Prospective Students - [ Cognitive Ph.D.]
As used in modern behavioral science, the term "cognitive" has its origin in psychology. The discipline of cognitive psychology is often defined as the study of how people perceive, encode, transform, manipulate, store, and recall information unified by the central thesis that the relationship between the environment and behavior is mediated by mental processes. Cognitive science can be loosely defined as the study of the representation and manipulation of information - by machines, as well as by living organic systems. In addition to cognitive psychology, cognitive science encompasses such areas as artificial intelligence, human factors engineering, robotics, linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and the philosophies of mind and language. Thus, cognitive science can be viewed as one bridge in this era of high technology that connects these seemingly disparate disciplines at the point of a variety of applications that hinge on matters of reasoning. For example, human-machine interface issues and other related ergonomic concerns in business and industry, as well as in engineering, couple phenomena such as human-user learning and reasoning with concerns of software and hardware usability. The interplay and linkages between cognitive psychology, advances in computer science and engineering, the varying cognitive abilities of individuals, and demands for people to use technology more easily and efficiently have heightened the demand for specialists in applied cognitive science.
As a "Research 100" University, MSU has a continuing commitment to advance its mission. A cursory survey of various federal and defense agencies, as well as many industries, attest to a rapid growth in funding directed toward applied cognitive science. This serves as a clear signal for the need for a formal program in cognitive science at Mississippi State University. Thus, the implementation of this program in 1999 helped consolidate resources and provide a more formal infrastructure from which more, and more varied, interdisciplinary efforts could be developed to maintain and advance the research mission of MSU and its leadership position in the state. Currently, the program includes academic resources from Psychology, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, Marketing, and Management Information Systems.
For Current Students
- First Year Project Committee Form
- Applied Cognitive Science Program Graduate Annual Review Report
- Applied Cognitive Science Program Student Annual Review Report
