MSc in Neuroscience.

University of Oxford

About the course: The one year MSc 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. 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. The academic year begins in late September and is divided into three terms. The first term provides an introduction to neuroscience and research methods, while the second and third terms combine advanced taught courses, essay writing and two laboratory rotations (research projects). 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. SupervisionThe allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Medical Sciences Division and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Medical Sciences Division. Assessment: Each of the MSc research projects are written up as 10,000-word dissertations. The course concludes with an oral examination. Graduate destinations: Immediately after the MSc in Neuroscience, almost 60% of the 220 students to graduate to date have gone on to do a PhD, either at Oxford or elsewhere. A further 17% continued into graduate medicine. Only 6% left science altogether. Others have taken science-related jobs, including science journalism and science communication, or become management consultants in the biotechnology sector.

Neuroscience