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BSc Human Neuroscience

Start date
September
Duration
3 years
UCAS code
B140
Course Type
Undergraduate
Fees
Annual tuition fees for 2025/26:
£9,535 (UK)
£28,130 Fee Band 3a (International Students - 2025-26)
More detail

The Human Neuroscience BSc is a three year course which introduces students to the emerging discipline of neuroscience.

We are at the beginning of what has been called ‘The New Century of the Brain’. New technologies and new understanding of biology and behaviour are driving development in this vibrant and expanding field.

The Human Neuroscience BSc places special emphasis on human aspects of the field: cognitive neuroscience, diseases and disorders of the nervous system and clinical and psychological topics. Whilst it has a human focus it has a broad multidisciplinary scope, with modules drawn from Biosciences, Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, Computer Science, Psychology, Philosophy and Medicine.

The Human Neuroscience BSC is a specialised degree course for highly qualified students that will provide instruction in cutting-edge neuroscience. The field is rapidly expanding under the influence of new technologies and collaboration across traditional disciplines. It addresses a number of social challenges including brain disease, mental health problems and maintaining health in an aging population.

In the first year, there is a range of core modules that provide the biological and behavioural basis for more in-depth analysis in subsequent years. Topics covered include the physiology of nerve cells, pharmacology, evolution, genetics, perception and memory.

In the second year, there are a number of options available for selection. These include cognitive neuroscience topics (eg, perception and movement), sport and exercise science topics (the control of human movements), computational approaches to data analysis, and even the philosophy of the mind-body problem. Additional options allow further in-depth study of neurophysiology and pharmacology, evolution and human behaviour.

In the final year, students undertake an extended research project, under the supervision of internationally recognised experts with access to state-of-the-art laboratories for MRI, EEG, TMS, tDCS, eye-tracking, visual attention, psycholinguistics, motion tracking, posture and balance, food and nutrition, social cognition, neuropsychology, and child development.

Graduates will be prepared for further advanced studies in neuroscience or careers in industry or healthcare settings.

Year abroad option

As a current student you will have the opportunity to take a year abroad in between your second and third years, in a location such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong or Singapore. If you take this option you will receive a BSc with Year Abroad. During your year abroad, fees will be 15% of the regular annual fee. You will not pay any additional fees to your host university overseas. See our current partner universities

Intercalated Degree

The 3rd year of the Human Neuroscience programme is available as a stand-alone one-year programme for students intercalating from professional programmes, particularly medicine. Students from Birmingham may choose to intercalate in Human Neuroscience after the 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of their MBChB programme.

To apply for this programme please fill in this application form. Applications will close on Monday 8th January 2024.

For further information about this programme please complete our register your interest form. If you would like to get in touch with us, please contact mdsintercalationenquiries@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

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I enjoy the breadth of the course the most; we do modules across biology, psychology and biomedicine. A lot of the time the modules across the different disciplines link together and we have tutorials to help with this cross-linking and enhance our understanding. It’s a very tight-knit course and I’ve made a lot of friends – we’re always there to help each other!

Ellie Edwards, BSc Human Neuroscience

Why study this course?

There are many reasons to study the Human Neuroscience BSc at Birmingham:

  • This course offers a broad range of knowledge across three main areas: Psychology, Biosciences and Medicine.  There is special emphasis on human aspects of the field: cognitive neuroscience, diseases and disorders of the nervous system.
  • You will have the opportunity to take a year abroad in between your second and third years, in a location such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong or Singapore.
  • New investments – The Centre for Human Brain Health is an inter-disciplinary brain research facility established with the mission of understanding what makes a brain healthy, how to maintain it, how to prevent and reverse damage and how to develop the next generation of interventions and tools for personalised brain healthcare.  The Institute for Mental Health  has been created to improve the care and outcomes of those suffering from problems in their mental health, and to ensure a sustained impact on public policy and practice.

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules:

Year 2

Compulsory modules:

Optional - example optional modules may include:

Year 3

Compulsory modules:

Optional - example optional modules may include:

 

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2024. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules after that date; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

Fees

Standard Home student fees 2025-26

The University will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. If your offer is for 2025 year of entry, we expect that the tuition fee for your first year of study will be £9,535. If Parliament agrees on an increase in tuition fees, the University will increase fees for each year of study normally in line with these changes and will communicate any change in the fees to you without delay. If you are applying for 2026 year of entry, you will be advised of the annual tuition fee closer to the time.

Standard international student fees 2025-26

International fee
Fee Band (Undergraduate) Full-time
Band 3a (Laboratory) £28,130

Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships
Learn more about our scholarships and awards

How To Apply

Apply through UCAS at www.ucas.com
Learn more about applying

Standard offer

International Requirements



Number of A levels required:
3
Typical offer:
AAA
Required subjects and grades:
A level Biology/Human Biology

Specified subjects excluded for entry: We do not accept General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies, Applied Science, Communication and Culture, Critical Studies, Global Perspectives, Science in Society, Use of Maths and World Development

Resits: Resits will be considered at the standard offer of AAA to include Human Biology/Biology

Other qualifications are considered – learn more about entry requirements.

BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Human Biology, Applied Psychology or Applied Science is only accepted when combined with an A level in Biology/Human Biology. Grades D*D*D* with Distinctions in all units required in addition to grade A at A Level.

BTEC Diploma in Applied Human Biology, Applied Psychology or Applied Science accepted when combined with two acceptable A levels, including Biology/Human Biology.

BTEC Subsidiary Diploma is not accepted.

Deferring admission and gap years: Deferring admission is usually not a problem but please inform the School or central Admissions. The university has a neutral attitude to gap years. You can still apply in advance for deferred entry and would be advised to do so.

