Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience

Psychology and cognitive neuroscience brings together two disciplines that are increasingly inseparable in modern brain science. Psychology provides the theoretical frameworks and behavioural methods for understanding how people think, feel, perceive, and act. Cognitive neuroscience asks how these mental processes are implemented in the brain: how neural circuits give rise to perception, attention, memory, language, decision-making, and consciousness.

Together they address the mind-brain relationship from multiple levels of analysis, from the synaptic to the behavioural, combining the experimental rigour of neuroscience with the conceptual richness of psychological theory.

At the University of Nottingham, this three-year full-time programme explores human cognition and its neural underpinnings, developing your understanding of both the psychological and neurobiological dimensions of mental life. You will study core areas of psychological science alongside the anatomy and physiology of the brain, neuroimaging methods, and the cognitive neuroscience of specific mental processes including perception, memory, attention, language, and emotion. Research methods and statistics are central to the programme, and you will develop practical skills in experimental design, data analysis, and the interpretation of neuroimaging and behavioural data.

A foundation year is available for students who want additional preparation before entering the main degree.

With a typical entry tariff of 152 UCAS points, this degree attracts students with strong scientific curiosity about the brain and behaviour. The degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society, giving graduates the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership needed for professional training in applied psychology. Graduates pursue careers in clinical and health psychology, neuroscience research, human factors and ergonomics, user experience, mental health services, academia, and the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Many continue to doctoral research in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, or clinical training in an applied psychological specialty.