Should I Look At Cog Sci PhDs Too?

[DorkRawk]

Hi Grad Cafe people!

So I'm currently working on my PhD applications. I plan on doing research in AI, specifically cognitive modeling and reasoning systems. I have most of my schools picked out (Berkeley, U of TX, UC San Diego, USC, Northwestern, U of CO, plus a few others), but I'm starting to wonder if I should apply to some computationally oriented cognitive science programs too. I have a gut feeling towards CS, just because that's where my background is and that's the field I think of when I think about AI, but I know there's a lot of cool AI working being done my cognitive scientists. I'd like the option of working in industry or academia after I finish my program, so that's another thing to consider.

So what would the advantages of studying AI through CS be when compared to a Cog Sci program? How would my job prospects be different? Any recommendations for programs to check out?

Thanks!

[starmaker]

There are a couple of places (Indiana and Tufts come to mind, and I'm pretty sure that I've read about some school in Colorado that does it too) that will actually let you get a joint PhD in cog sci and CS. That might get you the best of both worlds.

If you are picking one or the other, I'd say go with CS, because too many people, including some potential employers, have no idea what a cog sci degree means (I'm saying this as someone with a cog sci bachelor's degree - I can assure you, a lot of people will look at you blankly). Often, the profs who do computational cog sci stuff will have appointments in the CS department too, so you'd still be able to work with them.

[DorkRawk]

Thanks for the response. I've looked into a couple joint PhD programs (such as UCSD and U of CO) and I'll be talking about those in my applications to those programs. I am a little worried that employers for many R&D labs might prefer a CS degree over a Cog Sci one. If I knew I was going to stay in academia, I'd be less concerned. Part of my motivation for looking at Cog Sci programs was just to diversify the types of (and requirements for) programs I'm applying to.

[starmaker]

I don't think that's an unreasonable worry. However, my friends who already have PhDs have mentioned that in their experience, employers seeking PhD-level people care more about the particular topic of your dissertation, than about the name of the department that your degree is from. That might not be true everywhere or in every field, but it may balance your concern a little.

I don't know how high you're aiming, but there are some cog sci programs that are prestigious enough that you probably wouldn't have trouble getting an industry R&D job afterward (MIT, for instance).

[OH YEAH]

I would very much prefer a CS degree, otherwise you lose the Google/Microsoft/etc fallback... if you can't get an academic job, you'll appreciate the connections the CS professors have in industry.

[tkulk]

If brain/AI is interesting then go for computational neuroscience. I work at a research lab in a big company and a lot of PhDs are hired based on their papers/dissertations. Our group has always been interested in people from CS,Neuroscience, EE. Again, it totally depends on your adviser/research topic.