Masters Degrees in Cognitive Neuroscience, Netherlands

Overview

Studying the cognitive and neural basis for diverse brain functions such as perception, action, language, attention and memory.

Thanks to advanced brain-imaging techniques, scientists are now able to observe the human brain in action. Cognitive neuroscientists therefore no longer have to rely solely on patients with brain damage to ascertain which parts of the brains are involved in which tasks and functions. They can now conduct targeted experiments on healthy persons. As a result, the discipline has gained tremendous momentum over the past twenty years.

This research Master’s programme is open to students with Bachelor’s degrees in Linguistics, Physics, Biology, Medicine, Mathematics, Behavioural Sciences, Artificial Intelligence or a related discipline. It offers an in-depth theoretical background by internationally renowned scientists in the first year. The second year is dedicated to elaborate practical training in setting up, conducting and reporting research in cognitive neuroscience. A large majority of our graduates gain a PhD position, while other graduates find jobs in the commercial sector or at research institutes.

Why study Cognitive Neuroscience at Radboud University?

- This Master’s programme is located within the world-renowned Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, located on the campus of the Radboud University, with a research staff of over 500 scientists.

- Nijmegen is one of the foremost centres of cognitive neuroscience in the world. Hundreds of scientists from various faculties and top institutes have joined forces on the Radboud University campus. Besides the Donders Institute there is the Radboud university medical centre and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Their researchers work together very closely, exchange expertise and share state-of-the-art research equipment to unravel the workings of the human brain.

- This competitive programme provides a sound balance of theory and practice. Our selective approach guarantees excellence, especially during the research training period.

- The Radboud University campus holds a large array of state-of-the-art equipment, like labs with fMRI, MEG, EEG and eye-tracking equipment. Master’s students are free to use these, enabling you to do any type of research in this field you’d want to.

- The programme has its own, student-driven, scientific journal; based on the Stanford Exchange: Proceeding of the Master’s Programme Cognitive Neuroscience.

Specialisations

The research Master’s programme offers four specialisations that coincide with the research themes of the Donders Institute:
- Language and Communication
Studies the acquisition, understanding and production of language, and their biological underpinning.

- Perception, Action and Control
Studies basic sensorimotor aspects as well as the cognitive, contextual and social components of perception-action coupling.

- Plasticity and Memory
Studies the mechanistic underpinnings and behavioural consequences of long-term changes in neural structure and function.

- Brain Networks and Neuronal Communication
Studies the interaction between and within groups of neurons, and with the outside world

Quality label

This programme was recently rated number one in the Netherlands in the Keuzegids Masters 2015 (Guide to Master's programmes).

Our approach to this field

We have deliberately created a high admission threshold to ensure that all our students are highly motivated and have the ability to work at an advanced level. All applications are screened individually to make sure the new students meet our stringent entry criteria and help maintain the current standards of excellence.

- Multidisciplinary
Once admitted to the programme, you can expect to be trained as a multidisciplinary scientist. We offer a multi-disciplinary programme that closely involves scientists from various faculties and research institutes on campus, who come from all over the world. Their research has gained national and international recognition for its high quality. In the Master’s programme you’ll attend lectures by these top scientists. They will also supervise your practical training and the writing of a Master’s thesis in the second year.

The research you’ll become a part of addresses cross-disciplinary challenges. Besides studying the basic topics of your specialisation, you may also choose to help improve brain-computer interfaces, a hot topic with applications in medicine and information technology. Apart from being very exciting, it’s also logical that various disciplines are merging.

Our research in this field

A unique multi-disciplinary Master’s programme
Are you interested in the human brain? Would you like to conduct research into the workings of the brain and join an enthusiastic, international group of top researchers? Radboud University offers a multi-faculty Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience. The programme takes two years and is of course of a scientific orientation. There is a strong emphasis on experimental research. After all, what counts is hands-on research experience. This Master’s programme is unique in Europe.

The Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience is primarily focussed on training you as a researcher and if possible, a top researcher, because research institutes and businesses around the world desperately need highly qualified and motivated young researchers. Moreover, since cognitive neuroscience is a rather young discipline, much in this field has not yet been explored. There are many challenging questions that need to be answered. So there is plenty of room for new discoveries!

This competitive programme provides a sound balance of theory and practice. We enrol about 50 students per year. Our selective approach guarantees excellence, especially during the research training period.

