MSc Social Cognition

Applications are open for the 2025-26 intake. 

Key Information and Fees

About the programme

This MSc draws on the research of outstanding academic staff working in the areas of social cognition, social endocrinology, socio-cognitive neuroscience, and judgement and decision-making to provide unique, cutting-edge perspectives on humans as social beings. This programme should contribute to an understanding of applied societal problems in domains of climate change, mental health, inequality and social conflict.

Why Social Cognition?
The program draws on an outstanding faculty, ranging across many disciplines, including internationally renowned researchers in psychology, computational modelling, neuroscience and economics. London is one of the global “hot-spots” for research in cognition, decision-making, and neuroscience; and it is an intellectual “hub”, with a high density of research seminars and scientific meetings that attract leading international researchers. London is also one of the world’s foremost commercial and political centres, with consequent opportunities for high-level applied research; and it is a vibrant, culturally diverse and international city, with world-class music, theatre and galleries.

Who should apply?
Social cognition is a rapidly developing domain with implications for many areas of psychology - clinical, cross-cultural, health, consumer, educational, organisational, and political - and the programme will appeal to students with a background in these areas and an interest in social judgement and behaviour. This program will appeal to outstanding students interested in pursuing a research career in social cognition, social endocrinology and socio-cognitive neuroscience. The program will involve challenging formal, conceptual, and empirical work, and hence outstanding talent and motivation, including the ability to think clearly and creatively, and rapidly acquire and integrate new knowledge. Relevant undergraduate backgrounds include psychology, neuroscience, sociology and statistics.

Why study this degree at UCL?
The programme draws on an outstanding academic staff, ranging across many disciplines, including internationally renowned researchers in psychology, computational modelling, neuroscience and economics. London is one of the global hotspots for research in cognition, decision-making, and neuroscience; and it is an intellectual hub with a high density of research seminars and scientific meetings that attract leading international researchers. London is also one of the world's foremost commercial and political centres, with consequent opportunities for high-level applied research; and it is a vibrant, culturally diverse and international city, with world-class music, theatre and galleries.

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

The excellence of research at UCL and its positive real-world impact has improved since 2014, according to the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF) assessment results. UCL is second in the UK for research power by a measure of average research score multiplied by staff numbers submitted. For this, 93 per cent of our research was graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’. Our research received a 'grade point average' of 3.50 (out of 4) – an improvement from 3.22 in 2014. A total of 3,432 UCL academics submitted to this REF process. See the full REF 2021 results.

In the UK’s 2021 Research Excellence Framework, as part of the Faculty Unit of Assessment, UCL Psychology and Language Science’s Research Environment ranked equal First in the UK. Additionally, 92% of our research was graded 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’).

Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.

Department: Division of Psychology & Language Sciences

Course structure

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of six core modules (total of 90 credits), two optional modules (total of 30 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits). All modules have the value of 15 credits (apart from the dissertation).

The six core modules will provide students with a firm basis in both the theory and practice of cognition science and decision-making. The two specialist modules are selected by students from a wide list of options. The options and research project will allow students to pursue their own specific interests, and complete a significant piece of research work.

Teaching and Assessment
The programme is delivered through lectures, tutorials and seminars. The Division of Psychology & Language Sciences has advanced technology for the study of socio-cognitive processes, including fMRI, eye-, speech- and motion tracking equipment for dyadic and group settings, as well as a 360o video camera. Assessment is through coursework, examination and the dissertation.

Dissertation
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of approximately 10,000-12,000 max words.

CORE MODULES

The programme has the following compulsory modules (you can see more information on each of the below modules by clicking on the titles or typing in the module code in the search function of the module catalogue):

Module code	Title	Credits	Term
PALS0049	Intermediate Statistics: Data analysis and visualisation with R	15	T1
PSYC0161	Understanding Individuals and Groups	15	T1
PSYC0162	Social Cognition, Affect and Motivation	15	T2
PSYC0163	Current Issues in Attitude Research	15	T2
PSYC0164	Social Neuroscience	60	T2/3
PSYC0283	Moral Cognition	15	T1
PSYC0166	MSc Social Cognition: Dissertation	15	T1

In addition, students must select two optional modules (each worth 15 credits) in consultation with the owning department(s) and subject to availability. The range of optional modules available can vary from year to year. A list of optional modules offered to students in the previous academic year is shown below. Although this gives a good guide as to what modules will be available in the coming academic year, we cannot guarantee that each of these modules will be offered. If you are interested in a particular module, please contact the programme administrator who should be able to advise you on its likely availability.

