Neuroscience MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Get ready for an academic career in neuroscience, with a comprehensive research master’s from one of the most highly ranked neuroscience research institutions in Europe.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£24,100
£12,050
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£39,800
£19,900
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences, life sciences or related subject area, or a medical degree (MBBS), or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants with an appropriate professional qualification and relevant work experience may also apply.

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

You’ll explore topics and conduct research across the different realms of this fascinating field, finding out about brain development and neurodegeneration. You’ll learn how the brain works at a molecular level, how it interacts with our behaviour, and how it integrates with the nervous system and other bodily processes.

Over the past 25 years, this celebrated Neuroscience MSc has kickstarted the careers of successive generations of neuroscientists. You'll find graduates of this programme conducting research in the world’s finest neuroscience facilities, or teaching right here at UCL.

Most of the graduates from this programme progress onto fully-funded doctoral study. 

Who this course is for

This programme is ideal for any graduates wishing to start a research career in neuroscience, with a broad base of medical, biological and cognitive perspectives that will foster a multidisciplinary approach.
 

What this course will give you

Designed and delivered by leading academics from the Faculty of Life Sciences, the Faculty of Brain Sciences and the Faculty of Medical Sciences, this course will enable you to become a well-rounded multidisciplinary neuroscientist.  


What you will gain from this course:  

  • Study at the UCL Division of Biosciences, one of the world’s leading centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences. UCL is ranked 9th in the world for Life and Medical Sciences (QS rankings 2024). 
  • Build multidisciplinary expertise in the intersecting fields of biological, clinical and cognitive neuroscience.
  • Develop your ability to critically analyse and synthesise persuasive technical arguments, with our weekly Journal Club session and opportunities to contribute to published research.
  • Spend half the course on taught modules, learning about developmental and circuit neuroscience, receptors and synaptic signalling.
  • Spend the other half of the programme gaining hands-on clinical and research experience, working as a fully-fledged member of a world-leading research group to complete your self-directed research project.
  • Complete your research project in any of the 450 neuroscience laboratories around UCL, including laboratories at our satellite institutions such as the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre or the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit.
  • Access specialist clinical expertise through collaborations with the UCL Dementia Research Centre, home to more than 750 researchers.
  • Choose between optional modules in cognitive systems neuroscience and the neurobiology of degeneration and repair.
  • Benefit from studying within the Faculty of Life Sciences, as part of a postgraduate community that’s been associated with several Nobel Laureates

The foundation of your career

Around 80% of our students progress to a PhD. After doctoral study, you could choose to stay in academia or progress onto a senior leadership role in the biomedical industries. If you decide not to pursue a PhD, you will find yourself well positioned for a great number of exciting roles in areas like healthcare, commercial scientific research or education.

Graduates have gone on to work with IBM, Imperial College London, IQVIA and the NHS.

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2019-20, 2020-21 cohorts    

Employability

As well as an entry point for a research career in neuroscience, this master’s will equip you with scientific methodologies, skills and processes that are highly valued in almost any academic or industrial environment requiring a quantitative approach.

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and build professional contacts as part of your master’s.  

  • Take part in the annual UCL Neuroscience Conference, and present your work in front of one of the largest neuroscience research communities in the world.
  • Attend the MSc Neuroscience ‘Finding A PhD’ session at the outset of the course, and absorb the perspectives of UCL PhD programme directors and doctoral researchers to help you plan your route to doctoral studies.
  • Take part in careers events through UCL Careers, and enhance your CV writing and interview skills.  
  • Immerse yourself in a diverse culture of neuroscience research and build professional relationships with your peers and leading senior investigators.

Teaching and learning

Knowledge in neuroscience will be facilitated through lectures, tutorial-style journal club groups, and self-directed learning using published articles, web-based information sources and databases and completion of taught module assessments. The research project and preparation of the dissertation develop writing skills, self-directed learning and critical analysis of research literature.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and a laboratory project. Student performance is evaluated through formal examination, coursework, and the research project.

This 180-credit programme requires 1800 hours of study spread over the academic year.

The taught modules (90 credits) typically provide 10-15% contact hours during terms one and two. This would be in lectures and small-group classes. The remaining self-directed study time would involve preparation, revision and the production of materials for assessment.

For the 90-credit research project, the project is two to three days until Easter and then almost full-time until the dissertation submission in late August. Overall the project typically comprises 10-15% direct contact time. Each project is supervised by one or more experienced laboratory members, and the direct contact hours will vary with the nature and phase of the project.

In the beginning, there will be more supervisory contact and as your independence increases this will reduce. The contact is likely to take the form of research group discussions, meetings with group leaders, impromptu discussions with other experienced laboratory members, direct one-to-one training in laboratory techniques, and the preparation of presentations and posters.

Towards the end, contact hours will increase to support your preparation and writing of the dissertation. For students taking the part-time programme, the project hours will be similar but they can be spread more flexibly during year two.

Approximately 8-12 contact hours a week during term time, 35-50 hours per week total study time (including self-study). The contact time may rise to 30-35 hours per week during the full-time project work with the self-study time reducing accordingly.

Modules

In terms one and two you will study core and optional taught modules covering synaptic, developmental, systems, sensory, neurodegenerative and cognitive neuroscience. 

The ‘Journal Club Module’, is small-group based, critical analysis of published papers and runs in parallel with the lecture modules. 

The research project runs throughout the whole year, part-time until Easter and then almost full time until the dissertation submission in the second half of August. The project is assessed in September.
 

Part-time students generally take all the taught modules in the first year and do the project in the second year. Attendance for part-time students is approximately two days per week.

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 Neuroscience.

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 Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £24,100 £12,050
Tuition fees (2025/26) £39,800 £19,900

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

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders 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.

Students will not face any additional costs

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 £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. 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

Previous students have benefitted from the DeepMind Scholarship. Information regarding this scholarship will be posted on the following page: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lifesciences-faculty/study/funding-and-scholarships

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

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 26 June 2025
Value: Tuition fees plus £16,000 stipend ()
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

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. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • What particularly attracts you to study this programme at UCL
  • How your academic, personal 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.

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: 2025-2026

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.