Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience MSc

Connecting the sciences of the brain (neurosciences) with the sciences of the mind (cognition), this MSc draws on our world-leading expertise in Psychology and Life Sciences. We consider how the brain and broader nervous system function at a biological and psychological level, from a human development and behavioural perspective.

Why choose this course?
• Tailor your degree to your interests and career prospects through a work placement opportunity



• Gain MSc-level expertise and skills in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methodologies



• Staff research includes a wide range of cognitive and neuroscientific fields such as visual perception and pluripotent cell research



• Inclusive research community with academic staff supervised dissertation projects



• Research and practice-led teaching enables access to state-of-the-art facilities and staff expertise



Designed specifically to enable you to specialise in cognition and cognitive neuroscience, our MSc explores exciting challenges facing the scientific and clinical communities – how the brain and nervous system relate to human consciousness, decision making, attention, perception, memory, motor skills and more.

On this programme, you will learn to design experiments, collect data using state-of-the-art cognitive neuroscience methods and analyse it using appropriate statistical methods. Explore the exciting challenges facing scientists in the fields of cognition and cognitive neuroscience. You will also become prepared for doctoral studies (for example, Clinical Psychology training or a PhD), and will be a competitive candidate for professional roles such as a data analyst or technical consultant.

Bridging the disciplines of psychology and neuroscience, you will learn from world-leading researchers across two of Keele’s academic Schools, whose broad and diverse expertise spans cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, neuroscience, neural engineering, neurobiology, molecular biology, biomedical science and even zoology. They will share news about their cutting-edge research through research-led teaching and our research seminar series.

The research apprenticeship and dissertation provide two opportunities to broaden or deepen your contemporary research experience, depending on personal preferences or professional interests. Working closely with relevant specialists, you can choose a different focus for each project or master one specific area. Dissertation topics chosen by past students have, for example, examined how to decode different types of mental images from patterns of brain activity, eye-movement behaviour in real-world scene processing, recognition memory in brain-damaged patients and the effect of alcohol hangover on response inhibition.

About Keele

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.