Plasticity and Memory

Memory is at the very heart of our personality: the countless snapshots of our daily experiences have a pervasive and enduring influence on the self. But how are these memories organised in the brain and how are they given value and meaning? The specialisation in Plasticity and Memory looks at the development and decay of the healthy and the maladaptive brain. The goal is to understand various types of neuroplastic changes in the brain, specifically in patients with for example Alzheimer's disease, stress-related disorders, chronic pain, autism, intellectual disabilities, and ADHD. You'll study diverse brain functions by measuring and manipulating cognitive, emotional, hormonal and neural mechanisms, as well as by (epi)genetic fingerprinting and developing cell and animal disease models. You'll learn to do research towards patient care that individualises the diagnostic approach and therapeutic and care interventions. Aim is to obtain an optimal fit with patient characteristics and individual preference.

Accreditation: -

Erasmus Mundus program: This is an Erasmus Mundus program.

A completed Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, Physics, Biology, Medicine, Mathematics, Behavioural Sciences, Artificial Intelligence or a related discipline

The graduation date of the last attained Bachelor’s degree relevant for this programme must be within five years of applying to the programme.

A proficiency in English

In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English. Non-native speakers of English* without a Dutch Bachelor's degree or VWO diploma need one of the following:

• A TOEFL score of >=600 (paper based) or >=100 (internet based)
• An IELTS score of >=7.0
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of C or higher

Specialisation specific requirements

For the specialisation in Plasticity and Memory, students with a background in psychology, biology, (bio-)medical sciences, or natural sciences can apply. Specifically, we require demonstrable knowledge in the following domains:

1. Biophysics (e.g., Hobbie, R.K. & Roth, B.J., 2015 ‘Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology’).
2. Neuroscience (e.g., Kandel, E. & Schwartz, J., 2013 ‘Principles of neural science’ or Purves, D., 2012 ‘Neuroscience’).
3. Cognitive Neuroscience (e.g., Gazzaniga, M. & Ivry, R.B., 2013 ‘Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind’).
4. Experimental design and statistics (e.g., Moore, D.S., McCabe, G.P., & Craig, B.A., 2014, ‘Introduction to the practice of statistics’; or McClave, J.T., & Sincich, T., 2013, ‘Statistics’).

To give you an indication of the content and level of knowledge you need in each of these areas, we have suggested handbooks that meet the level we expect from our candidates. Please note: Students should have at least the level of knowledge indicated above with respect to areas 1 and 2 OR 3 and 4 when they start the programme.

* Applicants are considered to be a native speaker of English if they are from Australia, Canada (with exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA or South Africa.

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

There are various scholarships available for studying at Radboud University. Some of the opportunities are described below. A full list, including detailed information, can be found on our scholarships and grants page at our website. 

Radboud Scholarship Programme

Open to a select number of excellent international students. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,083 in 2019/2020). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Open to students from Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, South-Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,083 in 2019/2020). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

Open to excellent American students. The grant will be paid in 12 monthly instalments of 1,050 euros. International travel and the cost of the residence permit will be covered, and an extra allowance of €1150 will be paid on arrival.

Sino-Dutch Bilateral Exchange Scholarship

Open to excellent students from China. Consists of a contribution of € 16,113 towards the total costs of one year of study or research in the Netherlands.

DIKTI-Neso Scholarships

Aimed at lecturers at higher education institutions in Indonesia who wish to pursue a PhD or Master's at a university in the Netherlands. A DIKTI scholarship includes allowances for living expenses, insurance, travel costs, tuition fees and more.

Indonesian Education Scholarship (LPDP)

Open to excellent Indonesian students under the age of 35. Involves a full scholarship.

Holland Scholarship Programme

Open to excellent students from Canada, America, India and Turkey. Scholarship consists of 5,000 euros payed at the start of study.

Dutch Student Finance

EU/EEA students and Swiss students under 30 years of age are eligible if they are working at least 56 hours per month in the Netherlands, or have been living in the Netherlands for five years or more. Dutch student finance consists of four components: a basic grant, a supplementary grant (depending on the parental income), a student travel product, and a loan.