MSc Cognitive Brain Imaging: The University of Manchester

Course description

The MSc in Cognitive Brain Imaging is aimed at graduates with scientific training (e.g. in physics, computer science, mathematics, medicine, psychology, neuroscience, pharmacology, engineering etc) who are interested in a career where brain imaging forms a major focus or where the scientific and technological needs of brain imaging are addressed.

This field draws on diverse areas of scientific expertise and ultimately depends on effective communication between these areas. Therefore, the course aims to provide a unique environment in which students from these contrasting backgrounds  can work together in a way that reflects the collaborations they will contribute to in the future, and in which they can readily acquire the multidisciplinary skills needed.

The course content is designed specifically to provide the student with the skills (theoretical and practical) required to carry out high-quality cognitive brain imaging work in healthy individuals and in patient populations. Issues relating to the optimisation of fMRI and EEG data acquisition and analysis will be explored with a particular focus on the cross-talk between the physics of the scanning environment, the psychology of the experimental design and the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the human brain.

In addition, the course offers an in-depth grounding in cognitive, social, behavioural and clinical neuroscience theory and offers the opportunity to be directly involved in both EEG and fMRI research. Graduating students will be ideally placed to make major contributions to research and technological development within the brain imaging area.

Career opportunities

The MSc in Cognitive Brain Imaging will prepare students for a career path in scientific and clinical research and academia as it provides the ideal platform from which to proceed to doctoral work involving brain imaging.

The course also provides clear career paths in specialist software and hardware industries and in specialist sections of the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, the course offers a high-level specialisation relevant for students and graduates of medicine.

Entry requirements:

An honours degree(minimum 2:1) or overseas equivalent in a science subject (physics, neuroscience, maths, engineering, psychology, medicine or computer science). Each case will be judged on an individual basis.

All applicants must also submit a separate personal statement (not over 300 words) detailing their reasons for applying and how this programme fits in with their long term career plans.