OPTIONAL MODULES

You can see more information on each of the below modules by clicking on the titles or typing in the module code in the search function of the module catalogue.

Module Code	Title	Credits	Term
PSYC0010	Social Psychology	15	T1
PSYC0025	Social Psychology of Risk	15	T1
PSYC0028	Applied Decision-making	15	T2
PSYC0030	Human Learning and Memory	15	T1
PSYC0031	Cognitive Neuroscience	15	T2
PSYC0032	The Brain in Action	15	T2
PSYC0073	Designing and Analysing fMRI experiments	15	T2
PSYC0062	Current Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience III: Translational Research	15	T2
PSYC0085	Principles of Cognition	15	T2
PSYC0086	Judgement and Decision Making	15	T1
PSYC0087	Computational Modelling of Cognition	15	T2
PSYC0088	Neuroscience of Emotion and Decision-Making	15	T2
PSYC0157	Computer Programming	15	T2

Staff

Programme Director and and Admissions Tutor (module convenor Current Issues in Attitude Research): Pranj Mehta
Module convenor (Social Cognition, Affect and Motivation): Ana Guinote
Module convenor (Understanding Individuals and Groups): Metodi Siromahov
Module convenor (Intermediate and Advanced Statistics): Maarten Speekenbrink and Henrik Singmann
Module convenor (Moral Cognition): Arunima Sarin 
Module convenors (Social Neuroscience): Sarah White and Marco Wittmann
Senior Teaching Administrator: Alexa Richardson

Some teaching staff might vary from year to year due to sabbaticals.

Application and Entry

Key Information

Programme starts: the month of September of any given year

Location: London, Bloomsbury

Application and next steps

Applications

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Each year we receive many more applications than places available and entry is highly competitive. After applying, you may need to wait a number of months until you hear a decision. Most applicants should receive a decision in 1-2 months after the application deadline which is currently the end of March, so most decisions should be made by end of April. Some applicants may receive decisions earlier. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

Who can apply?
Social cognition is a rapidly developing domain with implications for many areas of psychology - clinical, cross-cultural, health, consumer, educational, organisational, and political - and the programme will appeal to students with a background in these areas and an interest in social judgement and behaviour.

Application deadline for students who require a visa: 27 June 2025.
Application deadline for students who do not require a visa: 29 August 2025.

All applications close at 5pm UK time

For more information see our Applications page.

Apply now

 

What are we looking for?

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

• why you want to study Social Cognition at graduate level
• what particularly attracts you to this programme
• how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this rigorous programme
• where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Information on English Language tests that UCL accepts for Graduate students.

Other courses that are relevant for entry to this course include: psychology, economics, neuroscience, computer science, statistics, physics and engineering.

References: please note that applicants should submit an application with referee contact details. After you have submitted an application your referees will be contacted by UCL requesting a reference. We require that academic references arrive from the nominated persons academic institution email address.

Graduate Student Loans are now available to UK/EU students. For further information: https://www.gov.uk/masters-loan

Careers

Our students follow varied and diverse career paths, as shown in the graph below. The four largest employment sectors among alumni are Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities (M), Education (P), Information & Communication (J), and Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q

• In Sector M, common roles include research analyst, behavioural scientist, and research associate, primarily within business and management consultancy.
• In Sector P, alumni often take on teaching or research assistant roles in higher education, primarily within tertiary education.
• In Sector J, alumni frequently work as user experience researcher, behavioural researcher, or product officer, particularly in computer programming activities.
• In Sector Q, alumni often work as research lead/intern, development coordinator, or project leader in human health and social work activities.

Here are some examples of Employers by Job Sector:

• Sector M (Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities): Ogilvy; Kantar Media; Ipsos; McKinsey & Company; Verian Group; IN2; EcoNudge; Yingke Live; Hill+Knowlton Strategies; In-Trend LTD; Schranner Negotiation Institute; Medialab Group; Eat the Fox
• Sector P (Education): Milk Education; Kensington Aldridge Academy; Teach First; The Next School; London Business School; University of York; UCL; Talent Garden Innovation School; OxEd and Assessment
• Sector J (Information & Communication): Google; Infosys; Gameranx; ICE Creates; DataTruth; Salacia Solutions; Inceptio Technology; Meta; LinkedIn; Google DeepMind; Virgin Media O2; McLagan; ScubaData; ByteDance
• Sector Q (Human Health and Social Work Activities): Locality; NHS Foundation Trust; Oviva; Sunstone Therapies; Mind; Motability Foundation; Orygen; NHS Digital; University Hospital; Focus Mental Wellness; Between Borders; One-Eighty ltd

PhDs
Approximately 16% of MSc alumni go on to pursue a doctoral degree. As shown in the figure below, the most common field is psychology (CAH04).

