I had an extremely positive experience in the Bachelor of Cognitive Science degree at Carleton University. The program’s flexible structure gave me a great chance to explore my options and take courses that I found interesting. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, I had the opportunity to meet a variety of people with very diverse interests.
The faculty and graduate students in the department are extremely passionate and committed to their areas of research. The professors are also great teachers. I found that they were approachable and happy to get students involved. I was given a real opportunity to participate in research and make meaningful contributions to the field.
The Bachelor of Cognitive Science with Concentration in Language and Linguistics prepared me extremely well for my Master’s program in Speech-Language Pathology. The language and linguistics courses were obviously helpful, but it was the interdisciplinary nature of the program that prepared me the best. In particular, the courses in psychology and neuroscience that were part of the BCogSc helped me have a balanced foundation for the Master’s program requirements. For students interested in speech-language pathology, I would recommend taking more psychology or neuroscience courses instead of advanced linguistics courses, although the Communication Disorders classes offered by the Linguistics department were also very helpful. [Dr. LeFevre, Director of the Institute of Cognitive Science suggests that the B.Cog.Sc. with a concentration in psychology, linguistics, or neuroscience are all good preparation for a degree in speech-language pathology.]
To students interested in pursuing speech therapy as a career, Cognitive Science is an excellent fit! I would recommend getting involved in the department through extracurricular activities or research. If you have an interest in speech therapy, getting some volunteer or observation hours might help you to decide if this career is right for you, and they will be an asset when applying to Master’s programs.
I cannot recommend the Cognitive Science program at Carleton University highly enough. This is a very exciting time to be part of the field of Cognitive Science.