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www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences
Postgraduate Study
in the UCL Faculty
of Brain Sciences:
Invest in your future
at London’s Global
University
UCL BRAIN SCIENCES
UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences
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www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences
The Faculty of Brain Sciences has a vision to solve
the greatest health and wellbeing problems in the
brain sciences, in order to transform society and
reduce the global burden of disease. The Faculty
provides a stimulating and enriching environment for
education, research and enterprise.
We offer an unparalleled range of
research-embedded educational programmes, designed and
taught by leaders in their fields, in the areas of:
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Audiology and Hearing Research
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Cognitive Neuroscience
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Linguistics and Language Sciences
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Neurology and Neuroscience
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Ophthalmology and Vision Research
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Psychiatry and Mental Health
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Psychology and Psychotherapy
Our educational programmes build upon our research
expertise and applied clinical knowledge, and offer
both applied and clinical pathways.
Image: UCL Portico
UCL Psychology, Psychiatry
& Neuroscience and UCL
Clinical Medicine are rated
first in the UK for research
power.
UCL: London’s Global University
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www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl
At UCL we are proud of our pioneering history,
our distinguished present and our exciting future.
Academic excellence and conducting research that
addresses real-world problems inform our ethos
to this day and our plans for the future. With our
academic reputation, excellent facilities and central
London location, UCL is a great place to be a student.
Worldwide reputationUCL is ranked joint 5th with
Oxford in the QS 2014 World University Rankings and UCL is ranked second worldwide (behind Harvard) in the field of neuroscience and behaviour. Our expertise allows us to design and deliver a first-class education in a global environment.
The London advantage
One of the many advantages of being in the centre of London is our collaboration with a number of world famous hospitals and research centres.
We work with leading specialist hospitals, such as the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital.
Our Clinical and Educational Psychology and Speech and Language Therapy programmes have a large network of
placements across London and the South East in hospitals, primary care trusts and educational facilities.
We are aligned to the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour and the Francis Crick Institute, and work closely with our National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres, UCL Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology and UCL Partners.
“The neurology cluster at Queen Square means you can bump into world leaders in your field just by crossing the road.”
Tara Noone, Advanced Neuroimaging MSc
Image: Mirror neurons
“I am very proud to be Dean
of a Faculty which offers
such a rich portfolio of
educational programmes. It
is a privilege to be able to
train the next generation of
leaders who will become UCL
ambassadors in their careers
as researchers, clinicians,
educators, professionals and
entrepreneurs.”
Professor Alan Thompson MD
FRCP, FRCPI, FAAN, FANA
Dean, Faculty of Brain Sciences
Image: Students
In the latest National Student
Survey (2014), 97% of
respondents in the Faculty
expressed satisfaction with
their course, the highest
overall rate at UCL.
The Student Experience
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www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/students
The student experience is at the heart of our
educational vision. UCL provides the resources
associated with a world-leading university, and our
institutes and divisions have excellent
discipline-specific facilities. We also provide students with a
wealth of services to meet their cultural, social, and
leisure interests and their practical needs.
Our student community
In a recent survey of undergraduate students the Faculty was given a 97% overall satisfaction rating by our final year students (NSS 2014). We organise large-scale events to showcase student research, provide opportunities to be involved in enterprise and ensure that the student voice is represented at all levels.
Employability
Our graduate programmes provide you with excellent
discipline knowledge and applied, clinical and research skills for careers in specific areas such as psychiatry, speech and language therapy, psychology, ENT, audiology, neurology, ophthalmology, and further
research. In addition, you will acquire a range of transferable skills, such as scientific writing, data analysis and entrepreneurship that make our graduates highly employable. Six months after graduation, 89% of our masters students and 96% of our PhD students are in graduate employment (Data taken from the ‘Destination of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey, of the 2013 graduating cohort).
“One of the most appealing and invaluable aspects of the UCL community is that it encourages intellectual curiosity right from your first day as an undergraduate student”
Dr Sylvia Vitello, BSc Psychology 2010, PhD 2014
Around 43% of our students
are international, coming
from 155 countries, and
thrive in UCL’s friendly and
cosmopolitan atmosphere.
We work hard to embed a
global perspective in all our
teaching.
Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychiatry
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www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry
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www.ucl.ac.uk/pals
We offer an unrivalled portfolio of taught postgraduate
opportunities in the fields of psychology, mental health
and cognition. Whether you want to join the next
generation of academic researchers or healthcare
professionals, or build a successful career in a wide
variety of other fields, our outstanding academic staff
and facilities will support your ambitions.
Our range of clinically-oriented masters programmes in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy covers therapeutic modalities from psychoanalysis to cognitive behavioural therapy, systemic family practice and interpersonal psychotherapy.
The Clinical Mental Health Sciences MSc caters both for psychology graduates and for clinicians wishing to undertake a broad-based and highly flexible higher degree with options to enhance clinical practice, management skills and research knowledge.
We also offer a wide range of cognitive programmes with a particular emphasis on the investigative methodologies underlying them; likewise our Mental Health Sciences Research MSc provides stimulating and
practical training in mental health research.