Career prospects

This Master's programme will give you the qualifications you need to go on to get a PhD position. About 80-90% of our graduates take on a PhD project in Nijmegen or in other parts of the world. Others find jobs in the commercial sector or in research institutes.

Each year there are, on average, about 12 PhD positions available at the graduate schools Donders Graduate School for Cognitive Neuroscience (DGCN) and the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS).

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/cns

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Master's specialisation in Plasticity and Memory

- The connection between the brain and cognition
How does your brain enable you to remember a certain event? What happens in your brain when you listen to music? How does your brain adapt itself to certain changes, such as a haemorrhage or other form of damage? How do you distinguish between important and relatively unimportant information in the world around you? How do you focus your attention on a playing child? How does our consciousness work? These are just a few of the questions that neurocognitive scientists would like to see answered.

- Neurocognition in Nijmegen: the cutting edge
The Radboud University has an outstanding reputation in the field of neurocognition. In 2002, the ultramodern Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (DCCN) was officially opened on campus. This centre draws many young researchers from all over the world and to a large extent determines the nature of the Plasticity and Memory specialisation. In 2008 the DCCN formed together with the Donders Centre for Cognition (formerly NICI) and the Donders Centre for Neuroscience the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour.

General requirements:

- Bachelor's degree
The graduation date of the last attained BA/BSc degree relevant for this programme must be within five years of applying to the programme.

- English skills
The Cognitive Neuroscience Master's programme (MSc CNS) is an English programme: all courses and examinations are taught in English. For the general language requirements of the Radboud University click here. Foreign students please note that the MSc CNS programme requires the following minimum scores: TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based test), 100 (internet-based test); IELTS 7.0 or higher.

- Mathematics & Physics
Students who did not follow physics in their highschool curriculum and/or who have not been trained in mathematics at level B (including concepts such as matrix algebra, differentation, integration, complex numbers), are advised before the start of the programme to work on the assignment in Chapters 1, 2, 7, 8 and 11 (three chapters on physics and two on mathematics) of R.K. Hobbie: "Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology", Springer Verlag, New York, 1997; third edition, ISBN 1-56396-458-9).

Career prospects

If you have successfully completed the Master’s programme in Plasticity and Memory, you will be able to conduct neuroimaging and neurobiological research. You will have ample knowledge of the anatomical and neurophysiological aspects of the human brain and theoretical cognition/neurocognition models. This will enable you to conduct independent research into the neurofunctional architecture of cognitive key functions, such as perception, attention, memory, language, planning and targeted actions. With this educational background you should be able to find a position with one of the research institutes in the Netherlands or abroad, government institutions or specialised companies (e.g. in the pharmaceutical industry).

Our approach to this field

Research in the field of cognitive neuroscience is one of the spearheads in the research policy of Radboud University. Here, in Nijmegen, hundreds of scientists from various faculties and top institutes have joined forces to unravel the workings of the human brain, step by step and bit by bit. They thereby work together very closely, exchange expertise and share state-of-the-art research equipment.

Nijmegen is one of the foremost centres of cognitive neuroscience in the world. We have deliberately created a high admission threshold to ensure that all our students are highly motivated and have the ability to work at an advanced level. Top scientists screen all applications to make sure the new students meet our stringent entry criteria and help maintain the current standards of excellence. Once admitted to the programme you can expect to be trained as a multidisciplinary scientist in the following two years. The research of which you will become a part addresses crossdisciplinary challenges. The teachers and supervisors you will meet are all experts in their own disciplines. We hope that with this programme you will outperform your teachers by being able to combine knowledge from different domains. Alongside language processing and perceptuomotor systems, you may also help improve brain/computer interfaces, a hot topic with applications in medicine and information technology. Apart from being very exciting, it is also logical that various disciplines are merging. After all, everything that happens in the brain is interconnected. In Nijmegen we develop sophisticated cognitive models which we test by means of state-of-the-art imaging techniques, thanks to which you can participate in cutting-edge research that will hopefully lead to new insights into the way the human brain and mind work. Finally, we offer our best CNS students excellent career opportunities in challenging PhD projects.

