ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZAAABACADAEAFAGAHAIAJAKALAMANAOAPAQARASATAUAVAWAXAYAZBA
1
1. Admissions/ Management Information
2
Title of the programme – including any lower awards
Please provide the titles used for all awards relating to this programme. Note: all programmes are required to have at least a Postgraduate Certificate exit award.

See guidance on programme titles in:
3
https://www.york.ac.uk/media/staffhome/learningandteaching/documents/programmedevelopment/Framework%20for%20Programme%20Design%20-%20PG.pdf
4
Masters MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience
5
Postgraduate Diploma Please indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
6
Postgraduate Certificate Please indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
7
Level of qualificationLevel 7
8
This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:2020
9
Awarding institutionTeaching institution
10
University of York University of York
11
Department(s):
Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department		Board of Studies
12
Lead Department PsychologyProf. Paul Bishop, Chair of Board of Studies
13
Other contributing Departments: N/A
14
Route code
(existing programmes only)		PMPSYSCGN1
15
Admissions criteria
16
A degree or equivalent qualification, normally in psychology or biological sciences and normally at the level of an upper second class honours award. IELTS 6.5, with no less than 6.5 in each component or Cambridge Proficiency at least B.
17
Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
18
ProgrammeLength (years/ months) Status (full-time/ part-time)
Please select		Start dates/months
(if applicable – for programmes that have multiple intakes or start dates that differ from the usual academic year)		Mode
19
20
Face-to-face, campus-basedDistance learningOther
21
MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience1 year full-timeFull-timePlease select Y/NYesPlease select Y/NNoN/A
24
Language(s) of study
25
English
26
Language(s) of assessment
27
English
28
2. Programme accreditation by Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)
29
2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
30
Please Select Y/N: Noif No move to section 3
if Yes complete the following questions
37
3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
38
Are there any additional requirements of accrediting bodies or PSRB or pre-requisite professional experience needed to study this programme?
39
Please Select Y/N: Noif Yes, provide details
41
4. Programme leadership and programme team
42
4.a. Please name the programme leader for the year to which the programme design applies and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
43
Prof. Tim Andrews, MSc Director of Cognitive Neuroscience.
44
5. Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
45
5.a. Statement of purpose for applicants to the Masters programme
Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective masters student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
46
The MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience offers an exciting opportunity to study at one of the leading centres of expertise in cognitive neuroscience. The degree will demonstrate how developments in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, neurology, computer science and philosophy have led to our modern understanding of the human brain. The degree is equally suitable for students who wish to pursue doctoral research and those with enthusiasm for the subject, but who would like to pursue related careers. It provides a theoretical and empirical grounding in brain imaging techniques and reveals how these techniques can lead to a deeper understanding of complex mental functions such as memory, language, emotion, perception, attention and consciousness. The degree offers hands-on training in a range of neuroimaging methods. As a result of the programme, graduates will be able to independently design and carry out independent research projects in cognitive neuroscience.
51
5.b.i. Programme Learning Outcomes - Masters
Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the Masters programme will be able to do.
If the document only covers a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma please specify four to six PLO statements in the sections 5.b.ii and 5.b.iii as appropriate.
Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
52
PLOOn successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
53
1Knowldedge: Demonstrate a deep and systematic understanding of how cognitive processes can be explained in terms of their underlying brain processes and how modern neuroimaging techniques (such as MRI, MEG, EEG and TMS) can be used to understand the properties of the human mind.
54
2Critical Evaluation: Critically evaluate theories within and beyond the field of cognitive neuroscience, using empirical evidence to support their reasoning and arguments.
55
3Analysis of Data: Demonstrate a systematic knowledge of how advanced research paradigms, research methods in neuroscience and advanced statistical analysis can be used to explain mental processes and behaviour.
56
4Research Skills: Students will be able to identify and evaluate relevant scientific evidence from the range of methodologies used in cognitive neuroscience and thus solve complex problems using evidence-based and scientific reasoning, to identify and pose new research questions, devise new methods to address them and to consider alternative approaches to their solutions and evaluate these.
57
5Solve Complex Problems: Design, conduct and interpret systematic, scientifically rigorous and ethically sound studies, using a combination of advanced quantitative methods, programming and statistics, supported by state-of-the-art software, in the context of methodologies used in cognitive neuroscience.
58
6Communication: Communicate complex concepts effectively using written, oral and graphical means appropriate to the discipline, adapting the content and presentation style to make it appropriate to diverse audiences.
59
7Management Skills: Demonstrate that they are able to work autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level, making decisions based upon complex and uncertain information, take responsibility for their own learning and professional development, and work effectively as a member of a team.
60
8
77
5.c. Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes
Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
78
i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
79
