How can we increase the effectiveness and memorability of an advertisement? Can we tell from someone's pupil size if they are getting tired, for instance while driving or operating a machine? How did researchers working at Memorylab succeed in using a computational model of memory to develop an app that enables students to study more efficiently?
In the Applied Cognitive Neuroscience master, you will acquire foundational knowledge and skills that will allow you to work in a variety of different industries where insights from cognitive neuroscience are used to help in preventing cognitive errors and improve human functioning.
Foundational knowledge and skills are taught in high-level courses by top scientists in cognitive neuroscience. Subsequently, you will conduct an internship and a research project in which you are trained in creating applications and independently setting up and carrying out research to test the effectiveness of these applications.
Upon completion of the ACN master track, you will have gained practical skills that are crucial in today's job market, both in academia and business.
You will
Besides the two core courses (Trends in cognitive neuroscience and Applied cognitive neuroscience), one skills course (Data collection and analysis for cognitive neuroscience), and a master's thesis/internship, you can choose from a broad range of elective courses.
Semesters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
Data collection and analysis for cognitive neuroscience (5 EC) | ||||
Repeated Measures (5 EC, optional) | ||||
Trends in Cognitive Neuroscience (5 EC) | ||||
Internship (10 or 20 EC) | ||||
Master's thesis (10 or 20 EC) | ||||
Applied Cognitive Neuroscience (5 EC) | ||||
Test Construction (5 EC, optional) |
Specific requirements | More information |
---|---|
previous education |
Your previous education and chosen master track determine the application procedure and whether you are eligible for admission to the master or a possible premaster. Check https://www.rug.nl/gmw/masters/psychology/toelatingseisen-masters-psychologie to find the admission requirements that apply to you. |
language test |
Depending on your background and language of the track of your choice, you will have to submit proof of your proficiency in either Dutch or English. For more information see https://www.rug.nl/gmw/masters/psychology/toelatingseisen-masters-psychologie |
For all information, including above mentioned topics, please carefully inspect the pages on Application, Admission and Selection.
Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
---|---|---|
Dutch students | 15 November 2024 | 01 February 2025 |
01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 | |
15 November 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
EU/EEA students | 15 November 2024 | 01 February 2025 |
01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 | |
15 November 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
non-EU/EEA students | 15 November 2024 | 01 February 2025 |
01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 | |
15 November 2025 | 01 February 2026 |
Deadline for master's tracks with selection is 1 October and 1 March Deadline for master's tracks without selection is 15 November and 1 May*.
Please note: We strongly advise non-EU/EEA students to submit the application well in advance of this deadline* (more than 1 month) to allow sufficient time to obtain or renew a visa.
Specific requirements | More information |
---|---|
previous education |
Your previous education and chosen master track determine the application procedure and whether you are eligible for admission to the master or a possible premaster. Check https://www.rug.nl/gmw/masters/psychology/toelatingseisen-masters-psychologie to find the admission requirements that apply to you. |
language test |
Depending on your background and language of the track of your choice, you will have to submit proof of your proficiency in either Dutch or English. For more information see https://www.rug.nl/gmw/masters/psychology/toelatingseisen-masters-psychologie |
Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
---|---|---|
Dutch students | 15 November 2024 | 01 February 2025 |
01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 | |
15 November 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
EU/EEA students | 15 November 2024 | 01 February 2025 |
01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 | |
15 November 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
non-EU/EEA students | 15 November 2024 | 01 February 2025 |
01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 | |
15 November 2025 | 01 February 2026 |
Deadline for master's tracks with selection is 1 October and 1 March Deadline for master's tracks without selection is 15 November and 1 May*.
Please note: We strongly advise non-EU/EEA students to submit the application well in advance of this deadline* (more than 1 month) to allow sufficient time to obtain or renew a visa.
Nationality | Year | Fee | Programme form |
---|---|---|---|
EU/EEA | 2024-2025 | € 2530 | full-time |
non-EU/EEA | 2024-2025 | € 20800 | full-time |
Practical information for:
After you have finished the master Applied Cognitive Neuroscience, you will be able to work with human data in the broadest sense, and this is a unique set of skills that is relevant in many areas of today's job market.
For example, you will be able to
And finally, but just as importantly, you will have a deeper understanding of the human mind.
Career services
BSS
Where do you want to work after your studies? You can
contact
Career
Services
already during your studies.
They will help you orientate on your career, develop your skills,
apply for jobs and find an internship.
CPP graduates are well prepared for a career as researcher, for example as PhD student at a university, but also in the private (Philips, Unilever) or government sector (ministries, TNO), or with NGOs(SWOV).
You can use your skills and knowledge as CN-graduate to advise companies, NGOs of the government about the latest developments in applied cognitive neuroscience, for example in the context of human-computer interaction, or on recent developments such as neuromarketing.
