Cognitive Science (Humanities)

取得日期：2026-11-05、2026-09-16

https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/479-cognitive-science-humanities

https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/479-cognitive-science-humanities/entry-requirements

https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/international/country/asia/east-asia/hong-kong

https://www.ucas.com/explore/courses/04c221cf-0080-95ae-f8d6-4384c5269749?studyYear=2027

https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-welsh-northern-irish-qualifications/approved-subjects

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Degree finder

Cognitive Science (Humanities) MA (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Cognitive Science (Humanities)

Year of entry: 2027

Key facts

UCAS Code

MA (Hons)

Duration of study

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Central Area

Start date

September 2027

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Available

Placement

Open days and events

Overview

About the degree programme

Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary attempt to understand the human mind. It focuses on abilities such as:

reasoning

perception

awareness

attention

judgement

motor control

language use

Cognitive science brings together and forms connections between these abilities, through methods such as:

computer modelling

linguistic analysis

philosophical reasoning

robotics

neuroimaging

psychological experiments

It brings together scholars from:

linguistics

psychology

philosophy

neuroscience

computer science

Cognitive science at the University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh played a key role in founding this discipline, and has been a pioneering centre in the continuing development of artificial intelligence, bringing together the disciplines that contribute to the study of human cognition and intelligent systems.

You will learn from researchers who continue to build on and advance the pioneering work carried out here at Edinburgh. The programme content is regularly reviewed to make sure you learn about current developments, including rapid advances in AI and their implications for understanding the mind.

Our Cognitive Science (Humanities) programme offers an opportunity to complete a selection of basic courses covering material in:

Our goal is to help you achieve a broad understanding of issues, such as:

the relationship between language and thought

the relationship between mind and brain

important philosophical implications of our ability to look inside the brain and to model its activities in computers, robots and AI systems

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years.

A key benefit to studying a 4-year degree programme is that you have the flexibility to study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme, in Year 1 and Year 2.

This allows you the opportunity to study other courses that interest you or enhance your degree. By the end of Year 2, you can decide which of these subject areas you want to focus on in the honours years of your programme.

How long it takes to complete our degree programmes

Programme benefits

The University of Edinburgh helped to create the field of cognitive science and has been a pioneering centre in Artificial Intelligence; it remains a globally leading centre for both.

You will learn from researchers at the forefront of cognitive science and AI, ensuring your studies reflect the latest developments in understanding the mind.

The programme equips you with a distinctive combination of analytical, computational, and interdisciplinary skills, preparing you for a wide range of future pathways in areas such as technology, research, education, and beyond.

Edinburgh is one of the largest centres in Europe for the study of human cognition and the only university in Scotland to offer cognitive science at undergraduate degree level.

The MA Cognitive Science degree at Edinburgh is one of a kind. Attempting to understand things like cognition, the relation between mind and body, how language works and just generally, what it means to be human, are the things I want to know more about. Taking courses in Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology and Informatics and seeing how they intertwine and link is what I’ve enjoyed the most while studying Cognitive Science. This interdisciplinary approach has helped me explore my interests and helped me develop a better sense of what specific career I would like to pursue in the future.

Ané van der Merwe

MA (Hons) Cognitive Science, graduated 2023.

Entry requirements

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

Select the country or region where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.

Select the qualification you are studying or studied.

Where you are studying or where you studied

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Hong Kong-SAR China

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My country or region is not listed

Qualification

- Select a qualification -

Qualifications from Hong Kong-SAR China

A levels: standard requirements

A levels: widening access requirements

IB: standard requirements

IB: widening access requirements

SQA Highers: standard requirements

SQA Highers: widening access requirements

Other UK qualifications

Mature applicants (including adult returners)

To apply for this programme and be considered for an offer, you will need:

academic qualifications that meet our entry requirements, including required subjects

evidence of your English language ability (for example, from school or an English language test)

See our region-specific pages to find the entry requirements we accept.

Undergraduate entry requirements by region - Hong Kong-SAR China

English language requirements

You must prove that you can read, write, listen and speak in the English language at a level that will allow you to succeed in your studies.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with qualifications from school or an English language test.

School qualifications we accept

We accept any of the following, at the specified grade or higher:

SQA National 5 English at C

GCSE English at C or 4

Level 2 Certificate English at C

International Baccalaureate (IB) Standard Level English at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

Before you apply, check the required subjects for this programme, as you may need a higher English grade to meet the academic requirements.

