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Psychology at UEA
Find out more about studying Psychology at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out moreMSc Cognitive Neuroscience with a Placement Year
Key details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
Other Start Dates
Gain a competitive edge with a placement year
This course is also available with an integrated placement year, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable UK industry experience alongside your master's degree
Other Start Dates
14th
UEA is ranked 14th overall for research quality in Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience
Times Higher Education REF 2021 AnalysisTop 20
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research Quality
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research QualityCourse Overview
Why a MSc Cognitive Neuroscience with a Placement Year at UEA?
Explore perception, memory, action, and decision-making through cognitive neuroscience. Gain hands-on experience with methods like fMRI, EEG, and TMS, and see how brain research shapes psychology and health.
Why choose UEA
- Expert teaching: UEA is ranked 14th overall for research quality in Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience
- State-of-the art facilities: Use techniques like EEG, TMS and MRI in our brain imaging centre
- Real-world experience: Gain practical insight through research or industry placements
What is MSc Cognitive Neuroscience with a Placement Year?
Discover how neuroimaging reveals the workings of perception, memory, language, and decision-making. On this MSc, you’ll explore cutting-edge research while gaining hands-on experience with techniques like fMRI.
You’ll learn from active researchers, combining lectures with practical lab training and small-group workshops. With close supervision, your independent project will build advanced skills in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication.
Based within UEA’s School of Psychology, you’ll join a vibrant research community. You can also choose to complete a research or industry placement, building professional experience and connections to support your future career.
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Placement Year
This course includes an integrated Placement Year, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable UK industry experience alongside your Master's degree.
To help you prepare for the UK job market, you'll complete an employability programme focused on developing your professional skills and supporting you in securing a placement opportunity.
During your Placement Year, you'll either undertake an industry placement or complete three employer-led industry projects with different UK organisations. Whichever route you take, you'll apply your academic knowledge in a professional environment, develop practical workplace skills, build your professional network and enhance your career prospects.
You'll take the lead in securing your placement, with support from employability workshops, one-to-one careers coaching and guidance from our specialist placement partner.
If you don't secure an industry placement, you'll complete three employer-led projects, working with organisations across a range of UK sectors to gain valuable real-world experience before you graduate.
In our website, you can learn more about our Postgraduate Placement Year(opens in a new window) opportunities.
Careers
Career Pathways
MSc Cognitive Neuroscience is an excellent basis to launch a wide range of careers spanning research, psychology, data analysis, scientific communication and governmental positions. You could become a:
- PhD Researcher (Cognitive Neuroscience): Conduct advanced research in brain function within universities or research institutes
- PhD Researcher (Psychology): Study behaviour and mental processes in academic or clinical research settings
- Policy Advisor: Develop evidence-based policies for government departments or public bodies
- Programme Officer (Nonprofit): Manage research or development projects within charities or international organisations
- Data Analyst: Analyse complex datasets to support research, healthcare, or business decision-making
Career Support
As part of your MSc, you'll have the option to complete a placement with an external host, either in research or industry. This allows you to gain valuable real-world skills and broaden your network. In addition, you’ll receive tailored training sessions and ongoing personalised support preparing you for your career through UEA’s dedicated careers service, Career Central(opens in a new window).
After the Course
Completing the MSc Cognitive Neuroscience with a Placement Year puts you in a strong position for PhD programmes in cognitive neuroscience or a related field in Psychology. The advanced training in quantitative and qualitative methods equips you with the skills needed for careers in research, data analysis, and evidence‑based decision‑making. Your specialist understanding of brain and behaviour also puts you in a strong position for career paths in applied research in industry settings or as a starting point for further clinical training.
Study and Modules
Structure
Understanding brain function and the impact of dysfunction is a major challenge for current research. There’s increasing demand for research into the processes of the human brain.
Our expert cognitive neuroscientists will help you study how the brain works. You'll explore perception, memory, action, and decision-making. You'll look into the latest cognitive neuroscience research methods. These include fMRI, EEG, and TMS. You’ll get to run an fMRI study and analyse data during practical sessions.
You'll learn psychology and cognitive neuroscience research techniques. We'll cover software used in functional MRI data collection and analysis. You'll also gain specialised experience in specific techniques. These will boost your CV and may help with your dissertation. You’ll learn about experimental design, programming, and MRI. This includes fMRI data collection and analysis of a neuroimaging experiment.
