Masters of Research
in Brain Imaging and Cognitive Neuroscience
Brain – mind – cognition
School of Psychology
MRes programme
The School of Psychology is offering a new
masters level research training in Brain
Imaging and Cognitive Neuroscience
We are offering a new MRes course that is
designed to provide strong research training
in modern theory and methods of cognitive
neuroscience. Students will be taught by
a faculty of active research scientists,
using lectures, workshops and practical
demonstrations. Students will also spend
much of their time in supervised research,
gaining experience in how to design,
perform and analyse high-quality cognitive
neuroscientific experiments.
School of Psychology
The School of Psychology at the University
of Birmingham has become one of the largest
and most active Psychology departments
in Britain, with an excellent reputation for
teaching and research. We gained 23 out
of 24 in the QAA Quality Assessment Review
of teaching and a grade of 5* in the 2001
Research Assessment Exercise. Over £6
million of research grants and contracts
are currently held.
The School is housed in two adjacent
buildings that have been extensively
modernised to meet our particular needs
and house purpose-designed research
laboratories. The new Hills building houses
an international research centre (The
Behavioural Brain Science Centre), and
contains laboratories specially equipped for
work in the cognition of vision, speech, action,
haptics, neuropsychology, and rehabilitation.
Further specialist cognitive research
laboratories are located in the Frankland
building: psychophysiology, psychophysics,
visual perception, food and nutritional
psychology, physiological psychology,
psychopharmacology, social psychology
and child development. We also have several
rooms with closed-circuit television suitable
for research. Specialist equipment includes:
two independent 128 channel EEG/ERP
laboratories, two laboratories for trans-cranial
magnetic stimulation (TMS), several different
systems for measuring eye movements, robotic
systems for motor and haptic control, and
several different forms of motion analysis system.
The School is a major partner in the recently
opened Birmingham University Imaging Centre
(BUIC), which houses a research-based 3T
fMRI scanner, along with additional specialist
equipment for stimulus delivery, response
recording, EEG, eye and hand tracking,
and TMS.
Course Aims
To provide a flexible multi-disciplinary
research apprenticeship, suitable for
those seeking to begin a postgraduate or
commercial research career in cognitive
neuroscience or to implement and evaluate
research in neuropsychology.
To attract high-quality students with a range
of academic interests who wish to be
trained in the latest brain imaging research
methods and their practical applications.
To equip students with a range of
transferable, academic and employmentrelated skills, including oral and written
communication and information
technology skills.
To equip students with the skills and
necessary preparation for both professional
training and further academic study.
To provide a stimulating and distinctive
specialist postgraduate programme that
incorporates both professional training and
advanced study of the latest developments
in interdisciplinary research and scholarship.
To train students in the development,
planning, execution, analysis and
dissemination of high-quality
interdisciplinary research.
Course Structure
The MRes programme takes 12 months
(full-time) and 24 months (part-time), is fully
modular, and consists of 180 credits, where
10 credits equates to 100 hours of student
effort. It is designed to provide generic
knowledge and skills through common
taught modules (70 credits), and to allow
the acquisition and practice of specific
knowledge and research skills through
student-centred research (110 credits).
Full-time students complete seven 10-credit
taught modules in the first two terms, along
with the two 20 and 30-credit placements.
A longer 60-credit project is completed in
the third term and summer vacation. The
recommendation for part-time students
is that the taught modules and the first
placement are completed in the first year
of study, and the second placement and
research project in the second year of study.
Module Outlines
We have designed the taught modules to
provide the basic knowledge that we believe to
be useful for everyone entering onto a Masters
level programme. We therefore expect you to
attend all the courses on your programme,
even those in which you already qualified.
Compulsory attendance also provides you
with the valuable opportunity to benefit from
the different expertise of your fellow students.
However we do not expect you to have to
devote the same amount of energy to all
modules - you will almost certainly find some
things easier than others. The classes for
the taught modules take place on Monday
and Tuesday in the first two terms of the
academic year.
Brain Imaging and Cognitive Neuroscience
(20 credits Taught)
Imaging methods lectures will cover the
main techniques of brain mapping used
in cognitive neuroscience, including MRI,
fMRI, DTI, EEG, TMS, MEG. Topics will
also include the physics of NMR and MRI,
introduction to fMRI experimental design
and analysis. Students will have computerbased training in data analysis and
seminar-based workshop sessions
discussing imaging methods.
Cognitive Neuroscience lectures will
cover the main areas of current research
in cognitive neuroscience, including
neuropsychology and brain mapping, plasticity
Research Placement and Dissertation
Research placements and projects would
usually be within one of the School’s three
research groupings:
Applied Social and Health Psychology
Behavioural Neuroscience
Perception, Cognition and Language
and learning, vision, attention, touch, motor
control, pain, language, memory, emotion.
In each case, the material will be presented
with reference to brain mapping techniques.
