Brain and Cognition

One of the greatest challenges in science is to explain the human mind. Thanks to the advent of revolutionary brain research methods, great progress in behavioural research techniques and the incredible inventiveness of many researchers, cognitive and neural sciences are finding ways to better approach this problem. The master's programme in Brain and Cognition will guide students through the latest and most exciting findings brought about by the interaction between cognitive research and brain research, furnishing them with the theoretical and practical means to actively participate in this exciting enterprise.

The core of the master's programme is composed of the research groups at UPF's Center for Brain and Cognition. These groups are directed by renowned scientists in areas such as computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, psycholinguistics, vision, multisensory perception, human development and comparative cognition. Students will thus be exposed to the ongoing research projects at the CBC and will be integrated in one of its main research lines, where they will conduct original research for their final project.

At the moment, the Center for Brain and Cognition hosts 7 principal investigators, 28 postdoctorals researchers, 46 doctoral students, 12 master students and a team of technical support. The Center has also been awarded grants and funds by several granting agencies, including the European Union (the Center hosts 2 Avanced ERC grant recipients, 2 ERC Starting grant recipients  and participates to several FET Projects), the James S.McDonnell Foundation, the Spanish Ministery for Competition, and several other agencies.

The aim of this master's programme is to offer research-oriented training in various fundamental domains of cognitive neuroscience. The programme faculty's main objective is to provide students with the training they need to understand how a scientific question becomes a topic of experimental research in cognitive neuroscience and how they could carry out this research.   

The master's programme will be of interest to psychologists, philosophers, MDs, biologists, linguists, mathematicians or physicists seeking to pursue a career investigating the fascinating question of how the relationship between the mind and the brain enables cognitive functions. While the programme is thus particularly apt for students who want to be trained to do research in cognitive neuroscience, it is also strongly recommended for individuals seeking to enrich their careers by obtaining a solid basis in cognitive neuroscience. Given its research orientation, the level of this one-year master's programme corresponds to the second year of a two-year master's in other international programmes. Students who are interested in the programme but do not have sufficient credits to enrol in a second-year master should contact the coordinator for further information.

MODULE 1: Cognitive Neuroscience and Research Techniques

• Data Analysis for Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging Methods
• Comparative Cognition
• Early Human Cognition
• The Physiological Basis of Visual Perception
• Introduction to Computational Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• Cognitive Neuroscience of Perception and AttentionSocial Cognitive Neuroscience

MODULE 2. Materia: Seminars

• Seminar

MODULE 3: Master's Degree Final

• Master Degree Final Project

Requirements

• Official undergraduate degree/diploma (a Bachelor's degree, a degree in engineering or architecture, technical engineering and technical architecture diplomas, or, in the case of a foreign degree, the equivalent qualification awarded by an accredited higher education institution).  In addition, the official academic transcript with the average grade at the university of origin. Degrees in any academic field of study will be accepted.
• Curriculum Vitae in English.
• A letter of motivation in English, stating the candidate's expectations and interest in participating in the master's programme (600 to 800 words). 
• Two letters of recommendation sent directly by referees with a good knowledge of the candidate. 
• Identity Card or Passport. 
• Proof of English language (level B2). English: official Cambridge certificates (FCE or higher), with results of 6.0 at IELTS or 100 at TOEFL (iBT), will be accepted, among others.
• Professional experience in any of the fields related to the master's programme.(optional)
• Research experience.(optional)
• Teaching experience. (optional)
• Additional academic training in areas related to the master's programme.(optional)

Scholarships

• GRAL - General scholarships for students enrolled on post-compulsory studies.  
• MATRC - Financial credential for the purposes of processing university enrolments without prior payment of the public prices for the academic services.
• UPF - Tuition fee scholarship for university master's degree students
• Global Education