Suggested Programs for COGS Majors
As cognitive science is a newer and interdisciplinary field, cognitive science majors should search for program that suit their academic needs in a variety of allied fields including psychology, philosophy, linguistics, computer science, and biology. And because it is a new interdisciplinary academic field, there are few rankings and students may need to search by the strength of the offerings in allied fields. Below are suggested programs and resources for cognitive science students for study abroad.
Suggested Programs for Cognitive Science Majors
1.
Australian Universities: Univ. of Sydney
Study at the largest and first established School of Psychology in Australia. You will have the opportunity to take courses in all areas of psychology including social work and educational psychology (under the Social Work and Education faculty units, respectively).
2.
Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong (CUHK)
Advance in your major at a leading Chinese research university with a global vision. This program offers a wide variety of courses and research opportunities. In addition, you can join the CUHK Psychology Society, an undergraduate student organization that fosters connections with the department and organizes a wide range of extracurricular activities throughout the year.
3.
Irish Universities: Trinity College Dublin
Ranked as one of the top ten Schools of Psychology in Europe, Trinity's School of Psychology has developed an international reputation for excellence, both in terms of research activities and research-led teaching. As you enjoy an independent and self-directed approach to learning, you can take fascinating courses such as The Psychology of Criminal Behavior and the Neuropsychology of Control._
4.
National Univ. of Singapore (NUS)
Ranked best in all of Asia, NUS is an excellent choice for cognitive science majors and student across nearly every major at UC Merced.
5.
New Zealand Universities: Victory Univ. of Wellington
Almost all courses are team-taught, and you will be introduced to different topics by leading academic staff. There is a wide selection of courses available, with several topics ranging from industrial organizational psychology to cross-cultural psychology and theories of violent offending. You may also have the opportunity to participate in research or independent study courses.
6.
English Universities: Univ. of Bristol & Univ. of Sussex
Univ. of Bristol
The School of Experimental Psychology at the University of Bristol offers outstanding opportunities to students who focus on hypothesis-driven, testable ideas to understand mind and behavior. This is a great program if you enjoy the research side of psychology.
Univ. of Sussex
The Psychology Department at the University of Sussex is ranked highly in student satisfaction and has remained a popular choice for psychology students studying abroad. There is on-site support available on this program. You can take courses on Abnormal Psychology, Childhood Social Development, and Personality and Intelligence.
7.
Scottish Universities: Univ. Glasgow
Glasgow features an excellent selection of courses in psychology and past students have often taken several classes in psychology per semester. You will have the opportunity to study topics such as psychology of interventions and positive psychology.
8.
Chilean Universities: Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Access a wide variety of courses with strong offerings in educational psychology. The program begins with a language program, includes multiple excursions throughout the year, and helps facilitate internships during the semester. There are ample internships in the related areas of health and social services which can be arranged upon arrival through the UCEAP Chile Study Center.
9.
Univ. of Copenhagen
Set in a large research-oriented institution, this program is ideal for independently motivated students; classes usually meet a couple of hours each week with either large projects or papers to complete outside of class. You may take first year graduate-level courses for upper-division credit provided you have the appropriate prerequisites.
By no means is this list comprehensive, but you may also search additional program opportunities.
Completing Other SSHA Requirements Abroad
SSHA students, in general, can take advantage of the requirement to complete four (4) non-major upper-division general education courses—or equivalent—from SSHA areas as varied as English literature to economics. Most SSHA students complete one or more of these required courses while studying abroad. These courses must be reviewed through the SSHA course approval form (see below).
SSHA students must also complete a total of 60.0 semester units in order to graduate. SSHA students complete many of these units within their major but often need more and can complete these requirements abroad.
Course Approval and Course Approval Forms
With a few exceptions of previously approved courses (ask your academic advisor), courses will need to be approved to meet individual degree requirements. In these cases, students will use the Course Approval Form for the school that would typically offer such a course at UC Merced:
The school will usually require a syllabus or equivalent in order to do a review. Keep in mind that syllabi may be protected intellectual property of certain professors or universities and may not be publicly posted online. If it is a UC Center program, you may be able to acquire syllabi through your study abroad advisor. If the program is with a local host university and the course is not posted online, you may be able to inquire with the instructor or host university in some cases.
Academic Planning
No matter your academic intentions while studying abroad, you should consult your academic advisor in SSHA and your MyAudit report to plan out your study abroad academic goals. Once you narrow your search to 1-3 study abroad programs consult your program page or ask your study abroad advisor about resources for researching courses in your program.