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MRes
programme
in
Brain Imaging & Cognitive Neuroscience
[download
brochure - 190kb PDF file]
The School of Psychology is offering a masters level
research training in Brain Imaging & Cognitive Neuroscience
We are offering a combined taught and research MRes
course 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.
All of our MRes courses have been recognised by
the ESRC, and so the Brain Imaging Mres can be taken
as a stand alone course or as the first year of
a 4-year PhD program.
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 & 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 employment-related skills, including
oral and written communication and
information technology (IT) 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 & 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 computer-based
training in data analysis and seminar-based
workshop sessions discussion imaging
methods.
-
Cognitive Neuroscience lectures
will cover the main areas of current
research in cognitive neuroscience,
including neuropsychology & brain
mapping, plasticity 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 & 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.
Matlab Programming (10
credits Taught)
-
The module will provide an introduction
to Matlab programming and script
writing.
Topics covered will include
basic programming structures, functions,
loops and arrays, data types etc.
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
(e.g. 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 (e.g.
job searching, application forms
and CV's, the job interview).
Foundation / Psychological Issues (10 credits
Taught)
Research Placements 1 & 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.
-
Research placements and projects
would usually be within one of the
School’s three research groupings:
-
Behavioural Neuroscience
-
Perception, Cognition and Language
-
Applied Social and Health Psychology
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).
Admissions
Admission to
the course is determined by the Admissions Tutor,
subject to confirmation by the University Academic
Office. Candidates are expected to have graduated
or are likely to graduate with a degree or equivalent
qualification, normally in Psychology or a related
discipline, normally at 2:1 honours level. Other
degrees and qualifications are welcomed and will
be considered on an individual basis.
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. For overseas applicants, the
requirement is any one of the following: GCE O Level
Engish Language, grade C; GCSE English, grade C;
IELTS score of 6.0; TOEFL score of 550 (213 computer
version); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in
English, grade C; Cambridge Certificate in Advanced
English, grade A; NEAB Test in English, Pass; Warwick
University English Language Test, BBB.
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 - UK/EU students:
£3,165 (2006/7 figures)
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 £2000. All students
who are offered a place on the course will be considered
for this scholarship.
Course Starting Date
The course is offered at the start of each academic
year, at the beginning of October.
Available Places
In 2008 we expect to have around 10 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
Telephone: 0121 414 4906
Email: p.k.chahal@bham.ac.uk
School of Psychology
University
of
Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK.
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