Admissions

Learn about the different phases of our admissions process including your application, the two-stage selection process, how acceptance is decided and how to secure a place on the programme.

Entry requirements

  • An undergraduate University degree.1

Typically, students who study Cognitive Sciences for a Masters degree have an undergraduate degree in cognitive science or one of the cognitive sciences disciplines, including psychology, philosophy, linguistics, informatics, biology, biomedicine or anthropology. However, we also welcome applications from candidates who hold undergraduate degrees from other disciplines. If you would like to discuss whether this programme is a good fit for your interests and career plans, please email us at cogsci@uniri.hr.

  • Good knowledge of spoken and written English (minimum B2 level).2

  1. You can also apply if you are currently in your last year of your undergraduate programme. If successful, you will be given a Conditional Offer of Place and Conditional Acceptance. You will have to have proof of a completed undergraduate degree latest by the time you enrol in the Masters programme (at enrolment for undergraduate programmes conducted in Croatia, and by the 31 August if the programme was conducted in a different country).

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  2. Language competency will be examined during a short interview as part of the selection process. We do not require an official language test.

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When to apply?

Applications for 2025 will open on 3rd January 2025. The standard application deadline is the 5th March 2025. Applicants who wish to apply for a scholarship should apply by this deadline.

We strongly encourage candidates who are non-EU citizens and need an entry visa into Croatia to apply by this deadline [note that non-EU citizens who already have residency in another EU country do not require an entry visa for Croatia]. The process of obtaining a visa can take a long time and it is important that you start the process early.

All application deadlines are detailed in the following table:

Standard Application

  1. Application Deadline

    5th March

  2. Shortlisting

    14th March

  3. Interviews

    24th-26th March

  4. Results

    1st April

Please reach out to us early for any questions - we want to make sure that our programme is a good fit for you!

Email us at cogsci@uniri.hr or lj.ostojic@uniri.hr (Head of Studies)

How to apply?

Please check the information box to find which documents we need as they differ based on whether you have completed your degree and where you studied.

Note: If you hold an undergraduate degree from a non-Croatian Higher Education institution, the degree will need to undergo the official recognition procedure at the University of Rijeka.

Documents needed for your application

Selection procedure

Selection – stage 1

The Selection Committee will review your applications and we will shortlist candidates within 2-3 weeks after the application deadline. We will email all candidates. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a short interview.

Selection – stage 2

In the short interview, you will meet with three of our teaching staff (from different disciplines). The aim of the interview is to assess proficiency of English and fit for the programme.

The interview will involve three questions: i) a general, introductory question, ii) a question that is geared towards the research proposal that the candidate wrote in section 2.3 in the Structured Motivational Letter, and iii) a question about general empirical research methods.

Candidates who did not study an empirical discipline for their undergraduate degree, may find it useful to have a look at Chapter 2 ('The Scientific Method') of Shaughnessy, J.J., Zechmeister, E.B., & Zechmeister, J.S. (2012). Research methods in psychology. McGraw-Hill (or equivalent research methods books) in preparation for the third interview question.

Final decision

Within two weeks after the first interview dates, we will make the final decision.

Results from the selection process will be published on the official Faculty website. The appeal period is 24 hours after the results are published. We will also email all candidates.

Securing a place on the programme

If you are successful, we will email you with an Offer Letter detailing all further steps that are required to secure a place on the programme. This includes paying 75% of the first year’s tuition fees (non-refundable).

Recognition of undergraduate degrees from outside of Croatia

Students with undergraduate degrees from outside Croatia are required to send the following documentation (if not previously provided) for their undergraduate degree to undergo the recognition procedure for foreign academic degrees at the University of Rijeka ( more information is available on the University webpage ): Copies of the official degree certificate and final transcript/diploma supplement,

Undergraduate degree certificate and final transcript/diploma supplement.

In case of a name change since graduation: a copy of the certificate.

Proof of citizenship (or of refugee status).

Documents that are not writtern in English, Croatian, Bosnian or Serbian (Latin alphabet) need to be translated.

Proof of payment of the academic recognition processing fee of 60 EUR to the University of Rijeka:

Recipient: University of Rijeka

Recipient Address: Trg braće Mažuranića 10, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia

IBAN: HR532402006110097786

Swift/BIC: ESBCHR22

Reference number:(only needed for payments from Croatian bank accounts) Tax PIN number (OIB) of the candidate for academic recognition

Payment description: Academic recognition of a foreign degree

Payer: First name, last name, and address of the payer should be written legibly.

Payment must include all bank transfer charges and fees.

Upon reciept of the required documentation and payment we will send you the Confirmation of Admission letter. This letter secures your place on the programme. If you are a non-EU student and require a visa to study in Croatia, the Confirmation of Admission letter is the documentation that you will need to apply for your visa.

Related Pages

Quality Control

Find out how we continuously work on increasing and maintaining the quality of our programme.

Fees and Funding

Find out detailed information about fees and funding opportunities. We are continuously working on securing scholarships to cover tuition fees so make sure you check this page regularly.