Cognitive Neuroscience

Program Overview

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Course Details

The MSc Cognitive Neuroscience is aimed at those who are seeking to build up knowledge and practical experience of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology. Students from our course go on to pursue careers in research or research related disciplines, as well as careers in industry, clinical settings or education.

The MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at Durham University stands out because it has many practical elements, like workshops and lab placements, that allow you to experience research rather than just hearing about it.

This MSc provides you with detailed theoretical and practical knowledge of Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience techniques (incl. programming, project management, and statistics).

Course Structure

Year 1 Modules

Core Modules:

• Critical Research Practice: is fundamental to learning and provides the knowledge and skills required to design, conduct and communicate research in psychology, ensuring it is conducted ethically. This module also teaches the analytical skills needed to evaluate research findings.
• Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences: teaches the core statistical methods that are commonly used across psychology and the behavioural sciences, as well as developing your confidence in identifying and applying appropriate statistical techniques. This module will also develop your ability for statistical programming.
• Advanced Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences: likewise provides an understanding of a set of advanced statistical methods that are used across psychology and the behavioural sciences and enables you to identify and apply appropriate statistical techniques.
• Current Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience: provides insightful and in-depth knowledge of the current theoretical and conceptual issues in the field of cognitive neuroscience as a way of expanding your understanding of the field.
• Techniques in Cognitive Neuroscience: teaches a range of techniques used in cognitive neuroscience research and highlights the strengths, weaknesses and appropriateness of a variety of cognitive neuroscience techniques. This module will also develop your programming skills with respect to cognitive neuroscience research and will include laboratory placements.
• Dissertation: The Dissertation enables you to design, implement, analyse and finally discuss an empirical project relevant to your field of study, giving you the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge you have acquired and to gain experience of collaborating with other researchers and undertaking research and project management. The Department provides excellent support and opportunities for conducting a significant piece of independent research.

Learning

The MSc Cognitive Neuroscience is delivered via lectures, seminars, practical sessions, workshops and lab placements. There is an emphasis on practical experience and experiential learning.

Lectures provide in-depth knowledge on general topics such as cognition, emotion and neuropsychology, and techniques used in cognitive neuroscience.

Seminars and workshops allow student-led discussions with the aim of developing your critical thinking, oral and written communication skills.

Practical sessions provide you with hands-on knowledge of research techniques, programming (e.g. Matlab , R), statistics, research design, project management and data presentation.

Lab placements allow you to experience and apply research techniques.

The dissertation is an opportunity for you to conduct a significant piece of independent research with excellent support from the Department.

Outside timetabled contact hours, you are also expected to undertake your own independent study.

It is expected that students spend on average 35 hours per week on the course, with about equal parts timetabled contact hours and independent study.

Assessment

Assessments include examinations, written assignments, practical exercises, oral presentations, and the dissertation.

Entry Requirements

We typically require a 2:1 Bachelor (Honours) degree that covers the following content:

• Statistics (Candidates with limited statistics background may be interested in our MA in Research Methods (Developmental Psychology) programme.)
• Research methods
• A good range of psychology content, e.g., Experimental psychology, Developmental psychology, Biological psychology, Cognitive psychology

The majority of relevant modules should be at 2:1 grade or better.

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway course at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Alternative Qualifications

• Other UK qualifications
• EU qualifications
• International qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year. Home students who do not meet our direct entry requirements, may be eligible for our Foundation Programme which offers multidisciplinary programmes to prepare you for a range of specified degree programmes.

English language requirements

Country specific information

Fees and Funding

Full Time Fees

Tuition fees Home students | £14,500 per year
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EU students | £32,500 per year
Island students | £14,500 per year
International students | £32,500 per year

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only.

Scholarships and Bursaries

We are committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances and are delighted to offer a range of funding opportunities.

Career Opportunities

Psychology

Our Masters qualifications provide the essential skills and understanding to progress to research at a higher academic level or to launch a professional career.

Our students enter the workplace with knowledge relevant to careers in psychology but also with the transferable skills in analysis and problem-solving that are valued by employers.

Such skills are highly sought after in a range of professions and our postgraduates have progressed to roles that include consultants, advisors, human resources professionals, talent managers, business analysts, market researchers, public relations professionals, marketeers, administrators, managers, civil servants, coaches, trainers and teachers.

In addition, the broad nature of the Department means that some of our postgraduates also qualify for careers in clinical and healthcare settings.

