Hi, I’m a junior in high school, and I’m interested in studying cognitive science in college. What are the pros and cons of this major? How difficult is it to find a job with a cognitive science degree?
Most schools that offer cognitive science offer different emphases. The emphases range from neurobiology to linguistics to machine learning/AI.
Your major is not your profession. The ability to find a job depends on what emphasis you study and what type of work you want to do.
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I’d just echo this. Cognitive Science is a very broad interdisciplinary field, and the major really varies between different colleges that offer it. I note sometimes they offer multiple tracks/concentrations, so that can give you some choice about the flavor you end up pursuing. Just by way of example, Penn offers three different concentrations within its COGS major, Cognitive Neuroscience, Computation and Cognition, and Language and Mind (note these are more or less the three emphases named above):
https://web.sas.upenn.edu/cogsci/major/
Again I’d echo this. And in fact, lots of people in college change majors, sometimes multiple times, and then lots of people go on to careers not particularly related to their majors, sometimes involving later further education.
That doesn’t mean it is wrong to have potential interests going into college, but I tend to think you would be best served by asking questions more like what do you think you would find interesting, what do you think you would be good at, what do you think would help you develop important knowledge and/or skills, and so on. Different flavors of Cognitive Science can potentially look like promising answers to questions like that, but then maybe so would related fields, or indeed entirely unrelated fields.
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Hi, when I was at high school I was thinking about it too, but planes chnged, but I can still tell you a lot
Pros:
- Cognitive science blends different fields like psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and computer science, creating a comprehensive view of the mind.
- After graduation, you can explore careers in sectors like research, technology, healthcare, education, or even business, thanks to the wide range of skills you’ll gain.
- A lot of cognitive science programs offer the chance to be part of real, hands-on research projects, making your studies even more impactful.
- This field plays a big part in pushing the boundaries in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and how humans interact with computers.
Cons:
- Because it merges several disciplines, cognitive science can cover a lot of ground which might mean you’ll need to specialize further for some jobs.
- Direct job opportunities in cognitive science might be a bit scarce, and landing a research or academic position can be quite competitive.
- For some roles, like in research or academia, you might need to pursue higher degrees.
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The broad nature of this major makes it a pro if you have multiple interests. Depending on the school, requirements, concentrations etc you may be taking computer science as well as classes in language processing and linguistics. Some schools may require students to take at least 1 course across multiple concentrations, which I view as a pro.
Another pro is the broad range of career paths and graduate degrees: grad school, law school, med school, teaching, counseling, data analyst, voice recognition, etc. This major will allow you to narrow down your interests.
Can you get a job right out of school? Yes, but the specifics will depend on your undergraduate experiences. You will graduate with a diverse set of skills and transferable skills. But….keep in mind that you may also end up in some type of grad school (I feel this is more likely than not).
What are some cons? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of specialization going on at the undergraduate level. While this may be a pro for those with multiple interests, it can also be viewed as a con.
If cognitive science is something that interests you, I think you should pursue it. Your choice of major does not have to be a straight arrow toward a specific career at the age of 20.
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