Cognitive Neuroscience MSc by Research 2025

Viewing course details for 2025-26 year of entry

How to apply

Code: PGY000
Attendance: Full-time, Part-time
Start: September 2025
Fees: £6,300 (UK) £15,700 (INT)
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Course Leader: Jonathan Silas, Alexander Jones
Study mode: On campus
Location: Hendon campus
School / Department: Psychology

Why study Cognitive Neuroscience MSc by Research at Middlesex University?

This programme will be tailored to your specific needs and requirements through workshops, tutorials and seminars resulting in a thesis in cognitive neuroscience. You will explore the basic neuroscientific principles, methodological approaches and the theoretical framework of cognitive neuroscience. You will further develop and learn new skills of how to practically conduct cognitive neuroscience research.

Our academics are internationally recognised researchers in the field and have expertise in a variety of behavioural, neuroimaging and transcranial neuro-stimulation techniques. You will be encouraged to develop advanced skills in the use of one or more of these techniques for the purposes of designing and conducting a cognitive neuroscience study.

In our partnership with Saracens Rugby Club, you’ll have access to the fantastic resources at StoneX Stadium, including the brand new £23 million redevelopment project of the West Stand which offers state-of-the-art facilities as a top educational and high performance centre for teaching and research excellence. With some of the most advanced equipment in the UK, you will be able to utilise the new specialist spaces, simulation suites, specialist labs, plus much more.

You will have the opportunity to become part of a national and international collaborative research network and pursue a specific research project of your own interest in collaboration with experts in the field.

Course highlights

You will explore recent advances and developments in cognitive neuroscience through research
You will gain experience in brain stimulation and/or neuroimaging techniques and learn how to use them to conduct your own research study
You will have access to specialised and state-of-the-art software and research equipment (TMS,TES, EEG, eye-tracking) to analyse and interpret brain data
You will learn through in-depth tutorials and workshops from researchers active in the field of cognitive neuroscience.

What will you study on Cognitive Neuroscience MSc by Research?

This programme is a unique, research-based course, which doesn’t follow the traditional model of lectures and exams. You have the opportunity to pursue specific study areas such as:

Action observation
Attention
Emotion
Memory
Methodological aspects of cognitive neuroscience
Movement
Multisensory processing
Perception

What will you gain?

In addition to the in-depth knowledge of the subject matter, you will also gain the practical skills to conduct industry level cognitive neuroscience research as well as the statistical and analytical skills to appraise the findings. You will also have expertise and experience in neuroimaging and brain stimulation techniques.

About your course

You will join the research community through an ongoing series of workshops, building to your final thesis.

These workshops will be focused around the discussion of modern approaches to understanding brain processes as they relate to the mind. You will consider important new directions in the field in order to inform experimental research such as data driven vs. hypothesis testing, reverse inference, double dipping, and machine learning.

These workshops will focus on what can and cannot be inferred about brain processes, from non-invasive techniques to measure and manipulate brain function.

These workshops will involve practical sessions in the lab where you will learn the use of EEG and related electrophysiological measures.

In these workshops, you will lean transcranial stimulation techniques including transcranial magnetic and electrical stimulation.

In these workshops, you will focus on signal processing from EEG and the handling and complex analysis of behavioural data. You will be introduced to advanced statistical techniques and be encouraged to use a combination of frequentist and Bayesian analysis approaches.

To find out more about this course, please download the Cognitive Neuroscience MSc by Research specification (PDF).

Register your interest

Teaching

You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience.

This programme is a unique, research-based course, which doesn’t follow the traditional model of lectures and exams. You will join the research community through an ongoing series of workshops, building to your final thesis. The MSc by Research will prepare you for novel application areas with individually tailored learning experiences, enabling you to excel in both the academic sector and the job market.

You will be based at our north London campus in Hendon.

