Overview

Overview

This MsC is provided jointly by the Department of Psychology and the York Neuroimaging Centre (YNiC), and recruits contributing faculty from other university departments such as The Hull-York Medical School. The overarching aim of the MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at York is to provide a bridge between undergraduate study and PhD research in cognitive neuroscience, experimental psychology and imaging methods.

The course has been developed around training and research using neuroimaging techniques, and the experimental and analytical methods on which they depend. Through our specialist modules students are introduced the principles of neuroimaging, gaining hands on experience in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG), eletroencephalography (EEG) or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), learning how to design, analyze and evaluate neuroimaging experiments, and how such experiments are contributing to our understanding of the brain mechanisms underppining cognition and behaviour. Along the way, students also receive training on generic statistical, writing and research skills, and are exposed to main research topics in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Finally, students complete an extended empirical project, typically using a neuroimaging technique of their choice. The empirical project is supported by the state-of-the-art facilities at YNiC, and more recently, by facilities associated with the Centre for Hyperpolarisation in MRI (CHyM).

What is cognitive neuroscience?

Cognitive neuroscience aims to explain cognitive processes and behaviour in terms of their underlying brain mechanisms. It is a truly interdisciplinary subject which developed through collaborations between cognitive psychology, neuroscience, neurology, computer science and philosophy.

Practitioners take the view that knowledge about the fundamental mechanisms of the nervous system can lead to a deeper understanding of complex mental functions such as memory, language, emotion, perception, attention and consciousness. While modern psychology focuses on understanding the structure of the mind through behavioural experiments, parallel advances in basic neuroscience have centred mainly on cellular and molecular mechanisms of the brain.

Over the last quarter of a century, progress in both areas has led to an increasing overlap between these fields, and the emergence of functional neuroimaging techniques has helped to fuel the growth of a new discipline in which data from neuroscience informs psychological theories and vice versa. Increasingly psychologists and neuroscientists are asking the same kinds of question.

To put it simply: how does the brain think?

Content

Programme Structure

Term one 50 credits	Term two 50 credits	Term three & summer 80 credits
Research Design and Statistics 20 credits	Research Design in Neuroimaging 20 credits	Empirical Project 80 credits (MSc Pathway) OR Literature Review 20 credits (Diploma Pathway)
Basic Principles in Neuroimaging 10 credits	Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience 20 credits
Data Acquisition and Analysis in Neuroimaging 10 credits	Transferable skills 10 credits
Topics in Psychological Research  10 credits

Specialist modules

Specialist modules place neuroimaging in the wider context of cognitive neuroscientific research and introduce students to the principles of neuroimaging the design of neuroimaging experiments and specialist methods required for the analysis of neuroimaging data. These include:

• Basic principles in neuroimaging
  

Introduces students to the basic principles that underlie the signals measured in fMRI and MEG

• Data Acquisition and Analysis in Neuroimaging 
  

Provides a practical understanding of how neuroimaging can be applied to different areas of experimental psychology.

• Research design in neuroimaging
  

Provides an understanding of issues of design and analysis which are specific to neuroimaging studies. The aim is to stimulate critical thinking about experimental design and hypothesis testing in neuroimaging.

• Topics in cognitive neuroscience
  

Demonstrates how neuroimaging has contributed to our understanding of different areas of psychology and shows how neuroimaging techniques complement other methods in cognitive neuroscience.

Empirical project

Project enables students to participate in the design and implementation of a theoretically-motivated piece of pure or applied research in cognitive neuroscience providing hands-on training in advanced brain imaging methods, some of which are being developed at York (e.g., hyperpolarisation). Topics are chosen so as to be timely and practicable within the relevant resource and time constraints. We regard it as important that the topic not only engages the interest and enthusiasm of the student, but is also a good match to the specialist expertise and knowledge of the supervisor.

Many of our students' projects are published. Each year we offer projects on a wide variety of topics linked to faculty research interests. For example students have used fMRI to investigate the processing of emotional and social cues, representation of semantic knowledge in the brain, disruption of visual cortex in patients with macular degeneration and brain mechanisms underpinning language understanding, face processing, number processing or anxiety and risky behaviour. Students have also used MEG and TMS to investigate brain mechanisms of memory for words and pictures, connectivity patterns between brain regions and auditory perception. Some of these projects are methodological in nature in that they aim to study the analytical strategies to apply in brain research, or they aim to develop the use of new imaging methods such as hyperpolarisation or combined techniques (recordings in animals and human testing).

