Masters Degrees in Cognitive Neuroscience, France

About the Master’s Degree

P²food is a 2 year, course-based, full-time international research Master's Degree focused on the physiological and psychological determinants of food choice, offered by the University of Burgundy - Franche-Comté and AgroSup Dijon.

Course content

Food plays a much bigger role in consumers' lives than simply feeding them. Each day, humans make several food choices. Their diet has considerable impact on their nutritional status and health, but also on the environment.

A greater understanding of the reasons for consumers' choice of foods is needed in order to set up effective programs and develop new products, to improve dietary patterns in line with recommendations, and to increase food sustainability. Although seemingly simple, food choices are complex behaviors that depend on many factors and their interactions. In this Master’s Degree, a key focus is placed on the physiological and psychological factors of food choice.

As a student in this Master’s program, you will gain in-depth knowledge about food properties and fundamental insights about human food behavior. You will acquire sensory and consumer research methodology. You will come to understand the mechanisms of hunger, satiety and satiation, and the factors involved in palatability. You will study the influence of stress and mood on food behaviors, and explore the ways in which cultural context influences food choices. You will examine the importance of representation and consumer attitudes towards food, as well as the reasons for resistance to dietary change. You will understand why it is necessary to take on this issue in an interdisciplinary way.

Program description

Our approach is student-centered and participative. It combines lectures, seminars and practicals, workshops and individual/team projects. The modules below are indicative of those offered in this program. This list is based on the current organization and may change year to year in response to new needs in the food industry:

1^st year (60 credits)

1st Semester:

• Unit 1~: Methodology and tools 
• Unit 2~: : Chemosensory perception, emotions, memory and food choices
• Unit 3: Perception and sensory evaluation
• Unit 4 :Microbiology and microbiological process
• Unit 5: Food Chemistry and physiochemistry

2nd Semester:

• Unit 6: Introduction to Psychology
• Unit 7: Nutritional composition and information
• Unit 8: Physiological regulation of eating behavior
• Unit 9 : Professionalization
• Unit 10 : internship (2 months)*

* 1st year research internship is 8 weeks long, in January-February.

2^nd year (60 credits)

• U12: Chemosensory determinants of food perception
• U13: Cognitive processes implied in food perception and consumption
• U14: Brain and food consumption
• U15: Dynamics of feeding behavior over a lifetime
• U16: Research methodology and training, including a research project 

During the 2^nd year, students carry out a 6 month research internship.

About the University

The University “Bourgogne Franche – Comté” has been ranked 2^nd best French University in the field of Food Sciences (Shangaï, 2017). Most of the lecturers and scientists involved in the Master’s program are members of the Research Center for Taste and Feeding Behavior (CSGA), an internationally renowned research center dedicated to interdisciplinary research on chemosensory perception and food consumption behavior. In addition to the pedagogical team, international invited lecturers will be involved.

Funding and tuition fees

As an international postgraduate you will benefit from France’s low tuition fees and have access to a wide range of funding programs (Grants from French embassies, AUF bursaries, etc.). You can also apply for funding from the Université Bourgogne Franche - Comté (25 grants in 2017).

Career  

This Master’s Degree aims at providing students with job-relevant competencies and skills for a career in industry (project leader or research engineer in nutrition; consumer science and R&D departments of international companies) or an academic position (food and consumer research; sensory and cognitive neuroscience research; food, nutrition and health research, etc.)

 More Information

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgrosupInternational/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/11457379

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/agrosupdijon

This Euro-Mediterranean Master program, specialized in Neurobiology and Biotechnology, follows the European system of postgraduate studies with equivalent credit value. The courses and evaluation procedure are identical within all partner universities. 

High-level, innovative and interdisciplinary training in Neuroscience is conducted with students studying theoretical concepts together with a broad range of experimental methods used in biotechnology and biomedicine. Individual projects in neuroscience and biotechnology are carried out, requiring the elaboration and communication of scientific data and concepts. Students will also master the competencies necessary to implement modern techniques and manage complex, experimental set-ups. 

Teaching follows standards of excellence and is provided by international experts of the consortium. This consortium offers a large variety of top-level research labs for student training. In addition, consortium partners extend this offer with opportunities in their laboratories. Throughout their study and training, students develop connections and network across Europe and the Mediterranean region.

Program structure

Semester 1 and 2: Acquisition of general concepts

• Cellular Neurobiology
• Functional Neuroanatomy
• Neural Basis of Cognition
• Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases
• Neuropharmacology
• Developmental Neurobiology
• Bioinformatics and Biotechnology
• Language and Communication

Semester 3:  Societal implications of Neuroscience, Economy & Bioethics

• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
• Integrative and System Biology
• Medical Neuroscience and Neuroimaging

Semester 4: 

Practical training in an academic lab or a private company. Students may benefit from the consortium network in Europe and the Mediterranean region. Outside the EMN-Online consortium members, hosting labs are located in many countries worldwide including Germany, USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, etc.

Strengths of this Master program

• International curriculum with identical core course.
• Open to students following initial training and lifelong learning methods.
• Innovative teaching based on group work and flipped classroom with modern e-learning tools favoring student autonomy.
• Development of a collaborative MOOC on the societal implications of neuroscience.
• Specialization tracks based on the expertise of each partner in fundamental or biomedical sciences.
• A unique, wide-range of complementary competences and methods that cover all fields of modern neuroscience, from molecular aspects to in vivo analysis.
• A dense network of expert research labs and easy access to high-level, specialized core facilities.
• Student R&D projects in academic and industrial fields.
• Bilingual teaching and close collaboration between universities to promote international, mobility opportunities.

After this Master program?

Graduates will be able to continue their studies with research:

• Application to the PhD programs currently available in the consortium member’s institutions, or in any research institution worldwide.

They may also apply for positions as the following:

• Researcher, Service Engineer, Application Scientist, Bio-Medical Engineer, Sale Engineer, Healthcare Executive.