Cognitive Science Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree
Explore the human mind through psychology, neuroscience, AR, and more in RIT’s interdisciplinary Ph.D.
Overview for Cognitive Science Ph.D.
Why Pursue a Cognitive Science Ph.D. at RIT?
STEM-OPT Visa Eligible: The STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows full-time, on-campus international students on an F-1 student visa to stay and work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation.
Cutting Edge Cognitive Science Research: Including context, culture, and cognition; biologically-inspired computational models; and cognition and human action.
Future-Focused Curriculum: Provides a dynamic program designed by academic and industry leaders to integrate formal education with state-of-the-art research and best practices from industry.
Top-Notch Faculty: Work side-by-side with experienced faculty conducting research on contemporary problems.
Students in the Ph.D. in cognitive science conduct research on human perception, cognition, action, and language with a focus on the representation and processing of information within biological and computational frameworks. Ph.D. degrees in cognitive science prepare students for careers in academia or industry and to develop abilities to analyze data, grasp complex concepts, and interpret and communicate concepts for a wider audience. Faculty advisors come from across the RIT campus to create a thriving, interdisciplinary community that supports students on their path to becoming cognitive scientists.
Interdisciplinary Curriculum for the Ph.D. in Cognitive Science
The cognitive science graduate program is jointly delivered by faculty experts from five RIT colleges, allowing students to develop valuable, career-enhancing interdisciplinary skills and communication competency as part of the program experience.
The six colleges include: College of Liberal Arts; College of Science; Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences; Kate Gleason College of Engineering; College of Engineering Technology; and National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
Research
Cognitive Science Research
Ph.D. in cognitive science faculty, all sharing a passion for understanding the biological and computational foundations of human cognition - including memory, perception, attention, language, learning, decision-making, creativity, and problem solving. While faculty research interests are broad, our program emphasizes:
- Context, culture, and cognition: Whilst the existence of cognitive universals is likely given the high degree of genetic overlap across animal species, there are significant variations in environments that are likely to lead to individual differences in cognition. Understanding how context and culture drive this variability can both improve our understanding of human cognition and lead to a more inclusive cognitive science.
- Biologically-inspired computational models: Computational models provide insights into the mechanisms of cognition and how information is represented and processed in cognitive systems. Biologically-inspired models not only help us constrain our cognitive theories, they also allow us to apply the insights of cognitive science to the development of innovative and powerful computational tools.
- Cognition and human action: Cognition cannot be separated from action. The purpose of cognition is to allow us to navigate the world around us in both goal-driven and stimulus-responsive ways. Therefore it is important to explain how cognition is realized in human behavior, and the role of cognition in guiding human action.
Featured Work and Profiles
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Student Finds Her Niche in New Cognitive Science Ph.D. Program
Sophia Caruana RIT’s new cognitive science Ph.D. program is attracting students such as Sophia Caruana, who is eager to explore data ethics, AI, and human-centered computing in a collaborative, multifaceted...
Read More about Student Finds Her Niche in New Cognitive Science Ph.D. Program
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Curriculum for 2025-2026 for Cognitive Science Ph.D.
Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements
Cognitive Science Ph.D.
The curriculum below outlines the typical course sequence(s) for this program.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| COGS-600 | Foundations in Research | 3 |
| COGS-610 | Laboratory Methods | 3 |
| COGS-780 | Cognitive Science Research | 3 |
| COGS-801 | Cognitive Science Research Colloquium | 0 |
| PSYC-640 | Graduate Statistics | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| COGS-711 | Philosophical Foundations in Cognitive Science | 3 |
| COGS-780 | Cognitive Science Research | 3 |
| COGS-800 | Cognitive Science Qualifying Examination | 0 |
| COGS-801 | Cognitive Science Research Colloquium | 0 |
| PSYC-712 | Graduate Cognition 1 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| COGS-621 | Foundations of Scientific Computing | 3 |
| COGS-801 | Cognitive Science Research Colloquium | 0 |
| COGS-880 | Cognitive Science Dissertation Research | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| COGS-720 | Teaching Practicum | 3 |
| COGS-801 | Cognitive Science Research Colloquium | 0 |
| COGS-880 | Cognitive Science Dissertation Research | 3 |
| PSYC-717 | Advanced Graduate Statistics 1 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| COGS-801 | Cognitive Science Research Colloquium | 0 |
| COGS-880 | Cognitive Science Dissertation Research | 6 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| COGS-801 | Cognitive Science Research Colloquium | 0 |
| COGS-880 | Cognitive Science Dissertation Research | 6 |
| COGS-887 | Cognitive Science Dissertation Proposal | 0 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| COGS-801 | Cognitive Science Research Colloquium | 0 |
| COGS-888 | Continuation of Dissertation | 0 |
| Hours | 0 | |
| Spring | ||
| COGS-801 | Cognitive Science Research Colloquium | 0 |
| COGS-888 | Continuation of Dissertation | 0 |
| Hours | 0 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- 1
Students may need to take PSYC-717 Advanced Graduate Statistics in Spring 1 and PSYC-712 Graduate Cognition in Spring 2 depending on course availability.
