Applicants will be eligible for admission if they hold a four-year Honours undergraduate degree in one of the following disciplines, and fulfill McMaster’s School of Graduate Studies general requirements: Linguistics; Psychology, Neuroscience; Speech Sciences; Health Sciences; Communication Studies; Multimedia; Computer Science; and Engineering. Some applicants may require additional courses in core areas (e.g. linguistics or psychology) in order to be eligible for admission. Each application will be evaluated on an individual basis.

The official electronic transcripts should be sent from the issuing institution directly to our department’s email: lingdept@mcmaster.ca

The online application portal for our graduate program in Cognitive Science of Language unlocks November 1st each year for September admission only.

THOSE WHO SUBMIT THEIR  COMPLETED APPLICATIONS (BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL) BY THE JANUARY 31ST DEADLINE WILL HAVE FIRST CONSIDERATION.

1. Complete the online application -> McMaster University Application
2. Ensure you have uploaded the required documents to your online application.
   • Statement of Interest (identify the faculty member you wish to work with)
   • Writing Sample (any type of academic writing i.e. term paper, thesis chapter, etc.)
   • Two academic references (McMaster University uses an Electronic Referencing System. By entering the email address of your referee through the online application, the system will automatically send an e-Reference request on your behalf)
   • English Language Proficiency (if English is not your native language)
3. Arrange to have official documents emailed directly to the Department of Linguistics & Languages lingdept@mcmaster.ca
   • Official transcripts of all post-secondary academic work completed to date (Transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to our Department. Please include English translation if applicable.)
   • Official copy of your TOEFL or IELTS scores or any other evidence of English proficiency (TOEFL: minimum score of 92 (internet based), 237 (computer based) or 580 (paper based), minimum of 20 per band; for the Faculty of Engineering a minimum score of 88 (internet based) or 213 on the (computer based) or 550 (paper based) IELTS (Academic): minimum overall score of 6.5, with at least 5.5 in each section)
   • **NOTE** Applicants from outside of Canada should begin the application process as early as possible to allow time to obtain all necessary documents. Arrange to have official documents mailed directly to the Department of Linguistics & Languages

Students enrolled in our Masters program are required to complete 3 of the following four courses:

• COGSCIL 721 / Fundamentals of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language and
• COGSCIL 722 / Contemporary Issues in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• COGSCIL 730 / Language Analysis Methods: Phonology and Morphology or
• COGSCIL 731 / Language Analysis Methods: Syntax and Semantics
• plus one half course approved by the student’s supervisory committee

Additional Requirement

• COGSCIL 725 / The Cognitive Science of Language Master’s Lecture Series(pass/fail)

The MSc Thesis is a work of original research (empirical or theoretical) under the supervision of a participating faculty member and evaluated by a thesis committee established by the department. The thesis must be submitted by August of the second year of the MSc program.

All students are expected to attend the talks in the Cognitive Science of Language Lecture Series, where scholars from around the world in the fields of Linguistics, Psychology, and Cognitive Neuroscience discuss their research.

Visit Graduate Studies to learn more about tuition, supplementary fees and everything you need to know about being paid as a Teaching or Research Assistant. Tuition fees are assessed on a term by term basis, depending on the number of courses a student takes or if they are paying by term.

The McMaster Graduate Scholarship (MGS) is the most common form of scholarship support available to graduate students in our program. The MGS ensures that students receive a guaranteed minimum level of scholarship support. Adjustments to the MGS will depend on other available scholarships.

The Faculty of Humanities Adjustments Guidelines policy is available for review.

Fall 2024

• Cogscil 6D03 – Computers and Linguistic Analysis
• Cogscil 6XX3 – Topics in Linguistic Theory
• Cogscil 712 – Reading Course (Linguistics)
• Cogscil 713 – Reading Course (Cognitive Science)
• Cogscil 725A – The Cognitive Science of Language M.Sc. Lecture Series
• Cogscil 749 – Lab Visual Language

Winter 2025 (the outlines will be added by the beginning of the winter term)

• Cogscil 6EL3 – Experimental Lab in Cognitive Science of Language
• Cogscil 6G03- Language, Sex and Gender
• Cogscil 6LC3 – Advanced Morphology and Syntax
• Cogscil 712 – Reading Course (Linguistics)
• Cogscil 713 –  Reading Course (Cognitive Science)
• Cogscil 721 – Fundamentals of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• Cogscil 725B– The Cognitive Science of Language M.Sc. Lecture Series
• Cogscil 730 – Language Analysis Methods: Phonology and Morphology

McMaster Graduate Studies scholarship information

The School of Graduate Studies provides funding to our graduate students so they can devote their time and energy to the successful completion of their studies.

All eligible students are also strongly encouraged to apply for external scholarships such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and Canada Graduate Scholarships.

Ontario Graduate Scholarship

Note that applications must be submitted directly to the institution(s) where you plan to pursue graduate studies. The deadline is normally in the fall, before the application deadline for graduate school.

Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s Program

Graduate Scholarship – As with OGS, applications for the Canada Graduate Scholarship must be submitted through an eligible institution. The deadline is usually December 1, before the application deadline for graduate school.

All applicants and current students will be considered for funding support from McMaster, including TAships.