M.Sc. in Cognitive Neuropsychology (Research Master)

You’ll learn how to interpret fascinating clinical cases using solid neuropsychological and cognitive theories, but also how to critically evaluate these theories.

Electives

Two of the 13 courses are electives. You’ll be able to select courses that allow you to explore specific areas, such as memory and memory disorders, perception, and autism and developmental disorders. You will also have the opportunity to make excursions into the emerging fields of educational neuropsychology and social cognition, as well as other related research areas.

Methods and statistics

Methods and statistics are an essential part of our programme. You can do a quick test to find out if you have the necessary skills and knowledge in this area to successfully take part in our programme.

Research projects

You are free to choose your own research topics. The course Practical Skills for Researchers entails a substantial research internship and you can choose from a range of lines of research for this. You are also free to choose your own topic in the final phase, when you complete a literature survey and conduct your own thesis project. You will be able to choose where you want to conduct your thesis research, abroad or in Amsterdam. To conclude your studies you will write a Master’s thesis supervised by one of our research staff. Two senior researchers will conduct your final thesis assessment.

The quality of the teaching is high and classes are small. Tutors take great care in monitoring and supporting you and you will be assigned an individual mentor for personal guidance and supervision.

Leading scientists

You are taught by scientists who have made unique contributions to the areas of research featured in the programme. All enjoy international recognition as prominent researchers in diverse fields of cognitive psychology and clinical neuropsychology. All our teaching staff receive consistently excellent educational evaluations.

The start date of this programme is September 1st.

There are five main components:

Knowledge courses:

• Medical neuroscience and neuroanatomy;
• Aging and dementia;
• Seminar cognitive neuroscience;
• Neuropsychiatry

Skill courses:

• Programming for psychologists;
• Advanced data analysis;
• Brain imaging;
• Cognitive electrophysiology;

Thesis proposal

Choice between a research trajectory (for both Dutch and non-Dutch students) and a clinical trajectory (for Dutch students only):

The research trajectory teaches you practical skills to design, perform, and present a research project. You will do an individual research internship in cognitive psychology, clinical neuropsychology, or cognitive neuroscience under supervision of a staff member.

The clinical trajectory involves a clinical internship working as a neuropsychologist in e.g. a hospital, psychiatric institute or nursing home. This clinical internship could make you eligible for the Dutch post-master’s healthcare psychologist programme, ‘GZ Opleiding tot Gezondheidszorgpsycholoog’.

Two elective courses:

You can choose 2 courses out of 12, but please note that most of them are only offered once every two years. You can also choose a course outside the programme, provided it is a Master's course related to cognitive neuropsychology, doesn’t overlap with the programme’s courses and has been approved by the Psychology department’s examination board.

A mandatory Master’s thesis:

You’ll conduct experimental research into cognitive neuropsychology or a related field, writing your thesis under individual supervision.