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Cognitive and Decision Sciences MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Cognitive and Decision Sciences MSc studies the cognitive processes and representations underlying human thought, knowledge and decision-making. It integrates a wide range of disciplines and methodologies, with the core assumption that human cognition and choice are computational processes, implemented in neural hardware.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£15,100
£7,550
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£34,400
£17,200
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 05 Apr 2024

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

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Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. A student peer group will often contain a broad mix of undergraduate degrees. Most common backgrounds include psychology, neuroscience, statistics, economics, philosophy, computer science, cognitive science, linguistics and law. An undergraduate degree not listed here should not, however, deter a potential applicant who can demonstrate an understanding of the focus of the course and enthusiasm for cognitive science and decision making, although they should be prepared for the mathematical component contained in the MSc-level Research Statistics module.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Key topics include the nature of computational explanation; the general principles of cognition; the scope of rational choice explanation; probabilistic models of the mind; learning and memory; and applications to economics and business. The programme involves training in experimental design and methodology, building computational models and undertaking original research.

You will study at one of the world's best universities (UCL is ranked 9th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2024) and our research is pioneering. UCL is ranked first for research power in Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience by the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), with more than two thirds of our research in these areas rated as world-leading (4*).

Who this course is for

This programme will appeal to outstanding students interested in pursuing a research career in the cognitive and decision sciences, or to those wishing to develop an understanding of core theoretical principles of human thought to tackle applied problems in a range of areas including marketing, finance, and public policy.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

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. It is a vibrant, culturally diverse and international city, with world-class music, theatre and galleries.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

On completion of the programme, students will have acquired theoretical and empirical knowledge in cognition science and decision-making, and a broad range of practical research skills.

You will have made original contributions to this field in your research projects, and will understand how to apply your knowledge to real-world decision problems. You will also have developed various analytical and logical reasoning skills which can be applied to many domains of research and non-academic work. Additionally, you will have an understanding of the philosophical issues underlying cognitive science and neuroscience.

Employability

Students have gone on to find employment in the following areas: research, teaching, lecturing, consultancy, finance, and marketing.

For more detailed careers information please visit the department website.

Networking

There will be opportunities to network within the dedicated programme seminars, extracurricular talks such as the Experimental Psychology Seminars, ICN and LJDM seminars, and in many of the interdepartmental seminars that are arranged throughout the year.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, class presentations, practicals, statistical and computational experimental lab class work.

Assessment is primarily through coursework, essays, and the dissertation.

Each 15 credit module is roughly 150 hours. This time is made up of formal learning and teaching events such as lectures, seminars and tutorials, as well as independent study.

Teaching contact hours per module range from 20-30 hours per term. Upon the completion of your degree, overall physical/virtual teaching contact hours can range from 200-240 hours and this may include attending optional non-credit bearing seminars and educational events.

Modules

The programme consists of six compulsory modules covering core information including an introduction to cognitive science, programming and research statistics, as well as two optional modules, and a research dissertation.

Part-time students will take two years to complete this degree and will be expected to attend a minimum of two days a week for compulsory modules (Monday, Wednesday and/or Thursday). Term one requires attendance up to three days a week. You will also need to attend lectures for your optional module(s) which may mean that you are at university for an additional day or half-day. You will also be expected to devote extra time for private study. Please ensure that you have a minimum of two days per week off work for the whole year and not just during term time if you are working alongside your studies.

Work on the research project starts in the second year but you are encouraged to start considering your research interests in your first year.

By the end of two years, you will need to have completed six compulsory modules, two optional modules, and your dissertation.


Year One:

  • Term 1 (October-December): TWO compulsory modules (we encourage students to take PALS0049 Intermediate Statistics: Data analysis and visualisation with R in their first year)
  • Term 2 (January-March): ONE compulsory module
  • 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 One you will have completed: three compulsory modules and ideally one optional module.

Year Two:

  • Term 1: TWO compulsory modules
  • Term 2: ONE compulsory module
  • Term 3: Work on research project, due in mid-August.

By the end of Year Two you will have completed an additional three compulsory modules, TWO optional modules (in total over the two years), and your dissertation project.

Compulsory modules










Optional 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 are 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.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Cognitive and Decision Sciences.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £15,100 £7,550
Tuition fees (2024/25) £34,400 £17,200

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

There are no additional costs for this programme.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

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

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Cognitive and Decision Sciences at graduate level
  • Why you want to study Cognitive and Decision Sciences at UCL
  • 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.

Applications will be reviewed after the application closure deadline.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
Division of Psychology and Language Sciences

pgpsychadmissions@ucl.ac.uk

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