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Translational Neuroscience MRes

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2026/27 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Translational Neuroscience MRes (2025/26), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

Full-time

UK tuition fees (2026/27)

£16,800

Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)

£42,700

Duration

1 academic year

Programme starts

September 2026

Applications accepted

Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 27 Mar 2026

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

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

A medical degree (MBBS) or a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in life or biomedical sciences (for example, neuroscience, pharmacology or chemistry) or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this course is: Level 1

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

The programme is delivered by the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, a specialist postgraduate institute and a worldwide centre of excellence in clinical research (REF 2021) across neurological diseases, including movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson's disease), multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, neuro-inflammation, epilepsy, stroke, Huntington disease, cognitive dysfunction, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Targeting all areas of translational neuroscience, you will engage with and enhance your understanding of the phases of drug development, pre-clinical to clinical research, with a particular focus on “First-in-Human” and early phase clinical trials, study designs and endpoints, biomarkers and safety assessments in clinical trials, principles of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacovigilance, research governance, medical statistics and the fundamental principles for using the correct use of enabling technologies within the context of medical research and drug development (e.g. genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, clinical study designs, biomarkers, imaging, electrophysiology, etc).

Who this course is for

We welcome applications from prospective students who meet our entry requirements, biology-related graduates and/or professionals working in the field of clinical trials.

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

What this course will give you

By the end of the programme students will gain a thorough understanding of the challenges involved in setting up research projects, and learn how to design, implement, analyse and report clinical studies. Undertaking an extended piece of primary research alongside internationally recognised researchers is particularly attractive to students wishing to pursue doctoral or clinical research. The focus on translational neurology, from within the specialist research setting of the University College London Hospital Clinical Research Facility and the UCL Institute of Neurology Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre, is also of note.

Students will be taught by experts in the field and have the opportunity to network with internationally recognised opinion leaders in neurology and neurodegeneration. A list of researchers you can work with can be obtained by contacting our Education team.

You will study in the internationally renowned UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (REF 2021) and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London.

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

The foundation of your career

The programme is designed to cater to graduates in medicine and biomedical sciences who wish to gain valuable training in clinical research before embarking on a clinical PhD programme, medical training, or professional work in clinical trials. The successful completion of the MRes may also enhance opportunities for graduates to enter medical school or for MBBS graduates to progress to specialist medical training. 94% of all graduates were either in full-time work or further study within 15 months of graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020–23).

Employability

Whatever your chosen career pathway, the MRes in Translational Neuroscience will equip graduates to either get a first step on the ladder, change career directions or help them become more experienced with a specific expertise. Graduates gain expertise in areas like experimental design, data analysis, and specialized neuroscience research techniques. This course prepares students for careers in research, clinical settings, or further doctoral studies.

Networking

The Queen Square Institute of Neurology is home to some of the world's most influential academics. By studying with us, students will have the opportunity to be part of the next generation of experts in neuroscience and we offer a wealth of scientific and clinical expertise, from laboratory benches through to patient care.

Many of our lecturers are also NHS consultants working at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery which is a leading centre for the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with a wide range of neurological conditions.

Teaching and learning

The programme will combine lectures, workshops and tutorials. Lectures will focus on the role of surrogate markers and emerging technologies in drug development e.g. preclinical discovery, first-time-in-man studies, and early phase clinical trials in healthy volunteers and patients.

Assessment is through short answer unseen examinations, coursework, presentations and a dissertation.

Typical contact hours for our students are around 12 hours per week. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time 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 programme.

Modules

: The programme consists of three core modules (60 credits), and a dissertation/report (120 credits).

Compulsory modules

Experimental Neurology

Research Integrity and Governance

Research Methods and Introduction to Statistics

Research Project: MRes Translational Neuroscience

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 MRes in Translational Neuroscience.

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

26 February 2026

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Introduction to Clinical Neuroscience, Neuroimaging and Dementia (PM)

17:00 — 18:00

Welcome to the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and our suite of Masters programmes. During the session you'll get to hear from the programme Directorship about the Institute as well as a showcase of our flagship programmes: MSc Clinical Neuroscience, MSc Advanced Neuroimaging, MSc Dementia: from Neuroscience to Clinical Practice. We'll discuss the course structure and modules for each, career outcomes and life as a student in the department, UCL and London more widely.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£16,800
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£42,700

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

International students will bear any costs incurred in acquiring certification equivalent to DBS (Police check) in their home country. These checks are necessary for any student who undertakes a clinical project based at University College London Hospitals.

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

The UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology offers a number of scholarships for postgraduate taught students. For further information and to apply visit our scholarship page.

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.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

Why you want to study Translational Neuroscience at graduate level
Why you want to study Translational Neuroscience at UCL
What particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
How your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging 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. Applicants who have a portfolio are strongly recommended to submit it when they apply.

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.

This course only requires one reference in support of your application. Your reference should be academic unless you have been out of university education for more than four years. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.