One year full-time or two years part-time
Two to three days/evenings a week full-time or one day/evening a week part-time
Other entry years for this course
Offered jointly by Birkbeck and UCL's Institute of Education, this Master's degree provides experience of both in-depth theory and hands-on research in the emerging area of educational neuroscience. It covers:
the critical appreciation of existing research and research methods
running a neuroimaging study
the biological basis of learning and development in children and its implications for the classroom
the relation between genes, brain and cognitive development
managing and reporting on an extended research project
subject-specific IT skills.
The MA is ideal for teachers, educational psychologists and policy-makers who wish to develop an in-depth understanding of contemporary education and neuroscience that can inform their continuing practice.
This course leads to a joint award from the UCL Institute of Education's Department of Psychology and Human Development and Birkbeck's Department of Psychological Sciences, and is taught across the two adjacent sites.
You will have the opportunity to interact with world-class researchers in developmental cognitive neuroscience, genetics, neuroimaging, education and cognitive development and learning, and to attend research seminars organised by Birkbeck, the Institute of Education and a number of other local research centres and institutes.
Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck were ranked fifth in the UK in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) and we achieved 100% for a research environment conducive to research of world-leading quality. Psychological research at Birkbeck has also ranked fifth in the world in a category of the Best Global Universities Rankings 2016, an important and influential index of research quality.
Full-time home/EU students: £9200 pa
Part-time international students: £7425 pa
Full-time international students: £14850 pa
Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their programme. Tuition fees for students continuing on their programme in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy.
At Birkbeck, almost all of our courses are taught in the evening and our teaching is designed to support students who are juggling evening study with work and other daytime commitments. We actively encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching, to ensure our students have the best learning experience. In the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the government’s system for rating university teaching, Birkbeck was allocated a Silver award.
Teaching may include formal lectures, seminars, and practical classes and tutorials. Formal lectures are used in most degree programmes to give an overview of a particular field of study. They aim to provide the stimulus and the starting point for deeper exploration of the subject during your own personal reading. Seminars give you the chance to explore a specific aspect of your subject in depth and to discuss and exchange ideas with fellow students. They typically require preparatory study.
Our distance-learning and blended-learning courses and modules are self-directed and we will provide you with interactive learning opportunities and encourage you to collaborate and engage via various learning technologies. These courses involve limited or no face-to-face contact between students and module tutors.
In addition, you will have access to pastoral support via a named Personal Tutor.
A combination of lectures, seminars, laboratory classes, independent study and project supervision.
On our taught courses, you will have scheduled teaching and study sessions each year. Alongside this, you will also undertake assessment activities and independent learning outside of class. Depending on the modules you take, you may also have additional scheduled academic activities, such as tutorials, dissertation supervision, practical classes, visits and fieldtrips.
On our taught courses, the actual amount of time you spend in the classroom and in contact with your lecturers will depend on your course, the option modules you select and when you undertake your final-year project.
On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, discussion, collaboration and interaction with your lecturers and fellow students are encouraged and enabled through various learning technologies, but you may have limited or no face-to-face contact with your module tutors.
Timetables are usually available from September onwards and you can access your personalised timetable via your My Birkbeck Profile online (if you have been invited to enrol).
Indicative class size
Class sizes vary, depending on your course, the module you are undertaking, and the method of teaching. For example, lectures are presented to larger groups, whereas seminars usually consist of small, interactive groups led by a tutor.
Independent learning
On our taught courses, much of your time outside of class will be spent on self-directed, independent learning, including preparing for classes and following up afterwards. This will usually include, but is not limited to, reading books and journal articles, undertaking research, working on coursework and assignments, and preparing for presentations and assessments.
Independent learning is absolutely vital to your success as a student. Everyone is different, and the study time required varies topic by topic, but, as a guide, expect to schedule up to five hours of self-study for each hour of teaching.
On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, the emphasis is very much on independent, self-directed learning and you will be expected to manage your own learning, with the support of your module tutors and various learning technologies.
Study skills and additional support
Birkbeck offers study and learning support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed. Our Learning Development Service can help you in the following areas:
academic skills (including planning your workload, research, writing, exam preparation and writing a dissertation)
written English (including structure, punctuation and grammar)
numerical skills (basic mathematics and statistics).
Our Disability and Dyslexia Service can support you if you have additional learning needs resulting from a disability or from dyslexia.
Our Counselling Service can support you if you are struggling with emotional or psychological difficulties during your studies.
Our Mental Health Advisory Service can support you if you are experiencing short- or long-term mental health difficulties during your studies.
Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and examinations, although this will vary from course to course - on some of our courses, assessment is entirely by coursework. The methods of assessment on this course are specified below under 'Methods of assessment on this course'. You will need to allow time to complete coursework and prepare for exams.
Where a course has unseen written examinations, these may be held termly, but, on the majority of our courses, exams are usually taken in the Summer term, during May to June. Exams may be held at other times of the year as well. In most cases, exams are held during the day on a weekday - if you have daytime commitments, you will need to make arrangements for daytime attendance - but some exams are held in the evening. Exam timetables are published online.
Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.
Six essays or equivalent written work of 2000-2500 words; statistics worksheets; one research presentation; one project dissertation of approximately 10,000 words.
Graduates go in to careers in psychology, education and policy development. Possible professions include child/youth psychologist or teacher. This degree can also be useful in becoming a special educational needs teacher, learning mentor, or youth worker.
We offer a comprehensive Careers and Employability Service to help you advance your career, while our in-house, professional recruitment consultancy, Birkbeck Talent, works with London’s top employers to help you gain work experience that fits in with your evening studies.
You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application.
Please complete a supplementary application form in addition to the online application. This must include a statement of your proposed research, focusing on the research expertise of at least one member of our academic staff, so that we can provide adequate supervision.
Birkbeck can give you all of the information and help you need to complete your application form.
Application deadlines and interviews
We recommend you apply as early as possible. Later applications may also be considered, subject to availability of places.