Neuroscience BSc
London, Bloomsbury
This is the programme information for 2026 entry
If you require details of the previous year's programme, Neuroscience BSc (2025), click here
Explore the nervous system. Learn about the physiological mechanisms and anatomical organisation underlying thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Develop world-class skills in research, data analysis and problem-solving. Build your expertise in one of the most popular and impactful scientific disciplines with the help of pioneering academics at one of the world’s most influential centres for neuroscience.
Study mode
Duration
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
Programme starts
September 2026Application deadline
14 Jan 2026UCAS course code
Entry requirements
- Grades
- AAA
- Subjects
- Chemistry required plus one from Biology, Life and Health Sciences, Mathematics or Physics.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade B or 6.
Contextual offer information
- Grades
- AAB more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- AA must be in Chemistry and other science (Biology, Life and Health Sciences, Mathematics or Physics).
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade B or 6.
- Points
- 38
- Subjects
- A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects including Chemistry and one subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics, with no higher level score below 5. For Mathematics, the programme will accept either 'Analysis and Approaches' or 'Applications and Interpretation' at higher level.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 36 more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects including Chemistry and one subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics (both at grade 6), with no score below 5. For Mathematics, the programme will accept either 'Analysis and Approaches' or 'Applications and Interpretation' at higher level.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects. Chemistry required plus one from Biology, Physics or Mathematics
A,A,A at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher). Chemistry required at Advanced Higher plus one from Biology, Physics or Mathematics.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
International applications
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
Access and widening participation
UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates
The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.
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: ucl.ac.uk/upc.
English language requirements
The English language level for this programme is: Level 4
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Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Course overview
As an undergraduate neuroscientist at UCL, you’ll study in the UCL research department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology (NPP) – a pioneering university department embedded in a wider research community responsible for multiple Nobel Prize-winning discoveries that have shaped our understanding of the brain.
You’ll delve deep into the molecular and cellular mechanisms which allow neurons to compute information and communicate. You will explore how neurons form connections and circuits that give rise to complex behaviour and cognition. You’ll develop a multifaceted tool kit and build a cross-disciplinary understanding of the brain and nervous system.
From week one, UCL Neuroscience undergraduates receive expert tuition in neuroscience-specific modules. You'll benefit from practical lab experience and research-oriented teaching, interacting with leading researchers in NPP and in our world-renowned partner institutions, such as the Francis Crick Institute, the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit and Google DeepMind.
In the second year of the course, you’ll choose whether to pursue the three-year BSc, or continue onto the four-year integrated MSci programme (dependent on good first and second-year results).
Throughout your studies you will gain familiarity with cutting-edge research techniques such as optogenetics, two-photon microscopy and fMRI.
Through research projects, you’ll explore how memories are formed, how brain cell activity shapes behaviour, how your senses perceive the world, how the brain controls movement, speech and language, as well as causes of and novel treatments for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or schizophrenia.
The neuroscience degree programmes at UCL are taught by academics with the research background, specialist expertise and academic excellence to provide you with the high-class training you require to become a great scientist in your own right.
What this course will give you
- Study at UCL, one of the top 10 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings), ranked 1st in the UK for research power in psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience according to the most recent Research Excellence Framework analysis (REF 2021).
- Gain first-hand insight into globally significant research underway in areas like systems neuroscience, computational neuroscience and neuropharmacology.
- Shape your studies to explore the aspects of neuroscience that most interest you, choosing from a wide array of optional modules in years 3 and 4 including The Neural Basis of Motivation and Learning, The Neurobiology of Brain Injury and Disease, Psychopharmacology, and Integrative Systems Neuroscience.
- Take advantage of opportunities to work with prestigious research groups and gain hands-on experience in top laboratories in the faculties of Life Sciences and Brain Sciences, and with our partner institutes including at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, the Francis Crick Institute, the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI), the Institute of Ophthalmology, the Institute of Child Health and Google DeepMind.
