Careers

It’s never too early to start thinking about your career with a Cognitive Science degree. There are many steps you can take to explore career options while still a student, such as getting involved in undergraduate research or pursuing an internship, as well as many graduate education and career options to consider post-graduation.

Careers in Cognitive Science

Earning a degree in Cognitive Science prepares you to pursue an extremely wide variety of careers – essentially any career you are interested in! Since the major was created, graduates have gone on to pursue successful careers in healthcare, law, IT, software development, research, data analysis, UX/UI design, human resources, sustainability, graphic design, and more.  

To discuss career options in more detail that align with your personal interests, we encourage you to speak with your faculty advisor and/or set up a career coaching appointment with a career coach in the Center for Career Development. 

According to UConn’s graduate outcomes data, within six months of graduation, approximately 52% of Cognitive Science graduates secure full-time work and 31% enroll in graduate education.

Alumni Careers

UConn Cognitive Science alumni have gone on to have successful careers in a wide variety of industries. A limited list of examples include: 

  • Clinician, Community Renewal Team, Inc. 
  • Software Engineer, Revature 
  • UX Researcher, Amtrak Innovation Team 
  • Ad Sales Research Manager, Disney 
  • Sustainability Fellow, Western Connecticut Council of Governments 
  • Data Analyst, Convergence Inc. 
  • Recruiter, Talkspace 
  • Production Assistant, NPR 
  • Business System Analyst, Hartford Hospital 
  • Research Coordinator, University of Virginia 
  • IT Support Specialist, Yale University 
  • Americorps VISTA 
  • Data & Evaluation Associate, All Our Kin, Inc. 
  • Clinical Director, The Growing Tree Institute 
  • Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 
  • Clinical Trial Specialist, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. 
  • Research Assistant at Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center 
  • Medical Assistant at Connecticut Children’s 
  • Corporate Diversity & Community Relations, General Electric 
  • Associate Attorney at Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, PC 
  • Occupational Therapist, Therapy Management Corporation 
  • Speech Language Pathologist, Dramatic Pragmatics SLP LLC 

Advanced Degrees

UConn Cognitive Science students have also gone on to pursue advanced degrees, including master’s degrees, graduate certificates, and doctorate degrees. Common areas of study include: 

  • Healthcare (ex. Dentistry, medicine, neuroscience, nursing) 
  • Law 
  • Social work 
  • UX design 
  • Computer science 
  • Strategic communication 
  • Business management

Connecting with Alumni

There are multiple ways current students can connect with alumni and/or professionals in their field(s) of interest.   

  • HuskyLink is UConn’s alumni mentoring platform. Whether you’re looking to have a one-time conversation or find someone who could serve as a long-term mentor, HuskyLink is a great place to start. Within the HuskyLink community, students can filter mentors by what they studied, what they do now, what identities they hold, and more.  
  • LinkedIn is another helpful platform for connecting with alumni and/or professionals. You can peruse possible connections via the special alumni search feature on the UConn page or search the platform more broadly for professionals in your field(s) of interest. 
  • The Office of Undergraduate Research’s webpage, Building Your Network offers tips on building and maintaining your professional network.
  • UConn offers many events in a given academic year that bring alumni and professionals to campus to speak about their career journeys. Upcoming events can be found on the Cognitive Science Program website and the Center for Career Development website.