Neuroscience

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Are you wondering how thoughts and emotions arise in the nerve cells in the brain? Do you want to use a wide range of methods from the natural sciences to investigate how the brain works, and what goes wrong when disease occurs? If so, NTNU's interdisciplinary MSc in Neuroscience is the right choice for you.

Why study Neuroscience? One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to understand how mental activity arises in the brain. What is the neural basis for psychological phenomena like thoughts, emotions, ideas, memories and problem-solving? These questions have interested humans for thousands of years, but the methods and technologies necessary to be able to provide the answers have only evolved during the last few decades. Neuroscience technology is developing rapidly, and progress in gene technology, electronics and data processing now allows researchers to relate microscopic activity in individual cells and cell populations directly to mental activity and disease.

This development not only lays the foundation for a better understanding of human cognition, but also contributes to preventing and treating diseases of the nervous system. Disorders of the nervous system are among the most common reasons for hospitalization in Norway. About 30 percent of the population will be struck by some disturbance in the brain, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, schizophrenia, depression, multiple sclerosis or chronic pain disorders. As many of these disorders are age-related, the number of affected individuals will increase due to the rising proportion of elderly people in the population.

About the programme of study Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary research field, including disciplines such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, physics and psychology. Neuroscientific problems and hypotheses are explored in different research groups at NTNU, through studies of humans, animal models and biochemical systems. This is also reflected in the wide range of available master's thesis projects.

The international MSc programme in Neuroscience at NTNU is the first of its kind in Norway, and it offers a comprehensive and coherent graduate education in Neuroscience. The programme is the result of cooperation between the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology and Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management. It is embedded in strong research programmes in Neuroscience, as for example the Norwegian Centre of Excellence on the Biology of Memory and the recently established Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience. In addition, the MSc programme builds on strong clinical research into major neurological and psychiatric disorders, for instance the Norwegian National Headache Centre. The international character of the programme is reflected in established collaborations with other master's programmes, including that of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.

The MSc in Neuroscience is a two-year, full-time programme starting in the autumn semester (mid-August). There are two main components:

* Master's thesis (60 ECTS credits)
* Theoretical and methodological courses (totalling 60 ECTS credits). Five courses, making up 37.5 credits, are compulsory. The remaing courses, adding up to 22.5 credits, are selected from a list of electives. Ideally, electives should be linked to the master's thesis.

Compulsory Courses

* NEVR3001 Basic Neuroscience 7.5 ECTS credits
* NEVR3002 Systems Neuroscience 7.5 ECTS credits
* NEVR3003 Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience 7.5 ECTS credits
* NEVR3004 Neural Networks 7.5 ECTS credits
* Experts in Teamwork 7.5 ECTS credits

Experts in Teamwork is a compulsory course for all masters' students at NTNU. It is part of NTNU's interdisciplinary initiative. The objective of the course is to give students practical experience with interdisciplinary teamwork a competence that is needed in professional working life. It is taught intensively in week 2, 3 and 4 in the spring semester.

Elective Courses

The elective courses which are given in the academic year 2014/2015 are listed in the programme description in the menu on the right-hand side of this page. Please note that there may be minor changes in the elective courses in the academic year 2015/2016.

Master's Thesis Objective of the Master's Thesis

The purpose of the master's thesis is to develop the students' scientific problem-focused approach and improve their ability to pursue lifelong learning. In their work on the thesis, the students will train in resolving problems independently, undertaking critical assessment of scientific literature and formulating clear research questions.

Topics and Number of Credits

The master's thesis gives 60 credits, and corresponds to one year of full-time work. However, planning of the thesis should commence as early as possible.

The wide range of research expertise among faculty members mean that the standard of thesis projects is very high and there are opportunities to cover a large variety of subjects. A selection of potential projects will be presented in the first semester of the master's programme.

Topics to date have included memory, navigation, senses, brain metabolism and neurotoxicity.

The MSc in Neuroscience is suitable for students motivated towards research in Neuroscience in particular or the natural sciences in general. Some previous basic knowledge of Neuroscience and/or Cell and Molecular Biology is highly recommended. Admission to the MSc in Neuroscience requires a bachelor's degree (or an equivalent 3-year higher education) in one of the following disciplines: * Neuroscience * Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Science * Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics * Psychology * Human Movement Science, Medicine Other relevant disciplines, combined with or including course work in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics/Statistics, Neuroscience and/or Physics, may be accepted after an individual evaluation of the applicant's qualifications.Language Requirements International applicants must document skills in English language, for example by a TOEFL test (score of 600/90 points or higher), an IELTS test (overall band score of 6.5 or higher), or an APIEL examination (score of 3 points or higher). English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 600 TOEFL iBT® test: 90

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

NTNU charges no tuition fees, but regulations from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration state that

all international students who are not citizens of EU/EEA/EFTA countries must document that they have enough money to live in Norway. For the 2017 intake this amount is NOK 103 950. Successful applicants who are given an offer of admission will later be asked to transfer this amount to NTNU's deposit account. 

NTNU offers no scholarships.