Entry year: We will only consider first year entry onto the BSc in Neuroscience, and not second or third year entry.

Applicants who take the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and meet our offer criteria will be made the typical offer for the programme, plus an alternative offer, which will be one grade lower plus a grade A in the EPQ.

Alternative offers through our Pathways to Birmingham programmes and our Contextual Offer scheme

Students who are eligible and successfully complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme will receive special consideration from admissions tutors and an alternative offer (typically two grades below the standard offer). In addition, our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement in school or college. If you are eligible to benefit from the contextual offer scheme, you will receive an offer which is one grade lower than the standard offer.

International Students

International Baccalaureate Diploma: 6, 6, 6 in Higher Level subjects plus 32 points overall. Higher Level subjects need to include the required subjects as defined for the A-level qualification, where applicable.

Standard English language requirements apply.

Learn more about international entry requirements.

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages.

The Human Neuroscience BSc is taught by international experts in neuroscience research and gives students broad coverage from molecules to behaviour.

How you will learn

Your learning will take place in a range of different settings across the University, including:

  • Psychology
  • Medicine
  • Biosciences
  • Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
  • Philosophy

Support

You will have access to a comprehensive support system to help you make the transition to Higher Education.

  • Personal tutors - You will be assigned your own personal tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies. They will provide academic support and advice to enable you to make the most of your time here at Birmingham.
  • Wellbeing officers - We have dedicated wellbeing officers who provide professional support, advice and guidance to students across a range of issues. They can meet with you to discuss extensions, disabilities, reasonable adjustments, extenuating circumstances, or talk through any problems you might be experiencing, and help you access wider support on campus and beyond.
  • Academic Skills Centre - The centre aims to help you become a more effective and independent learner through a range of high-quality support services. The centre offers workshops on a range of topics, such as note-taking, reading, academic writing and presentation skills.

 

  • Student experience - Our Student Experience Team will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They will offer research opportunities, study skills support and help you prepare for your post-university careers. They will also organise social events, such as field trips, to help you meet fellow students from your course.

During your first year it is important that you have a smooth transition into university. You will be able to talk to your tutors about this and discuss if there are particular areas where you need support.

Seminars and tutorials

The course is taught through a timetable of lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical classes. You will be taught by a mixture of professors, doctors and postgraduates, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience. You can find out more about the members of staff in the School of Psychology where you can read about their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest.

We advocate an enquiry-based learning approach. From the outset you will be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner, qualities that are highly sought after by employers. We want you to be challenged and will encourage you to think for yourself.

Our Academic Skills Centre will also develop your mathematical, academic writing and general academic skills. The centre aims to help you to become a more effective and independent learner through the use of high-quality learning support services.

These range from drop-in sessions provided by experienced mathematicians, to workshops on a range of topics including note talking, reading, writing and presentation skills.

Lecturers and world leading researchers

The world-leading research we do feeds directly into our undergraduate programmes, which means you will be learning from academics who are experts in their fields.

The School’s research is supported by approximately £4.7 million grant income per year and has the latest equipment and a number of specialised research centres including:

Resources and facilities

You will have the opportunity to conduct an advanced research project in laboratories involved in cutting-edge research.

You will have access to purpose-built facilities specifically equipped for work in human brain sciences and our research laboratories include facilities for the latest techniques, including:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging
  • Electroencephalography
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation
  • Transcranial direct-current stimulation

We also have behavioural laboratories devoted to: attention, language, emotion, memory, motor control and eye-tracking.

Contact Hours

Throughout your Human Neuroscience BSc degree you can expect an average of around 12 contact hours per week.  Approximately half of the time is in lectures and the other half in other activities such as tutorials, seminars, workshops or labs.  The exact number will vary according to your module choices as you will choose from the different schools that contribute to the programme and the hours also vary according to year.

Assessment Methods

At the beginning of each module you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed for that particular programme of study.

You will receive feedback on each assessment within four weeks so you can learn from and build on what you have done.

Assessment varies by module, but in addition to your third year research project (dissertation), you can expect to complete:

  • Essays
  • Lab reports
  • Abstracts
  • Grant proposals
  • Oral presentations
  • Short answer questions
  • Multiple choice examinations

During your first year you will undergo a formal transition review to see how you are progressing.

 

This is a new degree course, so no employability statistics are available. However, Psychology, as a related degree, can give some indication of employment prospects.

Our graduates are well respected and are successful in finding careers both in professional or academic psychology and, more generally, in the professional, commercial and industrial world.

Psychology graduates are qualified to take up a wide range of careers, and many continue in psychology. Our Single Honours graduates are eligible for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society and Graduate Basis for Registration of the BPS, which is the first step towards postgraduate training and careers in clinical, forensic, educational or occupational psychology. Others work for higher degrees or join a team as research assistants. Yet others may become teachers of psychology in schools, sixth form colleges or colleges of further education.

Psychology is a broad discipline and our programme offers a range of transferable analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills. As a Psychology graduate you may enter a career in which your knowledge of psychology is a useful foundation, including but not limited to: broadcasting, journalism, human resource management, marketing, social work, the Probation Service and the Civil Service. Other past graduates have also gone on to jobs in industry and commerce, computing, the police and local government

Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area. Our team source exclusive work experience opportunities to help you stand out amongst the competition, with mentoring, global internshipsand placements available to you.  Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CV’s and job applications will help give you the edge. In addition, our employer-endorsed award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA)recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.

Find out more about career opportunities in Psychology

Careers Network

Careers Network, our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area. Our team source exclusive work experience opportunities to help you stand out amongst the competition, with mentoring, global internships and placements available to you.  Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs and job applications will help give you the edge. In addition, our employer-endorsed award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.