Postgraduate study
Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.

Mind, Language and Embodied Cognition MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

This programme provides an intensive grounding in the philosophy of cognitive science, its methodologies, research questions and techniques of research with an emphasis on issues surrounding situated and embodied cognition.

By choosing this programme, you will be entering one of the most exciting areas of contemporary research in philosophy of mind, an increasingly popular field in which many large unsolved problems remain.

Key research areas

This programme examines the wide landscape of issues that arise where philosophy of mind meets the study of psychology, linguistics, and cognitive science.

Embodied cognition is the study of minds as embedded in, interacting with, and inextricable from the physical, biological, and social environments in which they evolve, develop, and act.

It marks a point of convergence between the front-lines of cognitive science and philosophy, drawing on analytic and continental traditions, the philosophy of mind and language, the philosophy of biology, moral philosophy and ethics, in live dialogue with empirical research in psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, robotics, human-computer interaction, and beyond.

Philosophy is rated 4th in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

What will I learn?

You will be taught the core areas and arguments, and principles of research in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science.

You can also take advantage of the highly interdisciplinary nature of research within philosophy and draw on teaching and research both elsewhere in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences and within other relevant Schools.

Is this MSc for me?

This programme provides an understanding of philosophy of the mind and cognitive science, and you can customise your learning in areas you are most passionate about.

It provides an excellent preparation for further research and knowledge of philosophy of the mind and cognitive science, whether you choose to pursue this in further in academic research or in a professional career.

Reputation, relevance and employability

Edinburgh has a proud and distinguished place in the history of philosophy and has long been associated with some of the field’s most important thinkers.

Our philosophy department, one of the largest in the world, is now home to academics leading research into a wide range of contemporary topics, including internationally recognised leaders in the study of mind, language and embodied cognition.

You will benefit from the breadth and strength of the interdisciplinary academic community at Edinburgh, having the opportunity to select option courses and attend research seminars across different disciplines.

Our students’ research projects are often published in academic or professional journals.

Our programme has an excellent reputation among employers and further research opportunities. Many of our graduates have gone onto PhD training and we have a high academic job placement record.

Find out more about our community

The School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences is home to a large, supportive and active student community, hosting events and activities throughout the year which you can join. As a postgraduate student you will have access to a range of research resources, state of the art facilities, research seminars and reading groups.

This programme contains two semesters of taught core courses and optional courses followed by a dissertation.

The taught courses and their assessments take place between September to December (Semester 1) and January to April (Semester 2). Planning for the dissertation will take place until April and carried out between April and August.

Core courses

The core courses are:

  • Introduction to Mind, Language and Embodied Cognition
  • Advanced Topics in Mind, Language and Embodied Cognition

Optional courses

The optional courses can be selected to tailor the programme to your interests. Examples of optional courses are:

  • Seminar in Cognitive modelling
  • Self, Agency and the Will
  • Cog Lab 1 &2
  • Belief, Desire and Rational Choice
  • Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
  • Phenomenology
  • Philosophy of Information
  • Brain Imaging in Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Contemporary Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Origins and Evolution of Language
  • Simulating Language

Dissertation

The dissertation involves writing a research project in close collaboration with an expert supervisor.

You will produce a written report, similar to an academic journal article; indeed, some dissertations are published as journal articles.

The work and writing takes place between April and August and will be due in August.

Past examples of dissertation topics include:

  • An Ecological Theory of Concepts
  • How Does Technology Influence the Methods We Use for Understanding Our Interactions with Others
  • Functional Learning of Moderated Causality in Dynamic Systems
  • Freediving Neurophenomenology and Skilled Action

How will I learn?

Most courses are taught by a combination of lectures and seminars/tutorials. The number of contact hours and the teaching format will depend to some extent on the option courses chosen.

After classes finish in April, you will spend all your time working independently on coursework, exam revision and on your dissertation. When you carry out your supervised dissertation research, you will receive guidance from your supervisor through one-to-one meetings, comments on written work and email communication.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScMind, Language and Embodied Cognition1 YearFull-timeProgramme structure 2024/25

This programme provides you with a range of knowledge and skills to prepare you for a variety of career paths including, but not limited to, further study in a PhD programme in philosophy.