Other qualifications we accept

We also accept other qualifications from around the world.

English language qualifications and tests we accept

English language tests we accept

If you don’t have school qualifications that meet our requirements, we accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.

TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) before 21 January 2026: total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.

TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) from 21 January 2026: total 4.5 with at least 4.0 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.

C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 162 in each component.

Trinity ISE (2026 entry only. We are reviewing our acceptance of Trinity ISE for 2027 entry. Requirements for this qualification will be available in early October.): ISE II with distinctions in all four components.

Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 5 in each component. We do not accept Oxford ELLT Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.

Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 125 in each component.

Other English language tests we accept

We also accept other types of English language tests.

How old your English language qualifications can be

Qualifications no more than two years old

Qualifications from the following English language tests must be no more than two years old from the start date of this programme, regardless of your nationality:

IELTS Academic

TOEFL-iBT

Trinity ISE

Oxford ELLT

Oxford Test of English Advanced

Qualifications no more than three and a half years old

All other types of English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of this programme.

If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country or region, there is no time limit on how old these other types of English language qualifications can be.

Check the UKVI list of majority English-speaking countries and territories

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for MA (Hons) Cognitive Science (Humanities)

View the tuition fees for one academic year of MA (Hons) Cognitive Science (Humanities).

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

Costs for an optional year abroad

If you study abroad in Year 3 through the University's study exchange programme, you will need to pay related costs. These include:

tuition fees

accommodation and living costs

country-specific expenses like travel, visas and insurance

You can use our budget calculator to help estimate your costs.

Find out more about costs for studying abroad

You can also use a tool like Numbeo to compare the cost of living abroad to Edinburgh or your home town or city.

If you are away on exchange or placement, you may receive a reduction in your tuition fees for the year. This depends on:

the type of placement you are on

how long you are away

As an indication, you can see the reductions for students studying away in 2026-27. These are reviewed annually and are subject to change.

Study away fees for 2026-27

Accommodation and living costs

You will need to pay for your accommodation and living costs (such as rent, food and utility bills) for the duration of your programme.

For 2026-2027, we estimate that it will cost an average of £1,546 each month to live in Edinburgh as a single undergraduate student. This equates to £13,914 for a 39-week academic year and £18,552 for a full year.

The exact amount you spend will depend on different factors, especially the accommodation you choose.

Living costs: estimates explained

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Programme details

What you will study

Two cognitive science courses

You will take at least one general cognitive science course that gives an overview of:

language

You will also explore methods that include experimental, neural and computational approaches.

Courses will cover logic to help understand the role of reasoning and deduction in the mind.

You will also cover the structure of language to help understand its complexity.

Overall, you will get a background in philosophy including topics such as its history and central concepts of morality and value.

Extra course

Lastly, you will choose another course from across the interconnected disciplines of:

informatics

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 1 courses (2026-2027 academic year)

You will choose more specific courses in the sub-disciplines such as:

Knowledge and Reality (Philosophy)

Cross-linguistic Variation: Limits and Theories (Linguistics)

You will also take Year 2 courses from psychology and language sciences.

Find Year 2 courses (2026-2027 academic year)

In Year 3, you can choose from informatics topics, including:

language processing

neural computation

robotics and vision

computational modelling

You can also choose linguistics courses, including:

language evolution

language acquisition

speech processing

You have the option to take philosophy courses, such as:

ontology of mind

theories of mind

theories of truth

You can also choose psychology courses, such as:

memory and perception

development

Find Year 3 courses (2026-2027 academic year)

You will continue to choose from a variety of more advanced courses, as in Year 3.

You will also complete an individual research project.

Find Year 4 courses (2026-2027 academic year)

You will have the opportunity to study abroad in Year 3 of this degree at one of our partner universities.

If international travel restrictions allow, you may be able to choose where you study from our selection of international partners.

A study abroad experience will allow you to immerse yourself in a different culture, enrich your learning and enhance your future job opportunities.

Your study abroad options

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Courses are taught through a combination of:

lectures

tutorials

laboratory classes

small-group project work

In Year 4, you will complete individual project work.

Assessment

You will be assessed by exams and coursework.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.

Where you will study

You will be taught in the University's Central Area.

Academic facilities

In our Psychology and Linguistics departments, you will have full access to the:

libraries

computer facilities

specialised laboratories

You will have access to state-of-the-art research facilities including:

electroencephalogram (EEG)

non-invasive brain stimulation

eye and motion tracking equipment

You will also have access to a dedicated psychology and philosophy library and other facilities available across our campuses.

