Interdisciplinary MSc in Cognitive Systems & Interactive Media

Presentation

With regard to theoretical training, the master's programme seeks to enable students to grasp the complexity of the new interactive devices that are beginning to flood our world. This includes both physical devices such as robots and intelligent cars and logical ones such as sophisticated software providing new experiences. This complexity lies in the fact that it combines three spheres of knowledge: interactive technology, cognitive sciences and interactive media.

The master's programme seeks to train integrators of devices of this type, and to this end, offers an interdisciplinary vision allowing all three spheres to contribute towards the final result. The specific features of the media and the interactive cognitive systems are important aspects, and will help us to understand their potential and their differences from other media, and to know both how they generate user experiences and how user communication works. The programme also aims to provide students with an understanding of the structure of the systems formed by these media, together with that of the base technologies of interactive - cognitive and emotive - media, and to familiarise them with the main theories and methods for systematically analysing and studying these systems and media in their interaction with people.

From a practical point of view, students must be able to understand state-of-the-art technology and the technology of the future so that they can incorporate them efficiently and coherently into these media systems; they will learn how to develop and integrate the media and interactive cognitive systems into useful systems with real applications, and they will learn how to undertake their own studies concerning systems and the media and their interaction with people.

Specialities

• Analysis, Design and Scriptwriting of Media and Interactive Cognitive Systems
• Cognition, Technologies and Integration of Media and Interactive Cognitive Systems                                                              

Contents  

[curriculum]

The master is designed to train systems and complex artefacts integrators by merging knowledge in the field of interactive communication, cognitive psychology, linguistics, art, digital technology and computation.

The master is formed by an only itinerary that gives a solid and coherent vision of systems and interactive artefacts of the near future and it is designed depending on priorities investigation areas defined by the European Commission and adds them according to the following thematic generals:

• Cognitive Systems: Functional aspects of the concepts, methods and advanced technologies that underlie the skills of intelligent artefacts of the future and which enable them to perceive, decide, feel emotions and behave. More specifically, it focuses on their capacity to adapt and behave in complex environments, on their skill in interacting and communicating with human beings and with other artefacts, and on how our understanding of biological systems may lead to new breakthroughs in the development of cognitive systems. This track trains students to become behaviour and psychology engineers of future artefacts.

• Contents and Media: Prepares students to address the challenges faced by today's society as well as by individuals and organisations when it comes to dealing with the diversity of partially interactive content that they need to present and process. It places a special focus on the key concepts and methods that optimise interaction between humans and machines on the one hand, and information and the media on the other. Furthermore, it also explores, analyses and experiments with the specific features of interactive media in a comprehensive manner with the aim of opening up a wide range of possibilities and in this way finding new potential uses instead of replacing or improving non interactive media.

• Quality of Life: Healthcare and social services in the future will rely heavily on artefacts and interactive media. The main challenges will not only be to cure but to also maintain and improve quality of life via cognitive systems and interactive media. Students taking this track will be immersed into the psychological and technical aspects of this important development. The methods and media that are to contribute to quality of life improvements must be able to attain a balance between technological possibilities and human creativity.

• Interaction and Mobility: Students are exposed to this complex system of problems and the way so that they can apply a concept wide range and of technologies that contribute to its solution. Likewise, the human beings' mobility includes many modes of transport, which create needs several with regard to the autonomy of the gadgets and in the introduction of the information. 

These contents are organised as modules, some of which form part of the core master course, whereas the rest belong to one of two areas of specialisation:

• Methodology Module: These courses provide essential methodology tools for complex systems design, development, integration and analysis, which is the major focus of the master.

• Technology Module: General technical knowledge concerning complex systems.

• Contents Module: These courses focus on structuring and constructing the contents that make up the basic nucleus for cognitive systems and interactive media.

• Cross-disciplinary Module: Courses which provide knowledge for all areas related to the master.

• Analysis, Design and Scriptwriting Module: Specific specialisation courses in these fields.

• Cognition, Technology and Integration Module: Specific specialisation courses in theses fields.

• Final project or internship: Depending on the master course type chosen by the student (introduction to research or professional specialisation), the master finishes off with a practical training project incorporated into the research and development projects of the various academic and company partners of the programme, or into business projects of the programme, which may be exhibited in public facilities or events.

Internship

The whole of the master's degree is based on practical classes and assignments, students are not assessed by examination. Practical classes are held either in the computer rooms or in the laboratories of Pompeu Fabra University's Audiovisual University Institute.

Career prospects

There is a wide range of career prospects for complex interactive systems integrators contributing the cognitive component both in modelling system behaviour and in modelling adaptation to the behaviours and idiosyncrasies of the users and the environment. From the automobile industry to companies developing software for large companies, through the robotics industry, complex information systems, companies developing interactive systems, etc.