The PLOs of the course will provide students with the knowledge of the topic area (PLO1), the ability to critically evaluate theory (PLO2), skills in the analysis of data (PLO3) and the design and conduct of experiments (PLO4) along with the ability to solve (PLO5) and communicate (PLO6) complex issues and to develop the management skills necessary to work effectively in a team (PLO7). The course and the PLOs have been carefully developed to train you in neuroimaging techniques, and the analytical methods on which they depend. Through our specialist modules, you learn how to design your own experiments, to analyze and evaluate neuroimaging data, and to interpret their findings so as to decipher the brain mechanisms of cognition and behaviour. Our philosophy is to provide you with the full range of technical and practical skills you will need to pursue a career in cognitive neuroscience. Central to this endeavour are the specialist modules, which place neuroimaging within the wider context of neuroscience research.
80
ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive and advantageous to the student?
81
The recent increase in the number of MSc courses in cognitive neuroscience along with developments in this rapidly changing field have required that the course change with the times. In response, the core team have developed the PLOs to provide you with the up-to-date theoretical knowledge (PLO 1-2) and practical skills (PLO 3-5) that are necessary for a modern understanding of cognitive neuroscience. We also emphasize the importance of communication and team work (PLO 6-7). Students are fully integrated into the York Neuroimaging Centre with access throughout the year to advanced computing hardware and software, including tools and demonstrations developed specifically for the MSc programme. The course provides a unique approach to teaching that focuses on ‘hands-on’ experience, which is distinctive and advantageous to the student.
82
iii) ... how the design of the programme enables students from diverse entry routes to transition successfully into the programme? For example, how does the organisation of the programme ensure solid foundations in disciplinary knowledge and understanding of conventions, language skills, mathematics and statistics skills, writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity
83
The Research Design in Neuroimaging and Data Analysis in Neuroimaging modules provide generic skills in psychological research that allow students from a diverse range of backgrounds to obtain a solid foundation in psychology, particularly in experimental design and statistical analysis of data.
84
iv) ... how the programme is designed to enable students to progress successfully - in a limited time frame - through to the end of the award? For example, the development of higher level research skills; enabling students to complete an independent study module; developing competence and confidence in practical skills/ professional skills. See QAA masters characteristics doument http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
85
The course has been carefully developed to provide you with the higher level research skills they will need for the empirical project. In Research Design in Neuroimaging and Data Analysis in Neuroimaging, you get to collect data from their own brains and analyse this data in the York Neuroimaging Centre. The unparalleled access to the equipment and data analysis tools involved in neuroimaging provides a distinctive environment for learning. Although a technical understanding of neuroimaging techniques is important, it is also necessary to know how and when to use them. To help develop your understanding of what techniques should be used when, you discuss principles of research design in small group seminars. This teaching provides you with the confidence to generate new research questions and choose the appropriate methods to answer them. Finally, Programming in Neuroimaging uses a range of innovative methods to demonstrate the importance of modern computing in neuroimaging research. You get the chance to generate and present complex stimuli and then analyze the resulting data. The skills used in these modules allow you to develop the competence and confidence to complete the independent study module.
86
v) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will develop students’ digital literacy skills and how technology-enhanced learning will be used to support active student learning through peer/tutor interaction, collaboration and formative (self) assessment opportunities (reference could be made to such as blogging, flipped classroooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
87
You get many opportunities to develop their digital literacy skills with peer/tutor interaction in the Research Design in Neuroimaging, Data Analysis in Neuroimaging and Programming in Neuroimaging modules. Self-assessment opportunities are provided using responses to clickers in lectures and online VLE tests.
88
vi) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)?
The programme's employablity objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
89
http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/careers/staff/
90
From the beginning of the course, you will receive advice on academic and non-academic career destinations during regular meetings with your academic supervisor and the course director. You are also welcome and encouraged to attend talks on a range of career destinations organized by the Department. You will be encouraged to complete and receive feedback on the York on-line Strengths Test and apply for the York Award Gold. Many of the students on this course go on to get funded PhD positions at York and elsewhere. Many of the PhD students in the Department of Psychology have taken the MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience. We are now seeing our first students getting faculty positions in prestigious universities across the world. Other students are now pursuing successful careers in clinical psychology.
93
viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
94
The course has helped to facilitate research in the Department by allowing faculty to gain experience in cognitive neuroscience through the supervision of projects. These projects often get published in high-impact journals (15 projects have been published in the past 3 years in journals such as the Journal of Neuroscience, Cerebral Cortex and Neuroimage).
95
5.d. Progression
For masters programmes where students do not incrementally 'progress' on the completion of a discrete Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma, please summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of the PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of the set of modules or part thereof. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules and in circumstances where students registered on a higher award will exit early with a lower one.

Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each masters PLO, but this can be done if preferred.
96
On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate students will be able to:
If the PG Cert is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the diploma/masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
97
A PG Cert will be given to students who have satisfactorily passed up 60 credits from the following modules Research Design and Statistics, Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience, Basic Principles in Neuroimaging, Programming in Neuroimaging, Research Design in Neuroimaging and Data Analysis in Neuroimaging. Students will have completed PLOs 1, 2 and 3 and will have made good progress towards PLOs 4, 5, 6 and 7.
98
On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma students will be able to:
If the PG Diploma is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
99
A PG Diploma will be given to students who have satisfactorily passed 120 credits from the following modules Research Design and Statistics, Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience, Basic Principles in Neuroimaging, Programming in Neuroimaging, Research Design in Neuroimaging, Data Analysis in Neuroimaging and a Literature Review. Students will have completed PLOs 1, 2, 3 and 4 and will have made good progress towards PLOs 5, 6 and 7.
100
6. Reference points and programme regulations
101
6.a. Relevant Quality Assurance Agency benchmark statement(s) and other relevant external reference points
Please state relevant reference points consulted (e.g. Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, National Occupational Standards, Subject Benchmark Statements or the requirements of PSRBs): See also Taught Postgraduate Modular Scheme: Framework for Programme Design:
102
https://www.york.ac.uk/media/staffhome/learningandteaching/documents/programmedevelopment/Framework%20for%20Programme%20Design%20-%20PG.pdf
103
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
104
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/the-quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements
105
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=2843#.VthM1fmLS70
107
6.b. University award regulations
108
The University’s award and assessment regulations apply to all programmes: any exceptions that relate to this programme are approved by University Teaching Committee and are recorded at the end of this document.
109
7. Programme Structure
110
7.a. Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map
Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If the structure of your programme does not fit the usual academic year (for instance students start at the beginning of September or in January) please contact your Academic Quality Team contact in the Academic Support Office for guidance on how to represent the structure in an alternative format.

To clearly present the overall programme structure, include the name and details of each invidual CORE module in the rows below. For OPTION modules, ‘Option module’ or 'Option from list x' should be used in place of specifically including all named options. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists by term of delivery or subject theme these lists should be provided in the next section (7.b).

From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of teaching delivery for the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA'). It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets).

Summative assessment by exams should normally be scheduled in the spring week 1 and summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7). Where the summer CAP is used, a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place. (NB: An additional resit assessment week is provided in week 10 of the summer term for postgraduate students. See Guide to Assessment, 5.4.a)
111
http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/registry-services/guide/
112
Full time structure
113
CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term Summer Vacation
114
CodeTitle12345678910123456789101234567891012345678910111213
115
20PSY00019MResearch, Design & StatisticsSEEA
116
10PSY00047MTopics in Cognitive NeuroscienceSEEA
117
10PSY00011MBasic Principles in NeuroimagingSEEA
118
20PSY00046MProgramming in NeuroimagingSAEEA
119
30PSY00083MResearch Design in NeuroimagingSEEA
120
10PSY000039MData Analysis in NeuroimagingSEA
121
80PSY00016MEmpirical ProjectSAEA
126
Full-time Route: Please indicate when the Progression Board and Final Exam board will be held and when any reassessments will be submitted.
NB: You are required to provide at least three weeks notice to students of the need for them to resubmit any required assessments, in accordance with the Guide to Assessment section 4.9
127
Progression BoardSummer Term, Week 6
128
ReassessmentSummer Vacation
129
Exam BoardAutumn Term, Week 0
130
Part time structures
Please indicate the modules undertaken in each year of the part-time version of the programme. Please use the text box below should any further explanation be required regarding structure of part-time study routes.
131
Year 1 (if you offer the programme part-time over either 2 or 3 years, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
145
Year 2
159
Year 3
173
7.b. Optional module lists

If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
174
Option List AOption List BOption List COption List D
195
7.c. Explanation of the programme and assessment design
The statements should be in a form that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). It should make clear to students why they are doing the key activities of the programme, in terms of reaching the PLOs.