Notes:

• The data presented here were compiled and analysed by Dr Eva Krumhuber and were valid as of 18/02/2025.
• The data are drawn from an analysis of LinkedIn career profiles of 207 alumni who graduated between 2015 and 2023 from UCL’s MSc in Social Cognition.
• Educational backgrounds were categorised using the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) framework (version 9.0) developed by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The Common Aggregation Hierarchy (CAH) codes represent the degree programs pursued after completing the MSc.
• Employment history was classified using the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC 2007) framework by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The alphabetical letters denote the Major Industry Groups of jobs obtained after completing the MSc.

Contact

Contact Information

Senior Teaching Administrator: Alexa Richardson
pgpsychadmissions@ucl.ac.uk 

Receive information on graduate open days, events and more:

Register your interest

FAQs

What are the term time dates?

For further information on term dates please visit: Term Dates
All taught classes for this programme are scheduled in Terms 1 and 2. There is no teaching in Term 3 as this period is for the completion of module assessments and development on the research project.  

Information on Scholarships/funding:

For further information on sources of funding, please visit: Scholarships/Funding

Are there any prerequisites to enable entry to this course?

No, there are no prerequisites. We do however, make aware that the Statistics module is set at an advanced level and advise that those without any statistical experience may find this difficult. Pre-course reading is strongly encouraged (see the Recommended Reading section below).

What do our students say?

Amanda: "The teaching methods of the staff go beyond exam and assessment preparation. Their enthusiasm as they deliver lecture content instils the value of learning as an end in itself. I admire the multidimensional structure of the course as I continue to develop skills which can be applied within the field of psychology and across a number of career paths. The departmental staff are extremely supportive and they have created a highly engaging learning environment.”
Zahra: “For me the Social Cognition master was the first window into understanding the social brain in an appropriate way. It helped me to develop my ideas as a prospective social neuroscientist. It made my dreams to come true. This master provided me with the basic knowledge of social psychology as well as the neuroscience.”

What other Master's programmes, Research programmes or Professional Doctorates are available within the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences?

For further information, please visit? Masters, PhD's or Professional Doctorates

Can you offer any advice on student accommodation?

Accommodation is dealt with by UCL Residencies. For further information and contacts, please visit: Accommodation

If I meet academic requirement how likely am I to be accepted?

We would be unable to answer this question as we would need to see a complete application. Most students who apply do meet the entry requirement so it is important to view your personal statement, references and grades on your transcript.

Can I send in my CV and/or covering letter for advice on whether I am likely to be successful?

No. We will only consider a full application.

If I have 2:2 in my degree but have relevant experience, will I still be considered for the course?

No. Only If your degree was taken 5 or more years ago and you have relevant work experience since then.

What should I include in my personal statement? How long should it be?

For further information please visit: Personal Statement Information

Do you have any Open Days?

We hold some virtual open days. These are advertised on the Departmental website. See further information here.

I'm in my final year of my degree. Can I still apply even though I do not know my final grade?

Yes. If you are made an offer it will be conditional that you receive a minimum of a 2:1 for your final award.

The grading system for my degree is different to that of the UK. How can I check the equivalent grades for the UK?

For international equivalencies, please look under 'Application and Entry'. Then select your country for equivalent alternative requirements. You can also contact the Admissions team directly if you have a more complex query concerning academic qualifications equivalences: Admissions contact page

Can international or EU students take this programme part-time?

Do you have an entrance exam or interview process?

No

Do you consider GRE results?

No

Once I have completed my application, can I change my referee?

Yes. You can do this via the online Applicant Portal.
Once logged in, you should be able to see that the status of your application is ‘Application Incomplete – Pending References’. If you click on the ‘View’ button next to this status, you will be taken through to a screen where you can see which reference (if either) has been uploaded. If we have not received a reference from one of the referees, you will be given three options: to amend the contact details for the referee (in case you made a typo when inputting the referee’s e-mail address), to replace an existing referee with a new one or to resend the reference request e-mail (a maximum of one per day). 

Once I have applied can I change my mode of attendance from full-time to part-time of vice versa?

Yes, if you are a Home student you can change your mode of attendance up until the end of the first two weeks of teaching. It is not possible to change mode after the first two weeks of term. International students may only take this programme full-time.

How can I apply for a PhD?

Thinking about doing a PhD?