Assessment

Assessment will be based on a final dissertation of approximately 30,000 words. The dissertation will include the write up of at least one experimental investigation in the area of cognitive neuroscience. Two independent examiners will be appointed to read and evaluate the dissertation and you will be invited to make an oral defence of your work.

Academic support

We have a strong support network online and on campus to help you develop your academic skills. We offer one-to-one and group sessions to develop your learning skills together with academic support from our library, IT teams and learning experts.

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Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Qualifications

We normally require an upper second class honours degree 2:1 or above in psychology, neuroscience or related subject
Entry is subject to the proposed project being acceptable

If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your Middlesex University programme of study.

Qualifications

We accept the equivalent of the below qualifications from a recognised overseas qualification:

We normally require an upper second class honours degree 2:1 or above in psychology, neuroscience or related subject
Entry is subject to the proposed project being acceptable

To find out more about the qualifications we accept from your country please visit the relevant support in your country page. If you are unsure about the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest regional office for support.

If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your Middlesex University programme of study.

Visas

You will not need a visa to study in the UK if you are a citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. If you are a national of any other country you may need a visa to study in the UK. Please see our visas and immigration page for further information.

International students who require a Student route (formerly tier 4) visa to progress on a course at Middlesex University must apply for study on a full-time basis. However, this course is offered part-time so you are eligible to apply on a part-time basis.

Part-time study

International applicants can apply for Student Route (formerly tier 4) visas for part-time postgraduate study (courses leading to a qualification at RQF level 7 or SCQF level 11 and above).

Student route visa students studying part-time are subject to certain restrictions:

no work (paid or unpaid)
no work placements as part of the programme
no dependants
no extending under Student route visa in the UK. This includes Student route visa applications to work as a Students' Union Sabbatical Officer or for the Foundation Programme for postgraduate doctors and dentists
not eligible for the Student route visa Doctorate Extension Scheme

*Please note that, if the course of your choice involves work experience, unpaid work, placements or internships, we will be unable to sponsor you to study a part- time course under the Student route (formerly tier 4) visa.

English language

You must have competence in English language to study with us. The most commonly accepted evidence of English language ability is IELTS 6.5 (with minimum 6.0 in all components). We also normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. Visit our English language requirements page for a full list of accepted tests and qualifications.

If you don't meet our minimum English language requirements, we offer an intensive pre-sessional English course.

To apply for this course, please log into the online application system and select the MSc by Research (ST) application option.

You will also need to:

Write a research proposal. Please view our FAQ focused on writing your proposal
Gather the following compulsory supporting documents, in electronic format:
- all your academic documentation (including transcripts and certificates)
- your passport
- your sponsorship letter (if you are not paying your own fees)
- your IELTS, TOEFL or other equivalent English Language certificates (if your first language is not English)

Application dates

Candidates already based in the UK who wish to enrol on this MSc by Research may also apply by the last day of July using our online application system.

You can start your MSc by Research at three specific times of the year. These are September 15th, January 15th and May 15th. In order to start at a particular time you must apply by the previous entry point. For example, if you want to start October 15th, please apply by May 15th.

If your application is suitable, you will be invited for interview (in person or by Skype) within two and a half months of your date of application.

Careers

How can the Cognitive Neuroscience MSc by Research support your career?

This programme is well suited to those who wish to pursue a career in academia. However, the skills acquired can be applied to a broad range of careers. In particular, those who work in medical, research-based or psychology orientated fields may wish to develop their understanding of how the brain works and how these processes can be measured.

Fees

The fees below are for the 2025/26 academic year.

UK students¹

Full-time students: £6,300 per year
Part-time students: £3,150 per year

International Students²

Full-time students: £15,700 per year
Part-time students: £7,850 per year

Additional costs

The following course-related costs are included in the fees:

All printing and copying required for your study
Self-service laptops available for loan for a maximum of 24 hours
Audio-visual equipment available for loan, including digital stills cameras, digital video recorders, digital audio recorders

For more information and to answer your frequently asked questions, please visit our postgraduate funding page.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

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We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

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