Career paths and further study

Career paths

On graduating, you will have excellent employment prospects in fields that will shape our society, such as:

economics

entertainment

technology

mobile systems

manufacturing and health

Graduates also have the skills needed for humanities-related areas, such as:

the civil service

marketing and communications

management

journalism

social work

teaching

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths

try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop

get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs

attend careers events and practice interviews

get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

After you complete your programme, you may want to go onto further study at Edinburgh or a different university. You could progress to:

a masters degree

a postgraduate diploma or certificate

a second undergraduate degree

Find out about options for further study

Applying

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

your academic qualifications

a personal statement

evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)

a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

2027 entry UCAS deadline: 13 January 2027 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 13 January 2027, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

How to submit your qualifications

Attend an offer holder event

Receiving our decision

Accepting your offer

After you’ve accepted your offer

If you have a disability and need more support at university

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.

Find out more about applying through UCAS

Visas and immigration

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process.

Applying for a visa

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student.

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.

Find contact details for an education agent

Life at Edinburgh

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Exercise, leisure and support facilities

Outside of your studies, we offer a range of facilities you can use, including:

sport and active wellbeing facilities

University cafes and catering

Edinburgh University Students' Association venues and shops

a multi-faith chaplaincy for all faiths and none

a University nursery (based at King’s Buildings campus)

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

a student counselling service

a health centre (doctor's surgery)

support if you're living in University accommodation

dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact and events

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Follow us on social media

Visit our social media on LinkedIn

Visit our social media on Instagram

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

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It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to

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Some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

Updates to this page

Updated 2 April 2026 to add information to the programme overview

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課程頁官方原文 A levels: standard entry requirements The A level grades you need to be considered for an offer These are the grades most applicants needed to receive an offer in recent years: ABB What do these grades mean? Required subjects The grades you use to meet our entry requirements must include **one** of the following at A level: Biology or Human Biology at B Chemistry at B Computer Science or equivalent at B Environmental Science at B Geography at B Geology at B Life and Health Science at B Mathematics at B Physics at B Psychology at B Statistics at B Your other A levels can be in any other subject, except the few subjects we do not accept. See approved subjects GCSEs required You must also have the following at GCSE: English at C or 4 Mathematics at A or 7, or Mathematics and Physics both at B or 6, or Mathematics and Science Double Award both at B or 6 https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/479-cognitive-science-humanities/entry-requirements 取得日期：2026-11-05

香港／國際頁官方原文 With the exception of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, all HKDSE applicants will be required to pass the HKDSE with four core subjects achieved at Level 3 or above, or three core subjects achieved at Level 3 or above and one at ‘Attained’ in Citizenship and Social Development only, plus three elective subjects at Level 555. Where Mathematics is a required subject candidates will require Level 5 in both the Compulsory and Extended Parts of Mathematics. Degree programmes in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Science and Engineering - Level 4 overall with Level 4 in each component. https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/international/country/asia/east-asia/hong-kong 取得日期：2026-11-05

UCAS課程完整原文 Required subjects: A levels: one from Biology or Human Biology at B; Chemistry at B; Computer Science or equivalent at B; Environmental Science at B; Geography at B; Geology at B; Life and Health Science at B; Mathematics at B; Physics at B; Psychology at B; Statistics at B. GCSEs: English at C or 4; Mathematics at A or 7, or Mathematics and Physics both at B or 6, or Mathematics and Science Double Award both at B or 6. https://www.ucas.com/explore/courses/04c221cf-0080-95ae-f8d6-4384c5269749?studyYear=2027 取得日期：2026-09-16