• Examples of published projects
• Previous project topics and supervisors

General research modules

These provide a solid grounding in contemporary issues in psychology and neuroscience, psychological research methods, professional and generic skills.

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a variety of different assignments and exams including practical reports, essays, multiple choice questions, critical analysis of published papers, short notes on a range of topics, dissertation on the Empirical Project, poster presentation.

Timetables

New timetables are created every year. Example of a typical timetable for the Autumn term can be found here. Please note that students are expected to read relevant material and complete exercises every week, as this is a full time course.

Course team

• Tom Hartley
  BSc, PhD
• Tim Andrews
  BSc, PhD
• Silvia Gennari
  BSc, MA, PhD (Course director)
  
• Piers Cornelissen
  BA, BM BCh, DPhil

The course team is supported by members of faculty and YNiC staff who supervise projects  and contribute to specialist lectures.

Admissions

Admissions

An online application form is available via Student Recruitment and Admissions. To apply to join the MSc Cognitive Neuroscience programme at the University of York you must meet the entry requirements described below.

If you have any questions about the course, please contact the course director, Silvia Gennari.

Entry requirements

A degree or equivalent qualification, normally in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, Computer Science, Engineering or a related numerate discipline, and normally at the level of an upper second class honours award. Admissions decisions are made primarily on the basis of information provided on the graduate application form including whether the applicant has familiarity with issues in experimental psychology and its applications; applicants are not normally interviewed. For overseas applicants who do not have English as a first language, the minimum requirement is an IELTS score of 6.5, or a TOEFL score of 600 (96 computer version), or a Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English score of B. Higher scores may be required of applicants with atypical academic qualifications.

Admissions procedures

Applications must be made through the Online Application System. There is no formal deadline for applications, and applications are normally considered as they arrive. Places on the course may be limited by available resources. It is therefore recommended that you apply as early as possible.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds of applicants

This challenging but rewarding course will best suit applicants who are:

• Interested in the brain and its workings (see What is cognitive neuroscience? in the overview)
• Interested in Psychology as a biological science
• Considering a career in research, especially in psychology, cognitive Neuroscience or imaging methods (many other career choices would be compatible with the general scientific, academic and professional training you will receive as part of the course)
• Comfortable with computers and statistics

You will also need a good undergraduate degree in a relevant subject and (for non-native speakers) a good level of English language (see Admissions for minimum academic and language requirements).

If you have a more general interest in experimental psychology, or specific interests in the fields of reading, language, development or forensic psychology, you may be better suited to one of our other Masters courses (Master of Research in Psychology, MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology). It is possible to apply for more than one programme.

Destinations

Destinations of our graduates

Well over half of our graduates go on to PhDs in neuroimaging, psychology or neuropsychology. Most others opt for research and clinical assistantships to gain further experience before undertaking a PhD or training in Clinical Psychology. In both cases, the distinctive skills they gain through the MSc are highly sought after.

Other career options include business, industry, academia and administration.

Here are some destination statistics calculated over a total of 107 students we have taught so far:

Destinations	Percentage of students
Research PhD	60
Research Assistant, Researcher	9
Clinical Training, Clinical Doctorate	5
Other work	4
Assistant Psychologist	2
Other further Study	2

Studentships

Medical Research Council studentships for specialization in Biomedical Imaging

Applications are now being accepted for two MRC-funded MSc studentships in Cognitive Neuroscience with specialization in biomedical Imaging.

Researchers at the Psychology Department, the York Neuroimaging Centre and the Centre for Hyperpolarization are pioneering several new brain imaging and analysis techniques including hyperpolarized MRI/fMRI, source-imaged steady state EEG and MEG and measures of cortical connectivity.

Studentship holders will follow the course syllabus and will receive specific research training on the biomedical imaging techniques being developed at York. Researchers involved in these projects include Professors Gary Green, Simon Duckett, Tony Morland, Alex Wade and Dr. Heidi Baseler.

Applicants must have a first or upper-second class degree in a physical or biological science. Students with a background in computer science, physics, chemistry, engineering and mathematics are encouraged to apply. Applications will be judged solely on academic merit but must satisfy MRC eligibility criteria.

The studentships will cover fees plus annual living expenses in accordance with standard MRC rates.

Applications should be made via the online application system. Please, indicate that you would like to be considered for the studentships. The allocation of studentships will involve a selection procedure independent of the standard procedure to be admitted to the course.

MRC eligibility criteria can be found here

Other Studentships

The department usually has studentships available for suitable candidates, more information is given on the Studentships page.