- Unique multi-disciplinary Master’s programme
Are you also interested in the human brain? Would you like to conduct research into the workings of the brain and join an enthusiastic, international group of top researchers? The Radboud University Nijmegen offers a multi-faculty Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience. The programme takes two years and is of course of a scientific orientation. There is a strong emphasis on experimental research. After all, what counts is hands-on research experience. This Master’s programme is unique in Europe.

The Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience is primarily focussed on training you as a researcher and if possible, a top researcher, because research institutes and businesses around the world desperately need highly qualified and motivated young researchers. Moreover, since cognitive neuroscience is a rather young discipline, much in this field has not yet been explored. There are many challenging questions that need to be answered. So there is plenty of room for new discoveries!

This competitive programme provides a sound balance of theory and practice. We enrol about 50 students per year. Our selective approach guarantees excellence, especially during the research training period.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/physicsandastronomy/physics

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Master's specialisation in Perception, Action and Control

Targeted action: there is more to it than you think
How do you pick out your own glass of beer out of all the other glasses on the bar? How do you find your way in a building? How do you walk from one room to the other - and how do you do that with your eyes closed?
How do you perceive colour under constantly changing lighting conditions? How does a tennis player prepare himself to return a ball which yet has to be played? And what role do eye and head movements play in this? How are we able to write?
Catching a ball, grabbing a cup, writing down a sentence: these are all targeted actions that you often perform without thinking about them. Performing perceptuomotor tasks as a team such as in sports, understanding the actions of others, joint action in collaborative and competitive contexts: these are examples of hot topics in social neurocognition in which Nijmegen scientists are highly interested.
To patients who suffered a brain haemorrhage automatic actions come not so naturally any more. They find it extremely difficult to perform them. Why is that? Which neurocognitive processes play a role in these actions? That is what researchers who study perception and action want to discover.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/cns/perception

General requirements:

- Bachelor's degree
The graduation date of the last attained BA/BSc degree relevant for this programme must be within five years of applying to the programme.

- English skills
The Cognitive Neuroscience Master's programme (MSc CNS) is an English programme: all courses and examinations are taught in English. For the general language requirements of the Radboud University click here. Foreign students please note that the MSc CNS programme requires the following minimum scores: TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based test), 100 (internet-based test); IELTS 7.0 or higher.

- Mathematics & Physics
Students who did not follow physics in their high school curriculum and/or who have not been trained in mathematics at level B (including concepts such as matrix algebra, differentiation, integration, complex numbers), are advised before the start of the programme to work on the assignment in Chapters 1, 2, 7, 8 and 11 (three chapters on physics and two on mathematics) of R.K. Hobbie: "Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology", Springer Verlag, New York, 1997; third edition, ISBN 1-56396-458-9).

Career prospects

If you have successfully completed the specialisation Perception, Action and Control you will have ample experience in current research and analysis techniques in perception, three-dimensional motor research, psychophysiological studies, neuroimaging and electromyographical studies. You will also be able to apply formal theories on and models of perceptive functions, sensomotor functions, and complex actions in your research.
With this educational background you may find a position with one of the industrial or non-industrial research institutes in the Netherlands or abroad (e.g. traffic research, man-machine interaction, etc.). Also in health care there is an increasing demand for cognitive neuroscientists, for example, in rehabilitation centres.

Our approach to this field

Perception, Action & Control is a central research area within different faculties of Radboud University. It is aimed at the three basic components of current Cognitive Neuroscience: modelling (e.g. in physics), designing and conducting behavioural studies (e.g. in psychology) and measuring the neurobiological foundations of behaviour. The various research groups of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour that study these processes use a wide range of modern research facilities which enables them to provide natural stimuli and measure complex everyday behaviour. The close cooperation between the various disciplines also characterises the content of the courses in this specialisation.

Our research in this field

Researchers working on Perception Action and Control study sensorimotor mechanisms, their cognitive and social components, their clinical implications, and their relevance for robotics.

The PAC theme is closely integrated with the RadboudUMC themes Disorders of movementand Stress-related disorderslead by Bas Bloem and Aart Schene respectively. An overview of RadboudUMC themes can be found here https://www.radboudumc.nl/Research/Themes/Pages/default.aspx .

Research methods include theoretical analysis, psychophysical and behavioural studies, neurophysiological techniques, neuroimaging, clinical and pharmacological interventions, developmental and genetic approaches.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/cns/perception

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