What Are Our Graduates Doing?
In the winter of 2002 a questionnaire was mailed to all cognitive science graduates for whom we have addresses. Repsonses were returned via mail or as a form on our web page. Data was also collected in recent years from surveys of graduating students regarding their immediate and long-term plans.
Some of our graduates are pursuing academic careers in fields as varied as Cognition and Community and International Nutrition.Quite a few of them are in PhD programs, medical school and residency programs at schools like UVA, UC Berkely, University of Pennsylvannia, University of Michigan, and Harvard.
Most graduates who responded to our survey are pursuing careers in technology in senior level positions such as Vice President of Information Technologies. Others are working in fields such as investing, law, medicine and teaching.
The following are some examples of Post Graduate Responses from the survey question "How has your training in Cognitive Science helped you in what you are currently doing?"
"Because of the major, I was able to more easily find classes pertinent to my future goal of becoming a developmental psycholinguist. Also, I feel that having Cognitive Science as my major made me stick out among the crowd when applying for graduate school".
"I truly benefited from the rigorous analytics and intellectual thought processes required by the discipline, subject matter, and instructors. I have a more contemplative, inquisitive nature and deeper appreciation for the manner in which human's communicate, interface with their surroundings, and "see" the world around them. The study of Cognitive Science forces its students to question the very essence of what it means to think, to dream, and to be".
"Excellent broad base of studies provided me with both communication and technical skills. I purposely pursued a position in the business world to gain experience in a different area. The range of experiences that I had in the Cognitive Science Program provided a wonderful backup for such a transition. It allowed me to offer different perspectives and strengths than, say, a more traditional Economics or Finance major. This program is so unique, it will be attractive to a number of different graduate school programs in the future".
"The ease of going from the University to a job shows how my Cognitive Science Major prepared me for the outside world so quickly. The problem solving skills that I learned through Computer Science, logic, and Cognitive Psychology I use daily in my dealings with work and people."
"Cognitive Science has helped me develop better people skills and 'thinking outside the box'."
"My training in Cognitive Science has given direction to my curiosity (an asset that has proven valuable in medical school). Ultimately, I intend to study Cognitive Science as a career".