Neuroscience BSc

A Levels

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

International applications

In addition to A level and International Baccalaureate, UCL considers a wide range of international qualifications for entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.

Select a countryAlbaniaAlgeriaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBruneiBulgariaCambodiaCameroonCanadaCaribbean / West IndiesChileChina (People's Republic)ColombiaCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprus (Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities)Czech RepublicDenmarkDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEstoniaEuropean BaccalaureateFijiFinlandFranceGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGuatemalaHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKosovoKuwaitLatviaLebanonLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaltaMauritiusMexicoMoldovaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorwayOmanPakistanPanamaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaSaudi ArabiaSerbia SingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSri LankaSudanSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwan (Republic of China)TajikistanTanzaniaThailandTrinidad & TobagoTunisiaTurkey (including Turkish sector of Cyprus)TurkmenistanUgandaUkraineUnited Arab Emirates (UAE)United States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVenezuelaVietnamZambiaZimbabwe

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

UCL Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPCs) are intensive one-year foundation courses for international students of high academic potential who are aiming to gain access to undergraduate degree programmes at UCL and other top UK universities.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: www.ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency. Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

The English language level for this programme is: Advanced

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

• Statistics:

  92% overall student satisfaction 2018 NSS.

  Unlike similar programmes, UCL students begin their study of Neuroscience and scientific practice in the first week of the first year.

• As world leading practitioners of research based teaching, having over 1500 Neuroscientists, we bring the best research minds from UCL, the Crick, the Sainsbury’s Wellcome Centre and the Gatsby to teach our BSc and MSci students.

• We are very proud that the department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology has been home to 5 Nobel Prize winners over the years and many more major research based breakthroughs in the exciting field of Neuroscience.

• Our third and fourth year students are able to choose their own research topics and to lead that research in a working lab.

  Become part of the close knit UCL Neuroscience community thanks to our matrix style student support network and active student society.

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

The first year consists of introductory compulsory modules that will provide a secure foundation for future work and study. Taking modules alongside other students in the UCL Faculties of Life Sciences and Brain Sciences will give you insight into related disciplines. Further core and optional modules in your second year will prepare you for the third year, in which you will select specialised options to suit your interests. We provide 25 Neuroscience-specific advanced modules on offer for year 3 and 4 Neuroscience students, all taught by top Neuroscientists. They cover all areas, including computational, molecular/cellular, systems, behavioural/cognitive and clinical Neuroscience. Examples include Neural Basis of Motivation and Learning, Pain, Neurobiology of Brain Injury and Disease and Cellular Basis of Brain Function, but there are many more.

You will have the opportunity to transfer to the MSci programme at the end of year two, this is conditional to your marks in year 1 and 2. Transferring into the MSci programme will extend your degree programme to four years.

In the third year of the programme you will be able to join an existing research team in a UCL department or institute to conduct original research, guided by a supervisor. You can choose to do either a lab-based or a literature-based research project and will be able to select your topic and supervisor from the large pool of 450 PIs doing Neuroscience research at UCL.

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Neuroscience.

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 is subject to change.

Your learning

Your teaching and learning will include lectures, tutorials, workshops and practical classes. Most Neuroscience-specific modules throughout your degree are taught in relatively small groups, while some are shared with students on other programmes in larger groups. Practical classes play an important role throughout your studies and prepare you for your research project in the final year.

Assessment

You will normally take a written examination at the end of the academic year in each of your modules; coursework counts for up to 30% of your marks. Coursework prepares you for the final exam and trains you in a variety of writing tasks e.g. essays, lab reports and scientific publications. Some modules are examined by invigilated online tests throughout the year. Your final-year project will involve a written dissertation and an oral presentation.

Detailed course descriptions are available on the department website: Neuroscience BSc.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

This programme will develop your literacy, data literacy and analysis, and critical thinking skills, as well as the opportunity to hone your skills in written and verbal communication. These transferable skills allow you to pursue any career of your choice. Our students have successfully secured positions in a variety of highly sought-after fields and professions.

Whilst we have many students who pursue a career in neuroscience research, many choose to use the skills that they have learnt at UCL in other sectors. Our alumni can be found in journalism, the diplomatic services, the civil service, pharmaceutical companies, start ups, finance and more.

UCL BSc alumni can also be found in science policy, public policy, publishing, law, journalism, the diplomatic services, the civil service and other high-profile careers outside the classroom or laboratory.

UCL is commited to helping you get the best start after graduation. Read more about how UCL Careers and UCL Innovation and Enterprise can help you find employment or learn about entrepreneurship.

Tuition fees

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2020/21 academic year. The UK/EU fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2020/21 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

UK/EU students

£9,250 (2020/21)

Overseas students

£26,490 (2020/21)

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

Departmental scholarships

Funding opportunities relevant to the department may appear in this section when they are available. Please check carefully or confirm with the programme contact to ensure they apply to this degree programme.

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.