The Cognitive Science Interdisciplinary Programme (COGS IDP) aims to produce graduates who are competent in ideas intersecting AI, Philosophy, Linguistics, and Psychology. The programme focuses on identifying different aspects of the mind and on modelling and explaining those aspects in computational terms. Cognitive Science students explore the nature of abilities and processes such as memory, communication, perception, reasoning, problem-solving and creativity, and develop an understanding of fundamental debates about the nature of consciousness.

In the first year of the programme, students are introduced to the key concepts, theories and methods in scientific investigation of the mind. A central issue is the role that computation and representation can play in explaining how mind can be part of the natural world. This first year provides a solid grounding for progressing to the more specialised, complex and self-directed courses of the following years.

In years 2 and 3, students dig deeper into the mysteries of the mind by looking at cognition from the perspective of linguistics, philosophy, psychology and/or artificial intelligence. Mastery is gained of the methodologies distinct to each of these disciplines; and students also encounter an enriching interplay between them. This enables them to give, for example, a philosophical critique of a psychological theory, or to design an AI program that processes natural language in an intelligent way.