Careers

The careers of Cognitive Systems alums are not dictated by their degree in Cognitive Systems.  COGS students and alumni decide for themselves what their degree means to them, taking ownership over the application of acquired knowledge in their lives. Since there are significant differences in each COGS student’s degree (due to the variety of specializations and module courses), alums can expand in different directions. Specializations alone do not predict career progression – the path taken (or created) will depend on each alum’s combination of skills and interests. What will you discover?

Transferable skills

Some students have a tendency to think, “What jobs are out there, where computer science, linguistics, philosophy and psychology all intersect?”

Considering jobs that exclusively pertain to four specific disciplines is limiting. Take into consideration the skills that COGS will help you acquire before you graduate:

  • Synthesizing accumulated knowledge – you know how to weave a broad array of ideas together to create new solutions.
  • Collaboration – you’re able to discover truths by communicating between individuals and groups of diverse specializations.
  • Evaluation and strategic thinking – you’re able to disambiguate complex problems and approach solutions from a unique perspective.
  • Research – you have done the necessary outreach to find your COGS 402 project supervisor, scoping and executing your own research project from start to finish.
  • Meaningful critique – you realize that not all research is perfect, and have applied a critical eye to existing research and media.

These transferable skills enable you to define a problem, design creative solutions, and connect minds across different domains to discover solutions collectively. These skills will help you in any domain you choose to explore – extending well beyond the defined areas of computer science, linguistics, philosophy and psychology.

Alumni trajectories: a summary

Because a COGS degree equips you with expertise in rapidly-progressing areas, the paths taken by past students may not reflect the most promising direction for present students to follow. Although the following information may guide or inspire you, a COGS degree should equip you with the intellectual resourcefulness to blaze a trail of your own.

Based on data from 357 COGS alumni, approximately 1/3 pursue further education (e.g. Master’s Degree, PhD, Diploma or Certificate). The other 2/3 join the workforce directly.

  • Popular Masters degrees include: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Digital Media, Human-Computer Interaction, Informatics, Management, Psychology/Neuroscience, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Pathology.
  • Doctorate degrees were mostly in Psychology/Neuroscience.
  • Bachelor’s degrees were mostly in Computer Science.
  • Popular Diplomas and Certificates were in Accounting, Paralegal, and UX Design.
  • Some alumni pursue law school or medical school.

Other COGS alumni join the workforce, pursuing the following areas (and many more):

  • Software engineering
  • Web development
  • User experience (UX/UI)
  • Marketing
  • Business development
  • Business intelligence
  • Customer experience
  • Consulting
  • Data science
  • Product management
  • Project management
  • Clinical research coordination
  • Occupational therapy

Some alumni decide to pursue additional education after spending a few/several years in industry, and vice versa.

Curious to hear more from COGS graduates? Check out our Alumni Spotlights!

Considering graduate school?

Here are some resources on what it is like to pursue graduate studies and how to successfully conduct your research. The full list can be found here. (Special thanks to COGS alumnus Theo Rosenfeld for the curation of resources.)

If you are looking for graduate school application resources, the following may be a good start:

Resources