Curious about becoming a graduate student in the Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience research area at MSU? Explore these frequently asked questions below.
In Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience, Dr. Kimberly Fenn, Dr. Taosheng Liu, and Dr. Devin McAuley will be accepting graduate students for Fall 2027.
We offer a variety of courses both in content areas (e.g., perception, cognition, cognitive neuroscience) and in methodologies (e.g., advanced statistics, programming, modeling, fMRI). In addition, students have the opportunity to take relevant courses from the vast course offerings elsewhere at MSU. Our course requirement is low, but comprehensive, and students typically complete the required courses within the first two years.
Students are guided by their advisors to work on their own projects and to gradually develop a more independent research program. We highly value innovative and interdisciplinary research with rigorous methodologies. Students are expected to present their research at scientific conferences and publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals. The vast majority of our students complete the program with a solid track of publications in well-respected journals. Our program has expertise in all of the key areas of cognition. Here is a brief description of each individual faculty member’s research interests:
Erik Altmann: Dr. Altmann is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Mark Becker: Dr. Becker is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Jan Brascamp: Dr. Brascamp is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Kimberly Fenn: Dr. Fenn is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Zach Hambrick: Dr. Hambrick is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Karl Healy: Dr. Healy is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Taosheng Liu: Dr. Liu is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Devin McAuley: Dr. MCauley is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Susan Ravizza: Dr. Ravizza is not accepting graduate students for fall 2026.
Students attend and present at our weekly seminar (Cognitive Science Forum), which features both MSU-based and outside speakers. There are also several other talk series on campus (e.g., Neuroscience Program seminar, Cognitive Science Distinguished Speaker Series) which students may attend to enhance their scientific training and to network with fellow researchers. Students have the opportunity to attend regional, national, and international conferences to present their research to a wide scientific audience. Funding for conference travel is available from the department and graduate school.
Each student chooses a primary advisor during admission. However, students have the opportunity to work with more than one faculty member in pursuing their research. We strongly value and encourage collaborative research and many students work with multiple faculty members during their tenure in our program.
Most graduates of the program pursue academic careers, although some have also pursued careers in industry or the government. The most typical career path following completion of the program is an initial job in a post-doctoral position, followed by a faculty position. A partial list of institutions where our recent PhDs were employed in post-doctoral or faculty positions includes Georgia Tech, University of Kentucky, Baylor College of Medicine, Aston University (UK), Florida State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Emory University.
A variety of tools are available for your research. In addition to standard behavioral research tools (e.g., computers and software), eye tracking, EEG, and TMS technologies are available to students within our program. Our students also utilize fMRI facilities in the MSU Department of Radiology for their research. Each lab in our program has dedicated lab space and equipment, and many labs have grant support to facilitate research activities. For computing-intensive research, students can utilize MSU's state-of-the-art High Performance Computing Center in the College of Engineering.
Explore questions related to the admission process and student life for MSU graduate students.