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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 (2026/27)
£16,800
£8,400
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£39,200
£19,600
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 27 Mar 2026

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

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 course 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

You will study at one of the world's best universities - UCL is ranked 9th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2026) and our research is pioneering. UCL is ranked first for research power in Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience by the UK’s most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), with more than two thirds of our research in these areas rated as world-leading (4*).

Key topics in this course 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.

Who this course is for

This course 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 course 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

Students have gone on to find employment in the following areas: research, teaching, lecturing, consultancy, finance, and marketing. 100% of graduates were either in work or further study within 15 months of completing their studies with an average salary of £54,820 (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022–2023). For more detailed information on graduate destinations, visit our department website.

Employability

On completion of the course, 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.

Networking

There will be opportunities to network within the dedicated course seminars, extracurricular talks such as the Experimental Psychology Seminars, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience seminars, London Judgment and Decision Making seminars, and in many of the interdepartmental seminars that are arranged throughout the year.

Teaching and learning

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

Assessment is primarily through coursework, in-class participation, essays, and the dissertation.

Teaching contact hours can range from 10-14 hours per week. This time is made up of formal learning and teaching events such as lectures, seminars and tutorials, as well as independent study.

Students will also display a level of independent study (25-30 hours per week), for example, by engaging with key topics and required readings in preparation for the discussions promoted in the course.

Modules

The course 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

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Cognitive and Decision Sciences MSc

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. During the session you'll get to hear from the programme Director and current students about the course structure, modules, career outcomes and UCL student life.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £16,800 £8,400
Tuition fees (2026/27) £39,200 £19,600

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course 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

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no further additional costs for this course.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

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 course of £90 for online 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 course
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this rigorous course
  • 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 course match what the course will deliver.

A vast majority of applications will be reviewed after the application closure deadline. Any applications which exceed our entry criteria may receive an early offer.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (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: 2026-2027

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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