Neuroscience (Taught)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.

The MSc in Neuroscience is a one-year, full-time taught course at Oxford. It combines core modules, advanced topics, and two research projects across molecular, cellular, systems, and cognitive neuroscience.

The course is interdisciplinary in content and completely inter-departmental in structure, since at least nine departments or research centres contribute to it each year. Providing both theoretical and practical training, including two research laboratory placements, the course is modular and therefore flexible with respect to participants' backgrounds and interests.

The course takes an integrated approach to neuroscience and provides skills training in a wide range of experimental and theoretical methods intended to enable you to ask questions and tackle problems that transcend the traditional disciplines from which neuroscience has evolved.

Course structure
The MSc academic year begins in late September and is divided into three terms. The first term provides an introduction to neuroscience and research methods through five compulsory introductory modules and associated practical classes. During the second and third terms you will combine advanced taught courses, essay writing and two laboratory rotations (research projects).

You will undertake two extended research projects from a choice of over 100 offered each year by the extensive neuroscience research community in Oxford. You will also attend the graduate programme lecture series, which provides a broad education covering molecular, cellular, systems, computational and cognitive neuroscience.

Each of the MSc research projects lasts for about 16 weeks and is selected from a very extensive list of approved abstracts. With over 100 abstracts submitted each year there is always plenty of choice, but if you are interested in a particular lab or research topic, you are welcome to discuss a potential project independently with an appropriate supervisor. Many of these projects lead to publications.