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Suggested Programs for Cognitive Science

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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.

Highlighted Specifically Selected for Cognitive Science

Italy: Psychology & Cognitive Science, Padua

Explore psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience courses taught in English at the top-ranked university in Italy, founded in 1222. Courses focused in psychology and cognitive science include practical, hands-on work as well as experimental activities.

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Immersion & Exchange Programs Suggested for Cognitive Science

Australia: 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).

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Hong Kong: 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.

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Ireland: 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.

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Singapore: 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.

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United Kingdom: 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.

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United Kingdom: Univ. of 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.

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Chile: 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.

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Denmark: 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.

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Internship Opportunities for MAJOR Majors

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Research Opportunities for MAJOR Majors

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Global & International Opportunities

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Summer Physics Abroad

One potential route to study abroad for STEM students is to tackle a full year of introductory physics over the summer. Typically, this is the summer between students’ first and second year at UC Merced. Consider these options:

Australia: Sydney Summer Physics

Earn a full year of calculus-based physics credit in just eight weeks. Fulfill math requirements for the life sciences or get a jump on pre-med coursework and experience life in Sydney, Australia.

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Cyprus: Nicosia Summer Physics

Study intensive physics for the life sciences in beautiful Cyprus. Note that this program is better suited to biological sciences students than other STEM students.

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Ireland: Cork Summer Physics

In just eight weeks at the University College Cork, you can earn a full year of calculus-based physics credit, get a jump on math coursework, or prepare for a pre-med track. Lab experiments and group workshops expand your science knowledge with students from around the world.

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Spain: Madrid Summer Physics

Add some sizzle to your summer—study in Madrid and return with a full year of physics credit. This intense 8-week program is ideal for life sciences majors who want to get a quick boost in academics.

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United Kingdom: Glasgow Science & Engineering

As the home to the James Watt School of Engineering and the School of Life Sciences, the University of Glasgow offers the perfect environment for this intensive physics summer program.

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United Kingdom: Summer in Sussex

Minutes from the sparkling seafront, Sussex is quintessentially English, with spectacular castles, greenery, and attractions fit for royals. Pre-med and life sciences majors can earn up to a year of physics credit in two months!

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Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Opportunities

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Human Bio Opportunities

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Engineering-Specific Opportunities

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Advanced MAJOR Opportunities

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Feature: 5 Reasons STEM Majors Should Study Abroad

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Want to stand out on your next job application or boost your chances into getting into grad school? Or are you looking to expand your worldview, perhaps explore a side interest? Whatever your goal is, there’s a good chance study abroad can help you achieve it.

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.

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 often 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 and your MyDegreePath 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.

 

Start planning for study abroad with your academic advisor as soon as you can. One of the keys to maximizing academic success abroad is early planning and scheduling course loads before, during, and after study abroad. This includes strategies such as targeting a study abroad term to exploit areas of flexibility in your academic plan.

Be sure to make use of UCEAP course credit resources below, too.

 

UC Merced Campus Credit through UCEAP

How to Explore Database of Courses Previously Taken

 

Campus Credit Abroad

Planning the courses you’ll take on study abroad is as important as figuring out when and where to go. All courses taken on the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) are guaranteed UC credit, but understanding how each class may fit into your academic plan is a critical part of the planning process.

UCEAP Database of Courses Previously Taken

How to Find Courses for UCEAP

One of the challenges with academic planning and completing the Academic Planning Form is finding courses. While there is never any certainty with course offerings and study abroad always requires a little calculated academic risk, there are some techniques to minimize the risk and exploit unique educational opportunities through study abroad.

Courses & Credit Tab

For nearly every UCEAP program page, there will be a tab labeled “Courses & Credit.” Within this tab you will find information and links in the “Course Opportunities” area. The course resources are listed in order of relevance. Depending on the program, you might find any of the following resources:

  1. Course syllabi
  2. Links to academic majors or programs with courses
  3. A bulleted list of courses

UCEAP Course Catalog

All UCEAP coursework taken in the last five (5) years is listed in the UCEAP Course Catalog. There are a few things you should consider when using the UCEAP Course Catalog:

  1. The list of courses is not comprehensive.
  2. Course units are listed in quarter units (to convert to semester units, divide by 1.5).
  3. Syllabi are not included.
  4. You may need to search less intuitive subject areas to find coursework (e.g. health sciences for public health, "engineering" for bioengineering, business for management and business economics).

Check Previously Approved Courses

There are a few resources available showing coursework previously approved for study abroad online. The resources are limited but they do represent some of the more recent course approvals:

A Note on Course Syllabi

Your academic advisor or school may insist that you need syllabi in order to determine whether a course abroad will substitute a particular degree requirement. While this is generally true, this does not prevent you from planning out your academic schedule abroad and determining what type of degree requirements a course may fulfill.

Sometimes your study abroad advisor or UCEAP can acquire a syllabus on your behalf; however, this is not always the case. Please understand that syllabi are often considered intellectual property and may not be shared until the course begins. Previously approved courses (see above) are often your first go-to resource to select courses.