 

Recommended reading

General Reading

• Ward, J., The students Guide to Social Neuroscience.                                                                                                                
• Forgas, J.P. (Ed.) (2006). Affect, cognition and social behaviour. New York: Psychology Press.
• Maio, G. R., Verplanken, B., & Haddock, G. (2019). The psychology of attitudes and attitude change. Sage.
• Moskowitz, G.B. Social Cognition: Understanding Self and Others. NY, The Guilford Press, 2005.
• Vohs, Kathleen D. & Roy F. Baumeister (2010), Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications (2nd edition). New York, Guilford. [if this book is not out, check first edition by Baumeister & Vohs].

Articles

• Alicke, M., & Sedikides, C. (2009). Self-enhancement and self-protection: What they are and what they do. European Review of Social Psychology, 20, 1–48.
• Balcetis, E., & Dunning, D. (2006). See what you want to see: Motivational influences on visual perception. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 612-625
• Baumeister, R.F., & Leary, M.R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497-529.
• Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Muraven, M., & Tice, D.M. (1998). Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1252-1265.
• Kennedy, D. P., & Adolphs, R. (2012). The social brain in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(11), 559-572.
• Carver, C. S. (2006). Approach, avoidance, and the self-regulation of affect and action. Motivation and Emotion, 30, 105-110.  
• Cialdini, R. B. (1995). Principles and techniques of social influence. In A. Tesser (Ed.), Advanced social psychology (pp. 257-281). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum
• Correll, Joshua  and Hudson, Sean M. Guillermo, Steffanie, S. Ma. Debbie. 2014.a The Police Officer's Dilemma: A Decade of Research on Racial Bias in the Decision to Shoot, in Social and Personality Psychology Compass.
• Devine, P. G. (1989). Stereotypes and prejudice: Their automatic and control components. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 5-18.
• Devine, P. G., & Sharp, L. B. (2009). Automatic and controlled processes in stereotyping and prejudice. In T. Nelson (Ed.), Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination (pp.61-82). New York: Psychology Press.
• DeWall, C. N., Maner, J. K., & Rouby, D. A. (2009). Social exclusion and early-stage interpersonal perception: Selective attention to signs of acceptance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 729-741.
• Dovidio, J. F., Kawakami, K., & Gaertner, S. L. (2002). Implicit and explicit prejudice and interracial interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 62-68.
• Gable, P. A., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2008). Approach-motivated positive affect reduces breadth of attention. Psychological Science, 19, 476-482.
• Gawronski, B., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2006). Associative and propositional processes in evaluation: An integrative review of implicit and explicit attitude change. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 692-731.
• Greenwald, A. G., McGhee, D. E., & Schwartz, J. K. L. (1998). Measuring individual differences in implicit cognition: The Implicit Association Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1464-1480.
• Guinote,A., Judd,C.M., Brauer,M. (2002). Effects of power on perceived and objective group variability: Evidence that more powerful groups are more variable. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 82, 708-721
• Kish-Gephart, Jennifer J.Harrison, David A.Treviño, Linda Klebe. 2010. Bad Apples, Bad Cases, and Bad Barrels: Meta-Analytic Evidence About Sources of Unethical Decisions at Work, in Journal of Applied Psychology.
• Maio, G. R., & Haddock, G. (2007). Attitude change. In A. W. Kruglanski & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Social psychology: Handbook of basic principles (2nd Edition, pp. 565-586). New York: Guilford.
• Markus, H.R., & Kunda, Z. (1986). Stability and malleability of the self-concept. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 858-866.
• Mussweiler, T. (2003). Comparison processes in social judgment: Mechanisms and consequences. Psychological Review, 110, 472–489.
• Rizzolatti, Giacomo; Craighero, Laila (2004). The mirror-neuron system. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27, 169–192.
• Rydell, R. J., & McConnell, A. R. (2006). Understanding implicit and explicit attitude change: A systems of reasoning analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 995-1008.
• Schwarz, N. (1999). Self-reports: How the questions shape the answers. American Psychologist, 54, 93- 105.
• Schwarz, N., & Bohner, G. (2001). The construction of attitudes. In A. Tesser & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Blackwell handbook of social psychology: Intrapersonal processes (pp. 436-457). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
• Schwarz, N., & Clore, G.L. (2003). Mood as information: 20 years later. Psychological Inquiry,14, 296-303.
• Smith, E. R., & DeCoster, J. (2000). Dual process models in social and cognitive psychology: Conceptual integration and links to underlying memory systems. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4 108-131.
• Winkielman, P., & Cacioppo, J.T. (2001). Mind at ease puts a smile on the face: Psychophysiological evidence that processing facilitation leads to positive affect. Journal of Personality and SocialPsychology, 81, 989–1000.
• Zajonc, R.B. (2001). Mere exposure: A gateway to the subliminal. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10, 224–228.