Additionally, you have the option to gain hands-on experience and build valuable connections through an external placement. This flexible placement tailored to your goals helps you gain experience that can boost your career.
Research Project / Dissertation
The dissertation allows you to research a topic of your choice, enabling you to explore your area of greatest interest in depth. Explore potential supervisors on our departmental website(opens in a new window).
Examples of previous dissertation topics include:
- Facial emotion perception
- Motivated thought substitution and thought suppression
- Probabilistic learning
- Predictive processing in the sensory brain
- Effects of social anxiety on attentional bias
- Neural basis of autobiographical memories
- Conscious and unconscious processing of size constancy
- Eye movements and perceptual span during reading in Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Object ownership, but not object touch, facilitates novel association formation
- The impact of stress on cerebellar related functions
- Virtual reality as a method of diagnosis and rehabilitation of spatial neglect in stroke patients
To prepare for your Placement Year, you'll complete an Employability Skills module designed to help you succeed in the UK job market. Through interactive workshops, practical careers activities and personalised support, you'll develop the confidence and skills to secure and make the most of your placement.
You'll strengthen key employability skills, including CV writing, interview techniques, professional networking and job search strategies.
The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis and must be successfully completed before you can progress to the Placement Year.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 40)Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
During your Placement Year, you'll complete a 60-credit Placement module, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience alongside your Master's degree.
In the first semester, you'll focus on securing a placement with support from dedicated employability specialists, one-to-one guidance and interactive workshops designed to help you develop your career plans and prepare for the recruitment process.
If you don't secure an industry placement, you'll complete three employer-led industry projects with different organisations, allowing you to apply your knowledge to real business challenges and gain valuable workplace experience.
The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis through a portfolio documenting your placement search and a reflective report on your placement or industry project experience.
By the end of the Placement Year, you'll have strengthened your professional skills, gained valuable UK workplace experience, expanded your professional network and enhanced your CV, helping you stand out to employers after graduation.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
Throughout this course, you'll learn via a blend of lectures, seminars and practical workshops. Teaching includes specialist-led topic sessions, detailed academic discussions, and hands-on activities designed to give experience with specific research methods and laboratory skills.
You'll further strengthen your analytical expertise by selecting a module that best supports your research project, whether quantitative or qualitative in focus.
As part of your independent research project (dissertation), you'll explore a chosen topic in depth. You'll design, manage and complete your own study from start to finish. You'll be guided through regular supervisory meetings, where personalised feedback and advice will support your skill development and progression.
Postgraduate students are also encouraged to participate in weekly seminars delivered by internal and external speakers, alongside research group meetings. These activities provide valuable opportunities to expand your academic network and enhance your skills beyond your individual research area. You'll become part of a dynamic academic community, with access to social learning groups that meet regularly around shared interests.
Ongoing career development is embedded throughout the programme, with tailored sessions delivered by specialist careers advisers. In addition, you'll have full access to the Learning Enhancement Team(opens in a new window) and Student Support(opens in a new window), as well as dedicated wellbeing support teams, should you require them.
Assessment
Your academic progress will be evaluated through a range of coursework‑based assessments. These are designed to strengthen your analytical and communication abilities and may include tasks such as a research proposal, a critical review of the literature, or a reflective report based on your placement experience. Written feedback is provided throughout the programme, and many modules incorporate formative assessments to help you build confidence ahead of final submission. You'll also have the opportunity to present your work to peers and researchers in the school.
For your dissertation, you'll receive ongoing guidance from your supervisor across the year, including verbal feedback and written comments on submitted drafts.
This diverse assessment approach ensures you graduate with a strong portfolio of transferable skills applicable across academic and professional settings.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.1
Degree Subject
Psychology or related degree (eg. medicine, neuroscience or biological science)
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.1 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Psychology or related degree (eg. medicine, neuroscience or biological science)
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 7.0 overall (minimum 6.5 in all components)
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, our UEA International Study Centre offers a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £12,800
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International Students: £23,850
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
If you choose to take this course with a placement year, your tuition fees for the first year will be as shown above. An additional fee of £3,500 will apply for the placement year (see our FAQs page for further details).
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Course Related Costs
Please see additional course fees(opens in a new window) for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.