Design and Analysis (20 credits Taught)
Lectures and practical workshop topics
will cover descriptive statistics; hypothesis
testing; z-scores, t-tests, and ANOVAs
with factorial, repeated measures and
mixed designs; planned and post-hoc
comparisons; correlation, linear and
non-linear regression, multiple regression;
practice in SPSS.
Research methods and analyses will
include: questionnaire design and analysis;
advanced regressional techniques (loglinear
analysis, logistic regression, discriminant
function analysis, simple path analysis);
mathematical models; qualitative analysis;
direct observation of behaviour; power
calculations.
Structured Computer Programming
(10 credits Taught)
The module will provide an introduction
to Matlab and C programming and script
writing. Topics covered will include system
issues, functions, loops and arrays, data
types. There will an introduction to writing
scripts for off-line analysis.
Transferrable Skills (10 credits Taught)
Lectures followed by discussions. The
topics covered may include: Ethical and
legal issues in research (eg. the role of
ethical committees, Data Protection Act,
copyright, attribution of ideas, intellectual
property rights). Exploitation of research
findings. Applying for research grants.
Project management. Practical career
advice (eg. job searching, application
forms and CV’s, the job interview).
Foundation / Psychological Issues
(10 credits Taught)
Lectures on the history and philosophy
of psychological research. Attendance at
School seminars, specialist research group
seminars, journal clubs.
Many of these placements and projects
could have a brain imaging theme, using fMRI,
MRI, EEG or TMS. More details on possible
research areas in Psychology are available
in the School’s ‘Research Studies in
Psychology’ prospectus (also available
on our website: www.bham.ac.uk/psychology).
Research Placements 1 and 2
(20 and 30 credits Research)
Students must complete two 20- and
30-credit research placements in approved
research groups within the School of
Psychology, Sport and Exercise Science,
or Medicine. One is assessed by oral
conference presentation supplemented
by accompanying handouts, the other
by a written report.
Research Dissertation
(60 credits Research)
A conventional 60-credit research project
in an approved University research group.
At the outset of the project, the student will
negotiate a contract setting out aims, the
relevant knowledge and skills, milestones,
and an approved Journal format for the
assessment. Assessment is by oral
presentation and written dissertation.
International students (EU/Overseas) are
expected to have the equivalent of a British
bachelor’s degree and also need to show
that they have an adequate knowledge of
written and spoken English before they join
the University. Students are expected to have
an English Language qualification to fulfil the
University’s minimum requirement such as,
TOEFL (paper-based test score 550 or
computer-based test score 213) or IELTS
score 6.0.
Applications may be made at any time until
31st July, but applications made later than
May are likely to be at a disadvantage in
competition for the School studentships.
Course Fees
The University charges an annual fee which
includes tuition, examination and graduation, as
well as fees payable to the Guild of Students.
Fees are usually paid annually in advance at the
start of the course but it is possible to pay by
instalments providing certain conditions are
met. A small charge is made for this service.
The University fees do not take into account
the cost of accommodation, living expenses,
equipment or books. We estimate that for
a period of twelve months you will need a
minimum of £8,000 for these.
Tuition Fees
Full-time - Home/EU students: £3,165
Overseas students: £11,700
Part-time - Home students only: £1,545
Please note that the University Council
reserves the right to revise fees at any time
without previous notice.
An offer of a place at the University cannot be
confirmed until evidence of ability to pay tuition
fees and be able to support yourself has been
produced for example evidence of a grant
award from an awarding body like a research
council. If you are a self-financing student, you
will be required to sign a statement that you
accept your obligation to pay fees and that you
will do so when they are due. You will not be
permitted to continue your studies if you fail
to pay the fees.
Studentships
The School offers a number of studentships
(fees only) for Home/EU applicants. All
applicants who are offered a place on
the course will be considered for these
studentships on past academic performance
and on potential. For overseas applicants,
the School provides an overseas travel
scholarship of £2,000. All students who
are offered a place on the course will be
considered for this scholarship.
Course Starting Date
This course opens in 2006. The course is
offered at the start of each academic year,
at the beginning of October.
Available Places
In 2006 we expect to have around 15
places available.
Further Information
Requests for further information about
academic, application procedure or
administrative aspects of the course should
be addressed to the Course Administrator:
Mrs Parveen Chahal.
Postgraduate Course Administrator
Learn more
School of Psychology
The University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham, B15 2TT
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 (0)121 414 4906
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4234
Email: [email protected]
www.bham.ac.uk/psychology
www.bham.ac.uk
This leaflet was written several months in advance of the start of the
academic year. It is intended to provide prospective students with a
general picture of the programmes and courses offered by the School.
Please note that not all programmes or all courses are offered every
year. Also, because our research is constantly exploring new areas
and directions of study some courses may be dropped and new ones
offered in their place.
B891 © University of Birmingham 2005. Printed on paper made with wood fibre from sustainable forests.
Admissions
Admission to the course is determined by the
Admissions Tutor, subject to confirmation by
the University Academic Office. Candidates
are normally expected to have graduated or are
likely to graduate with a minimum upper second
class honours degree in Psychology. Other
degrees and qualifications are welcomed
and will be considered on an individual basis.