香港／國際頁完整官方原文 Hong Kong-SAR China Undergraduate entry requirements for applicants from Hong Kong. Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) With the exception of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, all HKDSE applicants will be required to pass the HKDSE with four core subjects achieved at Level 3 or above, or three core subjects achieved at Level 3 or above and one at ‘Attained’ in Citizenship and Social Development only, plus three elective subjects at Level 555. Where Mathematics is a required subject candidates will require Level 5 in both the Compulsory and Extended Parts of Mathematics. College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences For all degree programmes in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, any subject specific requirements as listed in the undergraduate prospectus must be achieved at Level 5 at either core or elective level. College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine Applicants for Medicine will require 3 elective subjects, with grades 5*5*5* to include Chemistry and one from either Biology; Physics or Mathematics, with four core subjects achieved at Level 3333 or above. Applicants for Veterinary Medicine will require 3 elective subjects with grades of 555 to include Chemistry, Biology and one other elective subject. A minimum of grade 3 must be gained in all other elective subjects. For Biomedical Sciences, HKDSE with four core subjects achieved at Level 3333 or above plus three elective subjects at Level 555 to include Biology and Chemistry. To be exempt from taking a further English Language test you must achieve Level 4 overall in English with Level 4 in each component. HKDSE English Language Requirements Achievement at the following level/grade in English is accepted for entry by the University and HKDSE applicants are not required to provide a further English qualification. Degree programmes in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Science and Engineering - Level 4 overall with Level 4 in each component. Degree programmes in Biomedical Sciences - Level 4 overall with Level 4 in each component. Degree programmes in Medicine & Veterinary Medicine - Level 5 overall with Level 5 in each component. https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/international/country/asia/east-asia/hong-kong 取得日期：2026-11-05

HKDSE英文對照官方完整原文 Degree programmes in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Science and Engineering - Level 4 overall with Level 4 in each component. https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/international/country/asia/east-asia/hong-kong 取得日期：2026-11-05

A-level 核准科目原文 Approved subjects A level subjects we accept for general university entry. For many degrees, we will expect you to have achieved certain grades in specific A levels subjects. We call these ‘required subjects’. We accept most A levels for general University entry. There are some A levels subjects which we only accept under certain conditions, or for entry to specific degrees. There are a few A levels subjects that we do not accept. A levels subjects with conditions Subjects with common material We do not typically count subjects that contain a high proportion of common material (such as biology and human biology) separately. Native language A levels We accept A levels in your native language, except for some degrees where you cannot use your native language to meet a language requirement. If a native language is not accepted to meet the language requirement, we will specify this in the entry requirements section in the degree finder. A level art and design strands We only accept one art and design strand per application, unless you are applying for a degree in art and design (excluding MA Fine Art and History of Art). A level Applied Art and Design We do not accept A level Applied Art and Design for general University entry. We do accept it for entry to art and design degrees (excluding MA Fine Art and History of Art). A level Biology and A level Human Biology We only accept one of A level Biology and A level Human Biology. A level Citizenship Studies We do not accept A level Citizenship Studies in combination with either A level Law or A level Government and Politics. A level Economics and Business We do not accept A level Economics and Business in combination with either A level Economics or A level Business Studies. A level Mathematics and A level Further Mathematics We accept A level Mathematics and A level Further Mathematics as two separate subjects unless otherwise stated in the entry requirements section in the degree finder. A level Moving Image Arts We do not accept A level Moving Image Arts for general University entry. We do accept it for entry to art and design degrees (excluding MA Fine Art and History of Art). A level Physical Science We do not accept A level Physical Science in combination with either A level Chemistry or A level Physics. A level Professional Business Services We do not accept A level Professional Business Services in combination with A level Business Studies. A level Sports Science and the Active Leisure Industry We do not accept A level Sports Science and the Active Leisure Industry for general University entry. We do accept it for entry to Applied Sport Science or Sport Management. A level Use of Mathematics We do not accept A level Use of Mathematics in place of A level Mathematics as a required subject. We do not accept A level Use of Mathematics in combination with A level Mathematics. A level subjects we do not accept Applied ICT Applied Science Communication and Culture Creative Writing General Studies Journalism in the Media and Communications Industry Leisure Studies Media: Communication and Production Performing Arts Travel and Tourism Advice Get in touch if you need advice on the acceptability of any subject for entry to a particular degree, or on subjects sharing common material. Contact us for advice Subject choice As long as you are taking the required subjects listed in the degree finder for your degree, we advise you to do subjects that you enjoy most, or the subjects you are most likely to do well in. Doing subjects that you are most likely to do well in gives you the best chance of meeting the entry requirements. Required, preferred and recommended subjects We use different terms in the degree finder like 'required' and 'preferred' subjects when talking about entry requirements. When we use these terms, we mean: Required: must have this subject Preferred: will get preference in selection if you have this subject Recommended: this subject is good preparation for this degree Understanding our entry requirements Degree finder https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-welsh-northern-irish-qualifications/approved-subjects 取得日期：2026-11-05

院校未公布 DSE 對應等級，請向院校確認。

請查看下方完整入學要求原文，或向院校確認。