Communication and Cognition

Program and courses

Within Communication and Cognition, you learn how people process textual, visual, verbal, and nonverbal information, and how to translate that knowledge into do's and don'ts for effective communication.

• Gain a fundamental comprehension of how communication works, and the cognitive processes involved.
• Deepen your understanding of:
  • how our processing of information is affected by, for example, the structure, content, and style of a message.
  • the interaction between verbal and visual communication and how to optimally combine the two.
  • interpersonal communication and the role and influence of emotions and non-verbal behavior.
  • social implications of language technology such as the use of chatbots.
• Benefit from the freedom to choose from a wide range of electives.
• Consider applying for the two-year Dual degree program with Wirtschaftsuniversität Vienna, focusing on business communication with special emphasis on digital and intercultural communication. A scholarship covers part of the tuition.

This is a track of MSc Communication and Information Sciences. You can choose to follow the general program or one of the tracks.

Typical courses are:

• Cognition and Process
• Non-verbal Communication
• Language Technology and Society
• Multimodal Communication 
• Cognition of Visual Narratives
• Data and (Mis)information

More on the program and courses

Career prospects

Upon completion of this track, you will obtain an MSc in Communication and Information Sciences, with the specialization Communication and Cognition listed on your diploma.

As a specialist in the field of Communication and Cognition, you know what it takes to convey a clear, attractive, and powerful message regardless of the context: whether it is in advertising, journalism, politics, or education. This enables you to work, for example, as a (online) content manager, communication consultant, editor, copywriter, or journalist.

Graduates work or start for example as:

• Editor at Coolblue
• Commercial copywriter at NCOI
• Advisor Communication Research at the Dutch Ministry of General Affairs
• Press officer at the Dutch Emissions Authority
• Content Partnership Specialist at Greenhouse

Alumni facts

• 85% of our alumni find a job within 6 months after graduation
• Average time between graduation and first paid job is 3.5 months
• Gross monthly income one year after graduation is € 3,001

Source: National Alumni Survey 2021 | n=40 (Communication and Information Sciences, all tracks)

More on the career prospects

Application and admission

This program starts:

At the end of August and at the end of January (both the Master’s and the Pre-Master’s programs)

Best preparatory programs:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communication & Information Sciences, Communication Studies and Linguistics.
• The academic background of the students in our Master's program varies a lot. If you have a Bachelor's degree in a different subject area than those mentioned above you are also welcome to apply if you have basic knowledge of and followed courses on, for example, communication theory, psycholinguistics, social psychology, or business communication.

Pre-Master's program

Open to both Research University students and students of a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (HBO).

Tuition fees and scholarships

International students, please find all information about the tuition fees and the scholarships available.

Interested in this Master's program?

Check your eligibility

Related Master’s programs:

• New Media Design
• Business Communication and Digital Media
• Communication and Information Sciences
• Research Master in Linguistics and Communication