Unique programmes such as the MSc in Industrial-Organisational and Business Psychology provide students with a solid grounding in talent management, the psychology of human capital and organisations, and the MSc in Human-Computer Interaction and Ergonomics aims to teach students, through information, demonstration, exploration and application, a scientific human-centred approach to the design and evaluation of a wide range of interactive systems and products. The MSc and MRes in Cognitive Neuroscience bring together leading researchers at the interface between psychology and neuroscience to understand mental processes in health and disease.
Image: Predicting Language Outcome and Recovery After Stroke (Lim & Guerin - IoN)
Nobel Prizes have been
awarded to 29 people who
are or have been students or
academics at UCL, including
two currently within UCL
Neuroscience.
Neuroscience, Language Sciences and
Translational Programmes
Our research-led programmes bring together
expertise from across the Faculty of Brain Sciences
and offer the opportunity to work and train with
leading researchers at one of the most highly
regarded centres of excellence in brain science in the
world.
Programmes in neuroscience
UCL is Europe’s research powerhouse in neuroscience, ranked second in the world, and first in Europe, in neuroscience and behaviour by Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators. The Faculty provides an outstanding environment for training future generations of interdisciplinary researchers in basic and clinical neuroscience. Our scientific excellence attracts many of the best students from around the world to work with leading experts who are engaged in frontline research and translational application.
Programmes in language sciences and linguistics
UCL is virtually unmatched in terms of the breadth of expertise in teaching and
research across many sub-disciplines of the language sciences. The MA Linguistics is a conversion programme for students who have had little exposure to the subject in their undergraduate studies and there are also a number of non-clinical programmes for students interested in furthering their knowledge with a view to a career in research, education or related disciplines.
Applied and translational programmes
Translation of discoveries into applications is essential for scientific progress, and has its own academic discipline. In these programmes world-leading researchers teach the complete process of translating discoveries into clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Image: Layer 5 pyramidal neurons (Alex Moreau)
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www.ucl.ac.uk/ion
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www.ucl.ac.uk/pals
Image: Ophthalmologist operating
Clinical Programmes
Our clinical programmes provide you with excellent
discipline-specific knowledge and clinical skills for
careers in specific areas such as psychiatry, speech
and language therapy, ophthalmology, neurology and
ENT. Many of our academics hold joint posts with
pioneering hospitals providing strong clinical links and
the possibility of offering advanced training.
With its concentration of clinical and applied scientific activity, the Institute of Neurology is a unique national centre for postgraduate training and research in
neurology and its related disciplines. Together with its associated specialist hospital, the Institute promotes the translation of research that is of direct clinical relevance into improved patient care and treatment. Our programmes at the Institute of Ophthalmology build on its outstanding clinical and industrial links, helping our students to build their careers. The MSc Ophthalmology with Clinical Practice is specifically oriented towards clinicians outside the UK and provides the opportunity to train a generation of students at two world leading institutions.
Training the next generation of auditory scientists is also the priority at the Ear Institute, which hosts a range of programmes in audiology, each of which includes a research element. Its programmes are designed not only for practising audiologists looking to enhance their clinical skills, but also to train students from other disciplines as audiologists.
Focusing on speech and
language pathology and therapy, the Speech and Language Sciences MSc considers approaches to the investigation and management of clients with communication and swallowing problems.
Our Careers Service offers
professional help and
advice to students seeking
employment, work experience
placements or further study,
and our Alumni Relations
office facilitates networking to
help UCL graduates in their
chosen careers.
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www.ucl.ac.uk/ear
Research Degrees and Professional Doctorates
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www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/
students/postgraduateresearch
Supervised by our internationally respected body
of academic staff, we offer a variety of programmes
that enable you to undertake substantial, in-depth
research and make an original contribution to your
chosen field. Six months after graduation, 96% of our
PhD students are in graduate employment.
PhD opportunities
We seek to attract outstanding students from across the globe. Our research training is often cross-disciplinary to address critical research challenges such as dementia, and to allow students to take full advantage of the range of expertise distributed within and beyond the Faculty. We train our students to apply relevant research outcomes to maximise the impact of their research on policy and practice and ensure they understand the importance of research integrity and ethics.
The Faculty’s five key research themes are designed to have a transformational impact on the greatest health and wellbeing problems in the brain sciences: Neurodegeneration and
Neuroprotection; Mental Health;
Sensory Systems; Lifelong Cognition and Behaviour Change; and Stroke.
Professional doctorates
Our range of professional doctorates combines an applied focus with academic and research excellence. The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is the UK’s largest professional training course for Clinical Psychologists, welcoming high-calibre candidates from the UK and abroad. UCL also has a long-standing reputation for innovation and excellence in training in Educational Psychology and offers a Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology and a CPD Doctorate in Educational Psychology which is available to practising Educational Psychologists.
Image: Blood vessels & glia in human retina (Marcus Fruttiger - IoO)
UCL Advances, our centre
for entrepreneurship, offers
training, networking and
business support, as well as
the opportunity to win
start-up funding, for UCL students
seeking to start their own
business.