Department Information

Psychology

Our Department provides world class teaching and research into understanding the mind and human behaviours. We investigate the processes that bring about the thoughts, feelings and motivations that lie behind our actions.

The Department of Psychology provides a world-class teaching and research environment for postgraduates who are interested in understanding more about the thoughts, feelings and motivations that lie behind actions and human behaviours and the processes that trigger them.

Our academic team are leading experts in their specialisms and provide outstanding supervision for postgraduate learning and research in key areas of psychology including Developmental Science, Cognitive Neuroscience and Quantitative Social Psychology.

Our range of taught Masters qualifications offer the opportunity to focus on a specific aspect of psychology be it biological, cognitive, social, developmental or neuroscience-related and to learn key approaches to the discipline including statistical training. For those who are interested in pursuing their own research interests we offer the MA/MSc by Research which offers a direct route to the PhD.

All postgraduate taught courses include a postgraduate dissertation in a chosen subject, supported by a member of staff with expertise in that area. Students also have access to state-of-the art technical, clinical and experimental facilities to support learning and research.

In the Department, we are proud to have passionate and committed teachers, who love their subjects and want to share that passion. We encourage collaborative working on new ideas so that together we can make new discoveries about human behaviour.

For more information see our department pages.

Facilities

Facilities in the Department are outstanding. They provide state-of-the-art support for postgraduate work in understanding mind and behaviour through high precision experimental methods and ecologically valid controlled environments.

Postgraduate students have access to dedicated laboratory space equipped with opportunities for training in eye-movement recording, motion capture and psychophysics.

Other specialist facilities include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroencephalography (EEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and a number of laboratories.

The Department of Psychology is located close to many academic departments and University services, and is within walking distance of Durham’s historic centre, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Program Outline

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Degree Overview: The MSc Cognitive Neuroscience at Durham University is designed for those who want to deepen their knowledge and practical experience in this field. It equips students for careers in research, research-related disciplines, industry, clinical settings, or education.

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Objectives:

• Provide extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of Cognitive Neuroscience and its techniques.
• Equip students with research skills, including programming, project management, and statistics.

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Program Description:

The program stands out due to its strong emphasis on practical elements, such as workshops and lab placements, allowing students to actively engage in research. It covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Cognition
• Emotion
• Neuropsychology
• Research Techniques in Cognitive Neuroscience

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Outline:

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Core Modules:

• Critical Research Practice: Provides knowledge and skills for conducting ethical research in psychology, including data analysis.
• Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences: Teaches core statistical methods used in psychology, focusing on application and programming.
• Advanced Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences: Expands understanding of advanced statistical methods and their application.
• Current Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience: Offers insights into current theoretical and conceptual issues in the field.
• Techniques in Cognitive Neuroscience: Introduces a range of research techniques, highlighting their strengths and limitations.
Develops programming skills for cognitive neuroscience research.
• The Dissertation: Enables students to design, conduct, analyze, and discuss an independent research project, applying theoretical knowledge and gaining experience in research and project management.

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Teaching:

• Delivery: Lectures, seminars, practical sessions, workshops, and lab placements.
• Emphasis: Practical experience and experiential learning.
• Lectures: Provide in-depth knowledge on general topics in cognition, emotion, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience techniques.
• Seminars and Workshops: Foster student-led discussions to develop critical thinking, oral, and written communication skills.
• Practical Sessions: Equip students with hands-on knowledge of research techniques, programming (e.g., Matlab, R), statistics, research design, project management, and data presentation.
• Lab Placements: Offer opportunities to apply research techniques in real-world settings.
• Dissertation: Provides individual support and guidance for independent research.

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Assessment:

• Examinations
• Written assignments
• Practical exercises
• Oral presentations
• Dissertation

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Careers:

• Graduates pursue careers in psychology, research, clinical settings, education, and industry.
• Specific examples include: consultants, advisors, human resources professionals, talent managers, business analysts, market researchers, public relations professionals, marketeers, administrators, managers, civil servants, coaches, trainers, and teachers.
• The program also provides the broad skillset necessary for careers in clinical and healthcare settings.

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Other:

• The program attracts students with strong backgrounds in Psychology or related subjects.
• Students are expected to spend 35 hours per week on the course, split between timetabled contact hours and independent study.
• The MSc Cognitive Neuroscience is a 1-year full-time program starting in September 2024.
• The tuition fees for international students are £29,900 per year.

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Full Time Fees

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Tuition fees

Home students £13,600 per year EU students £29,900 per year Island students £13,600 per year International students £29,900 per year The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).