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Studies & Degrees in Neuroscience

Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system: how the brain, the spinal cord and the nerves are built, how nerve cells communicate with each other, and how that activity produces perception, memory, movement and behaviour. The University of Bristol describes the range of the subject as the workings of the brain from molecules to neural systems. It is an interdisciplinary field. The University of Lethbridge builds its programme on biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and philosophy, and at the University of Pittsburgh students take biological sciences, chemistry, mathematics and physics next to the neuroscience courses themselves.

Students learn the cell and molecular biology of neurons, neurophysiology, the pharmacology of drugs that act on the nervous system, laboratory and brain-imaging techniques, statistics and, increasingly, computational methods. Neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia are studied as scientific problems. Most programmes end with a research project in a laboratory.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree. In the United Kingdom neuroscience is a degree in its own right. The BSc Neuroscience of the University of Bristol lasts three years full-time; the standard offer for 2027 entry is AAA at A-level, including two core science or mathematics subjects, and the university asks for IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in all skills from students whose first language is not English. It lists fees of £34,700 for the first year for international students (2027 entry). In the United States and Canada neuroscience is a major within a bachelor's degree. The University of Pittsburgh has offered the major since 1983 and reports more than 500 students in it; the University of Lethbridge awards a Bachelor of Science; at Duke University the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience runs bachelor's degrees and a minor.
  • Master's degree. The MSc Molecular Neuroscience at Bristol takes one year full-time, with six taught units and a research project, and typically requires an upper second-class honours degree in a life science, medicine, psychology or a related subject. In Spain, where official degrees consist of a bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits and master's degrees of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, a common route is a master's after a grado in a science or health subject. The Máster en Neurociencia of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) has 90 ECTS credits and is taught in Spanish and English. The UAM states that this degree has been replaced by a new máster universitario en Neurociencia y Neurotecnología and that the old programme admits no new students in 2026-27.
  • Doctorate. Research careers normally require a PhD. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical scientists typically have a PhD, usually in biology or a related life science, and PhD programmes focus on research in a particular field.

Where to study neuroscience

SpainExchange lists 88 active schools for neuroscience. The United States has 42, Spain 15, the United Kingdom 9 and Canada 3; Russia, the Netherlands, India, Mexico and Ukraine have two each. Examples in the United States are Stanford University, Duke University, The University of Chicago, The Rockefeller University, the University of Pittsburgh and Wellesley College. In Spain the list includes the Universidad de Navarra, the Universidad de Cádiz and the UAM. Elsewhere it includes the University of Bristol, the University of Lethbridge in Canada and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

Programmes in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada are taught in English. In Spain the usual language is Spanish, and research master's programmes may also require English: the UAM asks for level B2 or higher in both languages.

Careers

Many graduates continue in research. The University of Bristol reports that graduates of its MSc have gone on to PhD studentships, to careers in research or academia, and to industry, scientific writing or the coordination of clinical trials; some have gone on to study medicine. The University of Lethbridge lists research assistant, neuroscientist and work in biotechnology and education among possible careers, and describes the degree as a foundation for medicine and other professional studies.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical scientists, the occupational group that includes research on the nervous system, to grow 13 percent from 2025 to 2035. These scientists typically work in offices and laboratories at research organisations, hospitals, universities and pharmaceutical companies.

Frequently asked questions

Can I treat patients with a neuroscience degree?

Not with the degree alone. Neuroscience is a research science. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that medical scientists who practise medicine, for example by treating patients in clinical trials, must be licensed as physicians or other healthcare practitioners.

Do I need a PhD to work in neuroscience?

For independent research, usually yes: medical scientists typically need a PhD or a medical degree, although candidates sometimes qualify with a master's degree and experience. Bachelor's graduates also work as research assistants or in related sectors.

Which school subjects do I need?

Science and mathematics. The University of Bristol, for example, asks for two core science or mathematics subjects, a group that includes psychology, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.

How long does it take to study neuroscience?

A BSc in the United Kingdom takes three years and a taught master's one year. In Spain a grado has 240 ECTS credits and a master's 60 to 120 ECTS credits. A doctorate follows for those who want a research career.