- Leave well equipped to pursue a PhD, or to take any number of highly skilled roles in the healthcare, biotech or pharmaceutical industries. Graduates from the Neuroscience BSc/MSci programme frequently gain places in top postgraduate master’s and PhD programmes world-wide.
Teaching and learning
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).
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. 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.
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In Year 1, you’ll take compulsory modules across a range of interrelated scientific disciplines (including 45 credits of specific neuroscience modules).
In Year 2, you’ll take 75 credits of compulsory modules, and 45 credits of optional modules.
In Year 3, your final year, you’ll complete either an extended experimental project or an advanced library project, along with 75-90 credits of optional modules.
You’ll have the opportunity to transfer to the four-year MSci Neuroscience programme at the end of Year 2, subject to meeting the relevant requirements.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Your learning
You’ll build your neuroscience knowledge and skills through lectures, tutorials, workshops, self-guided study, and practical classes.
Practical lab experience is an important part of studying science at UCL. You’ll spend a substantial amount of time working in the lab throughout your studies, helping prepare you for your final year research project.
Contact hours with teaching staff for the neuroscience degree programmes typically exceed 20 hours per week. In your first year of study, these hours will consist of lectures (typically around 15 hours per week), practical sessions, tutorials and workshops (typically around 5 hours per week). The exact number of contact hours and composition varies throughout the degree programme and will depend on the module choices you make. In addition to the timetabled sessions, students are expected to undertake approximately 15-20 hours of independent study per week.
Final year BSc students can expect to spend approximately one to two days per week working on their research projects, while final year MSci students can expect to spend two to three days per week on their research projects, in addition to research team meetings and taught modules.
Assessment
Your progress and achievements will typically be assessed through a combination of examinations and coursework (assessment methods used may vary, depending on the optional and elective modules you select).
Final-year projects are assessed through a written dissertation and an oral presentation.
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.
Visit us
Online - Open day
Neuroscience information video
Watch this video to find out more about Neuroscience at UCL, including entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.
The foundation of your career
As a Neuroscience BSc graduate, you can pursue a wide range of career and study options. 92% of BSc graduates were in further study (e.g. PhD, MRes or Postgraduate medicine) or full-time work 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Surveys 2019-2022). Employment destinations for BSc students included research positions in academia or industry, as well as jobs in consultancy (e.g. Accenture), finance (e.g. The Bank of England), and healthcare (NHS).
Your skills are sought across a wide range of industries, and the programme’s flexibility also provides the ideal launchpad for developing your own enterprise projects or start-up.
Employability
Studying neuroscience will open up a wide range of career options, for graduates of both the BSc and the MSci. In addition to advanced subject knowledge and specialist skills, both programmes provide a wide array of transferable skills which will serve you well in any profession. You’ll be trained in solving complex problems, data collection, programming (optional), analysis and effective communication.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
| Fee description | Full-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2025/26) | £9,535 |
| Tuition fees (2025/26) | £36,500 |
Fees are for Undergraduate 2025/26 entry and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases and are subject to the passing of secondary legislation. Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2025/26 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
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
You’ll need to purchase a lab coat, costing approximately £10-£20.
You may also be asked to purchase some reagents for a first-year chemistry practical project, costing approximately £5-£10.
The UCL library provides copies of all course textbooks – however, some students find it useful to purchase their own copies.
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 £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. 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 your studies
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.
Scholarships
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.
Next steps
Your application
We’re looking for students who are intelligent, hardworking and have a deep interest in neuroscience. Most of our applicants attain excellent grades; we select students who have a clear understanding of what neuroscience is and demonstrate a passion to learn more.
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.
If we have made you an offer, you will be invited to attend an offer-holder event. This may include talks from staff about the programme and the department. It could also include a research presentation, tours of UCL and the department, and a visit to a laboratory facility. If you apply by the main UCAS deadline and meet, or are predicted to meet, all of our academic and individual requirements (including being able to demonstrate a good understanding of what this specialised subject entails), you will receive an offer of a place (either conditional or unconditional).
Got questions? Get in touch
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