Understanding Individuals and Groups

• Moskowitz, G.B. (2005). Social Cognition: Understanding self and others. NY, USA: The Guilford Press.
• Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2017). Social Cognition: From brains to culture. Los Angeles, USA: Sage
• SAGE Reference - The SAGE Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping and Discrimination (sagepub.com)

Statistics

Course materials are available as online books. Note that these are works in progress and subject to changes:

• Speekenbrink, M. "Statistics: Data analysis and modelling". https://mspeekenbrink.github.io/sdam-book/
• Speekenbrink, M. "An R companion to Statistics: data analysis and modelling. https://mspeekenbrink.github.io/sdam-r-companion/

Additional books you might find useful are:

• Field, A., Miles, J., & Field, Z. (2012) "Discovering statistics using R", Sage.
• Judd, C.M.,  McClelland, G.H., & Ryan, C.S.  "Data Analysis: A Model Comparison Approach" (3rd or 2nd edition), Routledge, 2017.
•  (https://sites.google.com/view/dataanalysisbook)
• Navarro, D. "Learning statistics with R". https://learningstatisticswithr.com/
• Navarro, D., Foxcroft, D.R., & Faulkenberry, T. J. "Learning statistics with JASP". https://learnstatswithjasp.com/

Moral Cognition

• Kwame Anthony Appiah, Thinking It Through: An Introduction to Contemporary Philosophy.
• J.F. Christensen; A. Gomila,  Article: Moral dilemmas in cognitive neuroscience of moral decision-making: A principled review, in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
• Handbook of Moral Development, Second Edition, Melanie Killen; Judith G. Smetana.
• Handbook of the History of Social Psychology, Arie W. Kruglanski; Wolfgang Stroebe.

 

Part-time study

Part-time students will take two years to complete this degree. You will be expected to attend a minimum of 2-3 days a week for core modules (Monday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday). Term 1 one requires up to 3 days a week. You will also need to attend lectures for your optional module which may mean that you are in college for an additional day or half day. You will be expected to devote extra time for private study. Please ensure that you have a (minimum) of 2 days off work per week for the whole year, and not just during term time. Work on the research project starts in the second year but students are encouraged to start to consider their research interests in their first year.

What part-time students will complete over the two years:

By the end of 2 years you will need to have completed 6 core modules, 2 optional modules, and your dissertation.

First Year:

* Term 1 (October-December): One core module (we encourage students to take PALS0049 Intermediate Statistics: Data analysis and visualisation with R in their first year)

* Term 2 (January-March): Two core modules

* Term 3 (April onwards): Dissertation (to be completed in the second year)

We highly recommend that you complete at least ONE optional module in your first year. By the end of Year 1 you will have completed: 3 core modules - and ideally 1 optional module.

Second Year:

* Term 1: Two core modules

* Term 2: One core module

* Term 3: Work on research project, due in mid-August.

By the end of Year 2 you will have completed an additional 3 core modules, TWO optional modules (in total over the 2 years), and your dissertation project.

Fees and Funding

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Graduate Student Loans are now available to UK/EU students. For further information: https://www.gov.uk/studentfinancesteps

Contact us

pgpsychadmissions@ucl.ac.uk
+44 (0)207 679 1504

Alumni

Karishma Rajaratnam 

I graduated from UCL with an MSc in Social Cognition and I loved my time there. I decided to pursue a career in technology/software after I graduated. I initially launched my own marketing consultancy where I leveraged behavioural science research to build digital marketing strategies, and then went on to join Fintech Unicorn Chargebee where I held a number of marketing leadership roles. In 2020, I joined one of the fastest growing Canadian software companies, Vidyard, to lead growth and marketing.

Dr Lea Sitkin 

MSc Social Cognition provided me with invaluable knowledge and skills that have greatly benefited my career in academia. I strengthened my statistical literacy, which has been particularly useful in analyzing student achievement data in my role as Assistant Head of School. I also deepened my understanding of neurodiversity, which has enhanced my approach as a lecturer, manager, foster carer, and friend. My dissertation on 'misinformation spread and belief' allowed me to explore one of today’s most pressing challenges—both in the classroom and in society. Overall, returning to study and upskilling was an incredible experience, and I enjoyed every moment of it!