Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience
Psychology with cognitive neuroscience brings together the scientific study of mind and behaviour with the emerging field that seeks to understand those phenomena in terms of brain function. Psychology examines perception, memory, attention, emotion, social behaviour, and individual differences, using experimental methods and theory to build knowledge about how and why people think and act as they do. Cognitive neuroscience extends that inquiry into the biological substrate, asking how neural processes give rise to cognitive functions, what brain imaging and other neuroscientific tools can tell us about the mind, and what happens to thought and behaviour when the brain is damaged or diseased.
At the University of Essex, this four-year programme, which includes an optional placement year or year abroad to extend the standard three-year degree, gives you a thorough grounding in both psychology and cognitive neuroscience. You will study the core areas of psychology, including social, developmental, cognitive, and clinical psychology, alongside training in the methods and theories of cognitive neuroscience. You will develop strong skills in experimental design, statistical analysis, and the critical evaluation of evidence, and you will engage with the neuroscientific tools and frameworks that are reshaping how we understand the brain and cognition.
The typical entry tariff is 120 UCAS points.
Graduates of psychology with cognitive neuroscience are well placed for careers in clinical psychology, neuropsychology, cognitive rehabilitation, research, and the growing field of human-computer interaction and UX. The British Psychological Society's graduate membership, which the degree supports, is the standard first step towards chartered psychologist status. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, clinical psychology, or related disciplines, building on the strong scientific and empirical training the undergraduate degree provides.