadline for Applications

Please note: the course is now full. We are still accepting applications and these will be placed on a waiting list.

Deadline application is 3rd August. Please note that applications can take up to 3 weeks before they are received by the Course Administrator so please allow sufficient time for your application to be received by the Course Administrator before the deadline.

Application Process

Early applications are encouraged from students wishing to take a one-year (full-time) or two-year (part-time) Masters degree in Cognitive and Decision Sciences at UCL as places become limited several months before the deadline. Applications must be submitted on the standard UCL Graduate Application Form with all the required documentation. In exceptional circumstances, late applications may be considered. However, early applications are encouraged to guarantee a place. You can either  Apply-On-Line (this is preferred) or send in a hard copy. The hard copy must have ALL required documentation and sent directly to:

Admissions
UCL Registry
University College London
Gower Street
London
WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

• Download Graduate application form

Many students pursue PhD’s at UCL and other leading universities such as Oxford, Yale, Harvard. Many become research assistants working on: surgical simulators, marketing, in an engineering lab working on decision making aspects of disaster situations, looking at the cognitive causes of diagnostic error, on the human cognitions under the sleep deprivation. Others have gone on to work for: the department of Children’s, Schools and Families (policy making for disciplinary procedures), working in IT, User Interface designer in an electronics company, project manager in market risk change programme in a high profile bank, consultancy, providing marketing / social solutions based on the principle of neurology and behavioural economics, Head of the Deputy Group CRO (Chief Risk Officer) Office in a large investment bank, psychology lecturer in psychology and risk management, Director of Development and Communications (in a university), published books about what people need to have in place for success., coaching senior staff in large corporations.

If you would like any further information on the programme, you can contact any of the following people:

Programme Director: email: David Lagnado phone: (+44 20) 7679 5389

Programme Lecturer: email: Brad Love phone TBC

Programme Lecturer: email: Adam Harris phone: (+44 20) 7679  5412 

Programme Teaching Fellow: email: Staphanie Baines phone: (+44 20) 7679 5412

Course Administrator: email: Pia Horbacki phone: (+44 20) 7679 5335 

For information about specific course content it is recommended that you contact either Dave Lagnado or Adam Harris. For advice on the application process, please contact Pia Horbacki. 

MSc Cognitive and Decision Sciences(CoDeS) Recommended Reading Recommended reading :- Silva Code Source «HTML: Insert HTML code»A couple of relevant and very readable introductory books:Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein (2008, Yale UP)Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely (2009, HarperCollins)Silva Code Source «HTML: Insert HTML code»This book provides an excellent introduction to many issues covered in the course: 'Computing the mind' Shimon Edelman, Oxford University Press, 2008, ISBN 978019532067Silva Code Source «HTML: Insert HTML code»Introduction to Philosophy of Cognitive ScienceCrane. T. (2003). The Mechanical Mind. Routledge, (2nd edition) Okasha, S. (2002). Philosophy of science: A very short introduction, OUP.Kim, J. (2006). Philosophy of mind. Westview. (2nd edition) Silva Code Source «HTML: Insert HTML code»Principles of CognitionAnderson, J. R. (1990). The Adaptive Character of Thought. Erlbaum. Chater, N., Tenenbaum, J. B., &Yuille, A. (2006). Special issue: Probabilistic models of cognition. Trends in Cognitive Science, 10, 7, 287-344. Chater, N. & Vitányi, P. (2002). Simplicity: A unifying principle in cognitive science? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7, 19-22. Shepard, R.N. (1987). Towards a universal law of generalization for psychological science, Science, 237, 1317–1323.Silva Code Source «HTML: Insert HTML code» Research StatisticsCharles M. Judd, Gary H. McClelland, and Carey S. Ryan,  "Data Analysis: A Model Comparison Approach" (2 edition), Routledge, 2008. (seehttp://www.dataanalysisbook.com/) (will be used for this 2009/10) Silva Code Source «HTML: Insert HTML code» Judgment and Decision MakingBaron, J. (2000). Thinking and deciding. CUP Gilovich, T., Griffin, D., & Kahneman, D. (2002). Heuristics and biases: The psychology of intuitive judgment. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (2000). Choices, Values, and Frames. CUP. Koehler, D. & Harvey, N. (2004). Blackwell handbook of judgment and decision making. Blackwell. Newell, B.R, Lagnado, D. A., & Shanks, D. R. (2007). Straight choices: the psychology of judgment and decision. Psychology Press.Silva Code Source «HTML: Insert HTML code» Knowledge, Learning & InferenceDuda, R. O., Hart, P. E., & Stork, D. G. (2000). Pattern classification. Wiley. (2nd edition). Pearl, J. (1988). Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems: Networks of Plausible Inference. Morgan Kaufman Publishers. Pearl, J. (2000). Causality: Models, Reasoning and Inference. CUP. Oaksford, M. & Chater, N. (2007). Bayesian Rationality. OUP. Russell, S. & Norvig, P. (2003). Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Prentice Hall. (2nd edition). Sloman, S. A. (2005). Causal Models: How people think about the world and its alternatives. OUP.