On successful completion of this programme, you will have gained a good knowledge and understanding of the:

  • central areas in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science
  • central arguments and challenges facing claims about embodied, situated, and extended cognition
  • interaction between empirical work in cognitive science and arguments in philosophy of mind
  • computational approaches and criticisms of computationalism
  • basic principles of research in philosophy and cognitive science

You will also gain transferable skills in:

  • written and verbal communication
  • group and teamwork
  • time and project management
  • the ability to work as independently and as part of a team

This is the ideal programme for deepening your involvement in philosophy of cognitive science, giving you a grounding in postgraduate work, or developing an academic career in philosophy. You will also acquire an understanding of the central debates in the sciences of the mind today.

The programmes also teaches a broad range of transferable skills applicable to a wide range of modern jobs, such as:

  • problem-solving
  • analysing and synthesising scientific literature
  • clear and concise writing
  • logical reasoning

Our graduates

In addition to a number of our graduates going onto further academic research opportunities, some recent roles they have progressed to are:

  • Ethical AI Consultant
  • User Researcher for Ministry of Justice
  • Travel Writer & Poet

Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service plays an essential part in your wider student experience at the University, providing:

  • tailored advice
  • individual guidance and personal assistance
  • internships and networking opportunities (with employers from local organisations to top multinationals)
  • access to the experience of our worldwide alumni network

We invest in your future beyond the end of your degree. Studying at the University of Edinburgh will lay the foundations for your future success, whatever shape that takes.

Your application and personal statement allow us to make sure that you and your chosen MSc are good matches for each other, and that you will have a productive and successful year at Edinburgh.

We strongly recommend you apply as early as possible. You should avoid applying to more than one degree. Applicants who can demonstrate their understanding and commitment to a specific programme are preferred.

Personal statements

When applying you should include a personal statement detailing your academic abilities and your reasons for applying for the programme.

The personal statement helps us decide whether you are right for the MSc programme you have selected, but just as importantly, it helps us decide whether the MSc programme is right for you.

Your personal statement should include:

  • What makes this particular MSc programme interesting for you?
  • What are the most important things you want to gain from the MSc programme?
  • What are the key philosophy courses you have taken and that are relevant for this specific programme and what are your academic abilities?
  • A short description of a philosophical questions you would like to pursue during your time as an MSc student here and an explanation of why you find it philosophically interesting.
  • Any other information which you feel will help us ensure that you are a good match to your intended MSc programme.

A good personal statement can make a big difference to the admissions process as it may be the only opportunity to explain why you are an ideal candidate for the programme.

Work Samples

It is useful for the panel to receive a sample of your academic written work. Please provide a sample of work written in English on a relevant topic of your choice to demonstrate your suitability to the programme. If you don't have an existing piece of academic work that would be suitable, you should provide a short essay (of at least 2000 words), analysing a piece of philosophy you have found interesting. This could be an analysis of a book chapter or a philosophy paper.

References

You will be asked to add contact details for your referees. We will email them with information on how to upload their reference directly to your online application. Alternatively, they can email their comments to:

pplspgoffice@ed.ac.uk

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in philosophy or a related field such as cognitive science, computer science, psychology or linguistics.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online..
  • Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component. Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScMind, Language and Embodied Cognition1 YearFull-timeTuition fees
MScMind, Language and Embodied Cognition2 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money

    • taking out a loan

    • family support

  • personal savings

  • income from work

  • employer sponsorship

  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

There are a number of highly competitive scholarships and funding options available to MSc students.

Deadlines for funding applications vary for each funding source. Please make sure to check the specific deadlines for the funding opportunities you wish to apply for and make sure that you submit your application in good time.

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • PPLS Postgraduate Office
  • Dugald Stewart Building
  • 3 Charles Street
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9AD
Programme start date Application deadline
8 September 2025 3 April 2025

MSc Mind, Language and Embodied Cognition operates a gathered field approach to applications. You may submit your application at any time.

All complete applications that satisfy our minimum entry requirements will be placed on a shortlist and held until the next batch processing deadline, at which point applications will be ranked and offers made to the top candidates.

If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

Supporting documentation and referees

Applications must be complete with all supporting documentation to be passed on for consideration, this includes references.

Please ensure that you inform referees of any deadline you wish to meet.

Round Application deadline Places awarded
1 28 November 2024 6 February 2025
2 30 January 2025 27 March 2025
3 3 April 2025 29 May 2025

You must submit one reference with your application.

Please read through the ‘Important application information’ section on this page before applying.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • PPLS Postgraduate Office
  • Dugald Stewart Building
  • 3 Charles Street
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9AD