An intensive grounding in the philosophy of embodied cognitive science
This programme examines the wide landscape of issues that arise where philosophy of mind meets the study of psychology, linguistics, and cognitive science. In particular, the programme links these issues with the growing body of work in embodied cognition, one of the most exciting areas of contemporary research in philosophy of mind.
You will study among one of the world’s largest and most vibrant postgraduate communities in philosophy, alongside internationally recognised leaders in the study of mind, of language, and of situated and embodied cognition. By choosing this programme, you will be entering an increasingly popular field in which many large unsolved problems remain.
Why study Mind, Language & Embodied Cognition at Edinburgh?
- 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).
- We're ranked 5th in the UK and 22nd in the world for philosophy (QS World University Rankings by subject 2025).
- An opportunity to follow a broad programme in philosophy or focus on one of our key areas of specialisation.
Showcasing Philosophy at Edinburgh
Programme structure
This programme comprises two semesters of taught compulsory and optional courses, followed by a dissertation. The combination of courses you take is tailored to your interests, and agreed at the start of the year in consultation with the programme director.
Dissertation
The dissertation is worth 60 of the 180 credits required for an MSc and provides an opportunity to pursue research into your chosen area of interest. The project is carried out under the supervision of a member of staff within the School, or potentially from a related subject area such as Informatics.
This programme comprises two semesters of taught courses followed by a dissertation of 8,000 words written towards the end of the second semester. You will be assigned a dissertation supervisor with whom you meet to plan your reading and discuss your work.
Course options
Compulsory courses
There are two courses that all students on this programme take:
- Introduction to Mind, Language and Embodied Cognition
- Advanced topics in Mind, Language and Embodied Cognition
If you are relatively new to the study of philosophy you are also required to take the Introduction to Philosophical Methods course.
Optional courses
A significant part of the programme is made up of optional courses. These come from across the University and cover a diverse range of topics, such as:
- Computational Cognitive Neuroscience
- Foundations of Evolution
- Mind and Body in Early Modern Philosophy
- Origins and Evolution of Language
- Psychology of Language Learning
- Ancient Theories of Mind
When to apply
We operate 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. Applications will then be ranked and offers made to the top candidates.
Find out more about the degree programme and how to apply:
Connect with us
If you have any programme-specific enquiries please get in touch with the programme director:
Dr Alistair Isaac (Programme director)
Feel free to get in touch with our friendly Postgraduate Team with any questions you might have about academic or English language requirements, course information, enquiries about your application and information on arriving at the University.
Postgraduate Research Administration Team (MScR/PhD enquiries):
Email: pplspgoffice@ed.ac.uk
How to apply and fees & funding information:
Degree Finder for Mind, Language & Embodied Cognition
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