Programmes
• Advanced Audiology MSc (A, CL)
• Advanced Neuroimaging MSc (NN, TR)
• Applied Research in Human Communication Disorders MRes (LL)
• Audiological Science MSc (A, CL)
• Audiological Science with Clinical Practice MSc (A, CL) • Brain Science MRes (NN, TR) • Clinical Mental Health Sciences
MSc (P, CL)
• Clinical Ophthalmic Practice PGCert (O, CL)
• Clinical Ophthalmology MSc (O, CL)
• Clinical Neurology MSc (NN, CL)
• Clinical Neurology via Distance Learning PGDip (NN, CL) • Clinical Neuroscience MSc
(NN, PP)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Children and Young People MSc (PP, CL)
• Cognitive and Decision Sciences MSc (PP)
• Cognitive Neuroscience MSc / MRes (NN, PP)
• Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology MSc (PP) • Developmental Psychology and
Clinical Practice MSc (PP, CL) • Dual Masters in Brain and Mind
Science (NN)
• Human-Computer Interaction with Ergonomics MSc (PP) • Industrial/Organisational and
Business Psychology MSc (PP) • Language Sciences with
specialisation in Language Development MSc (LL) • Language Sciences with
Specialisation in Linguistics with Neuroscience MSc (LL)
• Language Sciences with Specialisation in Neuroscience and Communication MSc (LL) • Language Sciences with
specialisation in Sign Language Studies MSc (LL)
• Language Sciences with specialisation in Speech and Hearing Sciences MSc (LL) • Linguistics MA (LL)
• Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Interventions PGDip (PP, CL)
• Mental Health Sciences Research MSc (P, TR)
• Medical Otology and Audiology MSc (A, CL)
• Neurology for Clinical Trainees MSc (NN, CL)
• Neuromuscular Disease MSc (NN, TR)
• Ophthalmology with Clinical Practice MSc (O, CL)
• Professional Doctorates in Clinical Psychology and Educational and Child Psychology (PP, CL) • Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology MSc (PP) • Research Methods in Psychology MSc (PP) • Social Cognition MSc (PP)
• Speech and Language Sciences MSc (PP, CL) • Speech, Language and
Cognition MRes (LL) • Stroke Medicine MSc (NN, TR) • Theoretical Psychoanalytical Studies MSc (PP) • Translational Immunobiology MSc (O, TR, NN)
• Translational and Regenerative Neuroscience MSc (O, TR, NN) • Translational Neurology MRes
(NN, TR)
• Vision Research MRes (O)
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www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/students/postgraduate-taught
Key
A Audiology and Hearing
Research
LL Linguistics, Language
Sciences and Speech Therapy
NN Neurology and Neuroscience
O Ophthalmology and Vision
Research
P Psychiatry and Mental Health
PP Psychology and
Psychotherapy
CL Clinical
Applying for a research degree
Before applying, you should: • Have or expect to have
a relevant first degree or Master’s degree of 1st
class or 2.1 standard in UK system, or equivalent for overseas degrees. • Have a commitment to
and demonstrated ability in research. Often your previous experience and performance, such as in an undergraduate or a Master’s research project, will show whether research is right for you and you are right for research.
• Overseas applicants also need to satisfy the English Language requirement. If you meet the above criteria, the next step is to check whether we can supervise research in your chosen area. We only take MPhil/PhD students to whom we can offer expert research supervision from one of our academic staff. Therefore, your research question needs to engage with the research interests of one of our staff.
There are two main types of research degree opportunity:
PhD studentships
Studentships provide funding that covers tuition fees, student living expenses and often some research expenses. Usually they are awarded to specific supervisors or programmes. They are advertised
throughout the year so you will need to regularly check relevant websites (see link below).
Speculative opportunities
If you can’t find a studentship in a research project that interests you or you have your own funding, the best way to find a PhD project is to approach a potential supervisor directly. Exceptional students, who meet the
entrance requirements, are encouraged to be proactive to identify opportunities with UCL academics whose recent research closely matches their interests.
A summary of the research interests of potential
supervisors can be found on the webpage of each of our academics.
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www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/
degrees/research/studentships
PhD opportunities • MB PhD programme in the Institute of Neurology • PhD in Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology• PhD in Developmental Science • PhD in the Division of
Psychiatry
• PhD in the Ear Institute • PhD in Experimental
Psychology
• PhD in the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience • PhD in the Institute of Ophthalmology • PhD in Language and Communication • PhD in Linguistics • PhD in the Institute of Neurology • PhD in Neurology - Leonard Wolfson Programme (4 yrs) • PhD in Neuroscience (4 years) • PhD in Psychoanalytic Studies • PhD in Speech, Hearing and
Phonetic Sciences
• PhD in the UCL Interaction Centre
• Wellcome Trust Clinical Programme
Professional doctorates
• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
• Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology
• Doctorate in Educational Psychology
• Doctorate in Psychotherapy (Child and Adolescent