Program Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CGNS-601 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| CGNS-710 | Design Thinking and Cognition | 3 |
| CLRS-820 | Modeling Visual Perception | 3 |
| CMPE-677 | Machine Intelligence | 3 |
| CMPE-765 | Brain Inspired Computing | 3 |
| COGS-760 | Foundations of Cognitive Modeling | 3 |
| COGS-761 | Graduate Psycholinguistics | 3 |
| COGS-762 | Animal Cognition | 3 |
| COGS-765 | Psycholinguistics of Signed Languages | 3 |
| COGS-766 | Neuroplasticity in Deaf and Blind Individuals | 3 |
| COGS-768 | Deaf Vision | 3 |
| CSCI-630 | Foundations of Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| CSCI-631 | Foundations of Computer Vision | 3 |
| CSCI-633 | Biologically Inspired Intelligent Systems | 3 |
| CSCI-635 | Introduction to Machine Learning | 3 |
| CSCI-736 | Neural Networks and Machine Learning | 3 |
| IMGS-620 | The Human Visual System | 2 |
| IMGS-624 | Interactive Virtual Env | 3 |
| IMGS-684 | Deep Learning for Vision | 3 |
| PHIL-604 | Philosophy of Mind | 3 |
| PHIL-790 | Philosophy of Action | 3 |
| PSYC-681 | Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models I | 3 |
| PSYC-682 | Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models II | 3 |
| PSYC-684 | Graduate Speech Processing | 3 |
| PSYC-711 | Graduate Biopsychology | 3 |
| PSYC-714 | Graduate Engineering Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC-715 | Graduate Perception | 3 |
| STAT-670 | Design of Experiments | 3 |
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Admissions and Financial Aid
This program is available on-campus only.
| Offered | Admit Term(s) | Application Deadline | STEM Designated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full‑time | Fall | January 15 priority deadline; rolling thereafter | Yes |
Full-time study is 9+ semester credit hours. International students requiring a visa to study at the RIT Rochester campus must study full‑time.
Application Details
To be considered for admission to the Cognitive Science Ph.D. program, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Learn tips to apply for a doctoral program and then complete a graduate application.
- Submit copies of official transcript(s) (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work, including any transfer credit earned.
- Hold a baccalaureate degree (or US equivalent) from an accredited university or college. Since the program encompasses a wide variety of disciplines, students with diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent) is recommended.
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Submit a statement of purpose for research which will allow the Admissions Committee to learn the most about you as a prospective researcher.
- Submit two letters of recommendation.
- Entrance exam requirements: None
- Submit one writing sample. This may be an example of your research, publications, project, or other scholarly written work.
- Submit English language test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, etc.), if required. Details are below.
English Language Test Scores
International applicants whose native language is not English must submit one of the following official English language test scores. Some international applicants may be considered for an English test requirement waiver.
Duolingo (DET): 130
IELTS: 6.5
PTE Academic: 60
TOEFL: 88
International students below the minimum requirement may be considered for conditional admission. Deaf and hard-of-hearing test takers with significant hearing loss do not need to take the listening and speaking sections for the TOEFL and IELTS. Each program requires balanced sub-scores when determining an applicant’s need for additional English language courses.
How to Apply Start or Manage Your Application
Cost and Financial Aid
An RIT graduate degree is an investment with lifelong returns. Ph.D. students typically receive full tuition and an RIT Graduate Assistantship that will consist of a research assistantship (stipend) or a teaching assistantship (salary).
