Neuroscience MSci
London, Bloomsbury
Neuroscience MSci (2025)
The Neuroscience MSci is a four-year programme that extends the specialised knowledge provided by the Neuroscience BSc. It allows you to conduct a literature-based research project in year three and an extended lab-based research project in year four. The MSci is designed to prepare you for a career in neuroscience research. Students can decide in year two whether they would like to follow the three-year BSc or the four-year MSci (conditional to marks).
Study mode
Duration
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
Programme starts
September 2024Application deadline
31 Jan 2024UCAS course code
Entry requirements
- Grades
- AAA
- Subjects
- Chemistry required plus one from Biology, Life and Health Sciences, Mathematics or Physics.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade B or 6.
Contextual offer information
- Grades
- AAB more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- AA must be in Chemistry and other science (Biology, Life and Health Sciences, Mathematics or Physics).
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade B or 6.
- Points
- 38
- Subjects
- A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects including Chemistry and one subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics, with no higher level score below 5. For Mathematics, the programme will accept either 'Analysis and Approaches' or 'Applications and Interpretation' at higher level.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 36 more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects including Chemistry and one subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics (both at grade 6), with no score below 5. For Mathematics, the programme will accept either 'Analysis and Approaches' or 'Applications and Interpretation' at higher level.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects. Chemistry required plus one from Biology, Physics or Mathematics
A,A,A at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher). Chemistry required at Advanced Higher plus one from Biology, Physics or Mathematics.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades AAA. Chemistry required plus one from Biology, Mathematics or Physics.
International applications
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
Access and widening participation
UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates
The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.
Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.
For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.
English language requirements
The English language level for this programme is: Level 4
-
Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Course overview
The first year consists of introductory compulsory modules including two dedicated neuroscience modules exclusive for BSc and MSci neuroscience students. The combination of these modules will provide a secure foundation for future work and study. Taking modules alongside other students in the UCL Faculties of Life Sciences will give you insight into related disciplines.
Further core and optional modules in your second year will prepare you for the third and fourth year, in which you will select specialised options to suit your interests. We provide twenty five neuroscience-specific advanced modules on offer for both year three and four neuroscience students, all taught by top neuroscientists.
They cover all areas, including computational, molecular/cellular, systems, behavioural/cognitive and clinical Neuroscience. Examples include Neural Basis of Motivation and Learning, Foundations of Neuroinformatics, Neurobiology of Brain Injury and Disease and Sensory Systems: Biology & Disease, but there are many more.
You will have the opportunity to transfer to the BSc programme at the end of year two, completing your degree in three years instead of four.
In the fourth year you will be able to join an existing research team in one of UCL departments or institutes to conduct an extended project of original research of your choice, guided by a supervisor and choose from the large selection of neuroscience-specific advanced modules on offer for both year three and four neuroscience students.
What this course will give you
Our multidisciplinary programme draws on expertise across all the Faculty of Life Sciences, in addition to the vast neuroscience community at UCL. All lectures are given by experts in the field and, as you progress, lectures will increasingly include current research. You will also use scientific publications, original papers and reviews for your studies.
As world leading practitioners of research based teaching, with over 1500 neuroscientists, we bring the best research minds from UCL, the Crick, the Sainsbury's Wellcome Centre and the Gatsby to teach our BSc and MSci students.
Co-operation with UCL Institutes of Neurology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Child Health, Gatsby and Sainsbury Wellcome Centre offers unrivalled choice for research topics and supervisors. The rich environment and our focus on research-led teaching creates outstanding and highly employable graduates.
Teaching and learning
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Upon successful completion of 480 credits, you will be awarded a MSci (Hons) in Neuroscience.
Modules
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
-
The first year consists of introductory core modules in relevant subject areas such as neurobiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology and genetics that will provide a secure foundation for future work.
Further core and optional modules in your second year will explore the relevant subject areas at a more advanced level and prepare you for the third year.
In year three you will carry out an advanced library project and select specialised optional modules to suit your interests. Examples of specialist module options may include topics such as neural basis of motivation and learning; pain; neurobiology of brain injury and disease and cellular basis of brain function, to name a few.
In the fourth year you will be able to join an existing research team in a relevant UCL department or institute to conduct an extended project of original research, guided by a supervisor, as well as choose further optional taught modules in a relevant field to suit your interests.
Optional modules
Your learning
Your teaching and learning will include lectures, tutorials, workshops and practical classes. Most neuroscience-specific modules throughout your degree are taught in relatively small groups, while some are shared with students on other programmes in larger groups. Practical classes play an important role throughout your studies and prepare you for your research project in the final year. In the fourth year this training will expand from the classroom to the research lab of your choice. There you will be trained in current research methods by Principal Investigators and postdocs in the research lab you chose for your project.
Your contact hours and levels of self-directed study will depend on which modules you choose and which year you are in. Modules typically have one or two hour lectures per week, these can be accompanied by workshops, journal clubs or practical sessions. For each module, students typically undertake 2-4 hours of self-directed study per lecture.
Assessment
You will normally take a written examination at the end of the academic year in each of your modules; coursework counts for up to 30% of your marks. Coursework prepares you for the final exam and trains you in a variety of writing tasks e.g. essays, lab reports and scientific publications. Some modules are examined by invigilated online tests throughout the year. Your final-year project will involve a written dissertation and an oral presentation.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.
The foundation of your career
Around half of our graduates choose to pursue further studies in neuroscience, or a related life science. Some join one of the UCL MSc or PhD programmes, while others obtain PhD scholarships at major research centres worldwide. Among other advantages, the MSci programme is intended to make it easier for graduates to enter PhD programmes at European centres of research excellence.
UCL Neuroscience alumni can be found working in science policy, public policy, publishing, law, journalism, the diplomatic services, the civil service and other high-profile careers outside the classroom or laboratory.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
| Fee description | Full-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2024/25) | £9,250 |
| Tuition fees (2024/25) | £34,400 |
The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.
Additional costs
Students will need to purchase a lab coat. This will cost approximately £10-£20.
A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Funding your studies
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
Scholarships
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Next steps
Your application
A genuine interest and curiosity in the subject of neuroscience should be evident in your application.
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.
If we have made you an offer, you will be invited to attend an offer-holder event. This may include talks from staff about the programme and the department. It could also include a research presentation, tours of UCL and the department, and a visit to a laboratory facility.
If you apply by the main UCAS deadline and meet or are predicted to meet all of our academic and individual requirements (including being able to demonstrate a good understanding of what this specialised subject entails) you will receive an offer of a place (either conditional or unconditional).
Got questions? Get in touch
UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.