2006:49 R

Evaluation of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in cognitive science

The National Agency for Higher Education is able to determine that the five undergraduate programmes and three postgraduate programmes included in the evaluation fulfil the quality requirements for higher education. The undergraduate programmes at Göteborg University, the University College of Skövde, Linköping University, Lund University and Umeå University are organised differently and in some cases lead to the award of different degrees. It is positive that programmes endeavour to develop their own profiles but the National Agency, on the basis of the evaluation report, urges the higher education institutions to allow these profiles to be reflected more explicitly in the programmes offered.

In its report the panel of assessors points to the importance of incorporating the input from the different subjects comprised by cognitive science to form a whole. It also stresses the need of an introductory course that can provide a platform for understanding of the various subjects and how different perspectives can be integrated. The programmes need to contain elements that continually revert to this and that encourage the students to reflect on the coherence of the differing input. One example of this can be found at the University College of Skövde. In this context the panel of assessors also stresses that it is important for the organisation of a higher education institution to facilitate cooperation and not pose obstacles, for instance in the principles on which funding is based.

The programmes are at the moment in a developmental phase as a result of the ongoing changes to adapt them to the new degree ordinance. The panel views this as an opportunity to make changes to both their structure and their contents and to focus on student learning. The panel also urges the programmes to intensify their international cooperation and in the context of adapting to the Bologna process take into account international developments to increase student exchanges.

Postgraduate programmes in cognitive sciences are offered at the Göteborg University, Lund University and Umeå University and they are relatively new phenomena. The panel of assessors points out that there is a need for greater cooperation on postgraduate programmes.

Lund University has been offering postgraduate programmes for the longest period and this is also where virtually all the PhD´s in the subject have been awarded.