For a general overview of research of the Psychology department have a look at Mindwise. This is a blog platform of the Department of Psychology of the University of Groningen (located in the Netherlands). Staff and students write in a personal capacity about psychological research and education in Groningen, and express their opinions on current affairs based on their expertise.
The CPP programme is very practical. You learn how to conduct research by using different instruments.
My name is Robin Hake and I come from Germany. Before I came to Groningen I studied computer science. The idea of coming to Groningen first popped into my head when an acquaintance of mine told me about the UG and its psychology programme. I decided to move to Groningen because of its good reputation and because I already had friends studying here.
My first moments in Groningen were rather overwhelming. I come from a small village in Germany so it was a big change. Also, the university where I previously studied was very small; I was not used to having so many people around. I also had to get used to speaking English. After I arrived, I took an intensive Dutch course for a month, only to find out afterwards that this was not necessary since everyone here speaks good English.
What motivated me to study psychology was a book by Daniel Kahneman called ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’. I was so intrigued about finding out more about psychology that I dropped my computer science programme and switched to the UG. Kahneman’s main research field in psychology is cognitive psychology. My favourite course unit in the Bachelor’s programme was also cognitive psychology. These factors inspired me to choose the Cognitive Psychology and Psychophysiology (CPP) track; I think it is the most interesting topic in psychology.
The CPP programme is very practical. You learn how to conduct research by using different instruments. There are many course units where you learn how to use tools such as eye-trackers and EEGs, or understand the principles underlying fMRI and TMS. In the field of cognitive psychology, it is essential that you are able to work with these tools.
The structure of this programme is a bit different to the other programmes. You follow all your course units during the first semester, and during the second you only write your thesis. I think this structure is very beneficial for students, since you have all the theoretical knowledge before writing your thesis.
Robin Hake, 24, masterstudent in Cognitive Psychology and Psychophysiology
The Master's programme concentrates on research focusing on application in practice.
My name is Tabitha Steendam, I'm 24 and I'm currently following two Master's degree programmes at the UG: Cognitive Psychology and Psychophysiology and the Research Master's in Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences.
The UG was the obvious choice. It offers high-quality teaching, particularly in the field of research. As I want to become a researcher, I chose to do not only my Bachelor’s but also my Master’s at the UG. The Master’s in Cognitive Psychology and Psychophysiology more than matched my interests and gave me the opportunity to learn the skills and knowledge I will need in the future. Another reason for studying here is that Groningen is a very exciting city for students and has a nice atmosphere.
The Master’s in Cognitive Psychology and Psychophysiology is a great programme. The group of students is smaller than in the Bachelor’s, which makes it very personal. There is a lot more contact with the lecturers and with fellow students, which I find very motivating. We organize drinks parties so that you can meet the staff and where you can discuss which subject you would like to tackle in your Master’s thesis.
The Master’s programme concentrates on research focusing on application in practice. In the first semester you follow course units and in the second you write your Master’s thesis. This means that you can use and expand the knowledge and skills you acquired in the first semester in writing your thesis.
The Master's programme I coordinate combines fundamental cognitive psychology with applied elements.
My name is Sebastiaan Mathôt and I am assistant professor in the Experimental Psychology department and coordinator of the Master's in Cognitive Psychology and Psychophysiology.
My field, experimental or cognitive psychology, focuses on fundamental thought processes like perception, memory and attention. I find it interesting to look at human behaviour at this basic level. In my own research I focus on human behaviour by studying topics such as attention, eye movements and pupil size. In addition to conducting research I also develop scientific software, including OpenSesame, a programme that designs and conducts psychological experiments.
The Master’s programme I coordinate combines fundamental
cognitive psychology with applied elements. This makes it very
different from other programmes in this field, which in most cases
focus exclusively on research. In this UG Master’s you will
not only learn how cognitive processes work but also how you can
apply this knowledge in practice and in the business world. Think
of the role attention plays in how drivers experience traffic
situations for example, or doctors look at scans, and how we all
experience advertisements. Stefan van der Stigchel has written an
interesting book about attention (Zo werkt aandacht),
which provides a good overview of our field and how we deal with
this in our Master’s programme.
In this programme, students can thus expect to learn fundamental
knowledge as well as practical skills in course units such as
statistics and methodology. In addition, we offer an extensive
research placement, where students learn to apply this knowledge in
practice.
You:
Given that CPP can be rather technical (for example programming experiments, or analyses), affinity with technology is recommended.
In the Psychology programme, there is a strong focus on study advice. Study advisors are available for both the Dutch-taught and English-taught programmes. You can contact them as a prospective student, current student, or former student of programmes within the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences.