
Cognitive Science BSc
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
DURATION
3 up to 4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 30,000 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Are you curious about how the human mind functions? Fascinated by how people communicate effectively? Interested in why technologies aren’t always accessible?
Cognitive Science, like psychology, aims to understand the mind's complexities and how the brain's mental processes influence behaviour. It emerged in the 1950s as a response to Behaviourism, which argued that behaviour is shaped by past experiences and conditioning. This theory became difficult to defend, especially for researchers studying language development, which Behaviourism couldn’t explain.
Cognitive Science developed as an interdisciplinary field, bringing together insights from psychologists, linguists, computer scientists, and philosophers. This shift led to key breakthroughs in understanding language, perception, memory, and decision-making.
This degree explores key cognitive functions like perception, attention, memory, and language. You’ll understand the various methods used to explore behaviour and understand the strengths and limitations of different approaches.
By studying modules from across the University, you’ll come to understand:
- The structure and function of the human mind and brain
- The development and evolution of human language and communication
- How AI impacts the way we think and communicate
You’ll graduate with the ability to combine critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the knowledge and understanding to reshape our future.
Admissions
Curriculum
The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Rankings
- 8th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2025 (Linguistics category)
- Top 90 for Life Sciences and Medicine - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
- Top 200 for Psychology - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
- Top 150 for Linguistics - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
- 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
- 42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021
- 9th in the UK – Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 (Linguistics category)
- Top 25 in the UK and Top 100 in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024
- Top 150 for Psychology – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025
- Global Top 170 University - Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024
Career Opportunities
Your future
Opportunities for diverse career paths
The multidisciplinary nature of this degree will result in a broad and versatile set of skills. The critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills you’ll develop will make you an attractive hire in almost any graduate job in the contemporary job market. Cognitive Sciences graduates will be well suited to work in a variety of sectors including:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data science
- User experience testing or human-computer interaction
- Technical and educational consulting
- Assistive technology
- Healthcare roles in technology, mental health services or administration.
- Government policy
- Behavioural science or research
Many of our graduates embark on further study, including master's degrees and PhDs. Some go on to pursue careers in academia and research.
Program delivery
You'll be taught through a combination of:
- lectures
- seminars
- workshops
- computer-based lab sessions
- practical sessions
- field work