BSc Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience ,with Placement Year

If you want to understand the brain processes that allow us to better understand our place in the world, then psychology with cognitive neuroscience at Essex is for you. We provide one of the most immersive and exciting experiences of studying human thoughts and behaviours in the UK. Our teaching and research focus on innovative solutions to societal challenges, so that you develop the skills and knowledge to make a difference in our world.

Psychologists conduct experiments to study cognitive abilities, such as how we perceive others, how we make decisions, how we remember, and how we speak. Cognitive Neuroscientists link these questions directly to underlying brain processes; they make use of brain imaging techniques to answer which brain areas support these abilities. They also use time-sensitive imaging methodologies to explore the exact timing of these processes. Together, researchers from both disciplines aim to map the relationship between brain and behaviour.

You'll be introduced to contemporary research questions from different fields, including vision, hearing, memory, and language. You'll develop a thorough understanding of how these questions can be answered, what the current state-of-the-art knowledge is, which methodologies are best suited to study which questions, and how different subfields work together to further our understanding of what may seem like simple questions but are in reality complex endeavours. You'll be immersed in a supportive, interactive, and methodical hands-on environment.

Satisfy your curiosity by learning from world-renowned researchers at the cutting edge of psychological science. At Essex, we take a multi-method approach, working beyond traditional boundaries to combine different expertise and share fascinating techniques and intriguing theories.

You cover core areas in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, including:

• brain and behaviour
• methods in cognitive neuroscience
• applied psychology
• language, memory and perception
• developmental psychology

At Essex, you learn psychology from the start. In your first year, your modules address major challenges that society faces today. We embed key skills such as research methods and statistics into topics you are interested in. You are taught topics one-by-one to help you consolidate your knowledge.

You continue to develop these skills during your second year, taking a deeper dive into topics such as brain and behaviour and health psychology. In your final year, you specialise in areas that really interest you. You also have the opportunity to take one or more applied modules across your three years with us, in the areas of health, global challenges, self-improvement, sustainability, the criminal mind and more, developing your knowledge of real-world psychology.

Additional opportunities

• You learn from our researchers and can work alongside them via our Research Experience Scheme (RES) which gives you the opportunity to work one-on-one with a psychologist as their research assistant.
• The SHOUT scheme allows you to use your skills and creativity to make our department a better place and promote what we do beyond Essex, through social media, activities and events.
• Our Department of Psychology had a unique partnership with the Essex Health, Wellbeing and Care Hub, providing you with short-term, on-campus internships working alongside health and wellbeing practitioners.