Mackenzie Ostler will graduate with a Bachelor’s of Cognitive Science with a focus in Computation and Cognition and a minor in Psychology in 2018. She currently works for Shopify.
Choosing a university program can be a daunting task, since students often feel like they are choosing a path for the rest of their life. I felt this pressure when I started researching and visiting prospective universities in high school. I am very happy that I chose to attend the Institute of Cognitive Science at Carleton University! The B.Cog.Sc program allows students the freedom to build their degree to suit their interests, while providing them with the building blocks to get there without feeling overwhelmed by all of the opportunities available.
There are countless ways to build your B.Cog.Sc degree. I chose to take core courses in computer science, and I spiced things up with statistics, math, and psychology classes. This combination gave me an advantage when applying to co-op and full time jobs, as I was able to bring a new perspective to primarily computer-science based teams. With the cognitive revolution that is currently taking the technical industry by storm, it is an amazing time to be a cognitive scientist.
Not only does the B.Cog.Sc degree prepare its students for many career opportunities, my education itself was a fantastic experience. The professors are amazing and passionate people who are keen to see you succeed, and excited to assist you in that journey. I joined Dr. Jim Davies’ Science of Imagination Lab in my first year at Carleton, and not only did I learn heaps about how research works, but I met a number of incredibly smart and interesting individuals who were conducting cutting-edge research. Joining this lab was one of the best decisions that I made in university!
I currently work in Data Science and Business Intelligence, where I use large amounts of data to answer difficult questions and support business decisions. The mindset I developed during my B.Cog.Sc degree helped me to craft a way of approaching problems and asking questions that prepared me for this career path. Beyond that, my B.Cog.Sc degree helped me to develop computational skills, a research mindset, and the ability to approach problems from different perspectives, all of which are valuable skills in my field. I cannot recommend Carleton’s Cognitive Science program enough — it gives you the core courses and the flexibility to study your interests, and it sets you up for several opportunities before and after graduation.