Masters degrees in Cognitive Neuroscience involve advanced study of the brain functions that underlie behavioural processes.
Related postgraduate specialisms include Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Imaging and Computational Neuroscience. Entry requirements typically include an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as Medicine or Psychology.
Courses in this field train you to examine the relationship between the mind and the brain, and investigate what healthy mental function looks like.
Training in scientific methods is usually an important part of these programmes, and you could study approaches to information processing, brain imaging, molecular genetics and biometric models. You’ll explore a range of issues, including cognitive ageing and cognitive epidemiology, and how problems like brain damage affect psychological functions.
You might explore how individuals develop characteristics and personality traits, and how certain aspects of brain development alter psychological functions. For example, you could examine how certain learning disorders develop from childhood, and why some disorders can be resolved with age while others can’t.
Similarly, you might assess how personality disorders and dysfunctions such as dementia affect mood, perception, personal memories, social relationships and emotional intelligence.
Typical careers in this field include roles within inpatient contexts, counselling, therapy and social work, as well as forensic settings such as probation and rehabilitation services.
