Duration

Full time-1 year

Μοde of Delivery

On site, Online

Language of Delivery

Greek

Start Date

October 2025

Location

Athens, Greece

Description

MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience was designed as a bridge between undergraduate studies and doctoral research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Experimental Psychology and Neuroimaging methods.

As graduate students, you will learn to design, analyse and evaluate neuroimaging experiments, which contribute to our understanding of the brain mechanisms that underpin aspects of cognition and behavior such as memory, attention, object recognition, cerebral neurodegeneration and injury. You will receive an in-depth training in Cognitive Neuroscience research, an introduction to Neuroimaging principles and hands-on experience in Structural and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI and fMRI), Electroencephalography ( electroencephalography-EEG) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS).

Psychology at Swansea University is ranked Top 201-250 in the World (QS World University Ranking by Subject 2025).

Objective of the programme

  • You will receive a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of Cognitive Neuroscience, guided by academics and practitioners, specialized in the fields of research and clinical practice, including the fields of Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, Neuroscience, Brain Injury, sleep, and Developmental Psychology.
  • You will gain knowledge of current research practices and findings, as well as theoretical developments in the field of Neuroscience, while the wide range of modules will help tailor your studies to your particular interests and goals for further research and study.
  • You will form your academic foundation for future doctoral level studies. Upon completion of the programme, you will be able to apply to any PhD programme related to Cognitive Neuroscience.
  • You will have unique networking opportunities with industry professionals and alumni.
  • You will receive a high-level education, while the opportunity to attend certified seminars and workshops alongside postgraduate studies and without additional financial burden is provided, thus building a strong CV and acquiring useful practical and research skills.

Why choose the “Cognitive Neuroscience” Master’s Programme?

The programme combines a research and clinical focus with comprehensive practical training.

Students can, within the framework of the programme:

  • take part in training in clinical neuropsychology,

  • actively engage in the use of tools for assessment, diagnosis, and rehabilitation (WAIS, RAVLT, ACE, SDMT, TMT, Stroop Test),

  • gain hands-on experience with techniques such as EEG, DCS, fMRI, and in the analysis of neuroimaging data,

  • practically apply what they learn in selected laboratories and diagnostic centers, depending on their interests.

A programme that combines pioneering knowledge, applied practice, and professional prospects!

Programme Structure

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The module provides coverage of the fundamentals of statistical analysis through a practical/conceptual rather than a theoretical approach. Instructions are given for the use of statistical data analysis programmes using a PC. The aim of this approach is to ensure an understanding of the measurement concept and the ability to perform parametric and non-parametric statistical hypothesis tests. The course leads to the ability to perform analysis of variance (ANOVA) and other advanced multivariate statistical analyses using a statistical programme, while allowing the interpretation of said analyses.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Critical application of measurement theory to psychological data
• Differentiation between nonparametric and parametric hypothesis testing
• Selecting and performing appropriate multivariate statistical analysis
• Critical evaluation of major statistical approaches in Psychology
• Critical evaluation of contemporary research in terms of experimental design and analysis.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The unit provides an introduction to the basic functional neuroanatomy of the human brain. Students will be taught the principles governing the anatomical organization and functional division of the brain. The evolutionary and developmental origins of brain structure and function, as well as the relationship between structure and function, will be discussed.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Review of basic human functional neuroanatomy
• Critical evaluation of the anatomical organization and functional compartmentalization of the human brain
• Critical investigation of the origins of brain structure and function
• Critical evaluation of the mapping of brain function structurally to the brain.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques provide the way to directly influence the way the brain works, and therefore have received much attention in various cognitive and clinical disciplines. The section provides a comprehensive overview of the use of such methodology as part of Cognitive Neuroscience research. Topics covered during the module include: the rationale for the use of brain stimulation techniques and its effective experimental design, the distinction between different brain stimulation techniques and the conclusions that each method allows us to draw, the practical considerations in conducting brain stimulation research and analysing the results of these methods.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Evaluation of brain stimulation methodology compared to other techniques used in Cognitive Neuroscience research
• Critical exploration of the advantages and disadvantages of brain stimulation
• Compare and contrast brain stimulation techniques
• Brain stimulation experimental design.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The module provides a comprehensive overview of basic brain recording techniques, with particular emphasis on electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Topics covered during the module include: the rationale for using EEG and MEG, the research questions investigated through these techniques, the confounding variables that arise when using them, and the research design of brain recording.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Assess the importance of EEG compared to alternative techniques used in Cognitive Neuroscience research
• Critically evaluate the contemporary use of EEG
• Compare and contrast EEG techniques
• Critically explore the importance of EEG parameters when designing a brain recording experiment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Neuroimaging techniques provide the means to measure brain activity and brain structure, and as such have received much attention from various cognitive and clinical disciplines. The section provides a comprehensive overview of the use of this investigative methodology as part of Cognitive Neuroscience research. Topics covered during the module include: the rationale for using neuroimaging and the effective experimental design of such a study, differentiating between different neuroimaging techniques and the inferences provided by each method, practical considerations when conducting a research neuroimaging and the analysis of the results of these methods. This module builds on and further enriches the knowledge of the previous modules of Experimental Designs I and II.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Assess the importance of neuroimaging techniques compared to alternative techniques used in Cognitive Neuroscience research
• Critically evaluate the contemporary use of neuroimaging
• Compare and contrast neuroimaging techniques
• Critically explore the importance of parameters when designing a neuroimaging experiment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Consisting of three parts, this self-directed e-Learning module will support students to settle into college and their course, helping them focus on their goals while teaching them new skills to succeed. They will look at college life and study, including making the most of your time at college, how to take charge of your own learning and where to go for advice, guidance and support. Students will also receive a solid foundation in some key academic skills, including different learning methods to help them thrive and practical advice on developing their personal and organizational skills. It is also important that they are introduced to the core values ​​of good academic practice, such as how to demonstrate good academic integrity in their work, how to find their own voice, and different tools and strategies to avoid accidental plagiarism.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Cognitive Neuropsychology is a discipline that combines the fields of Cognitive Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology. It involves the use of cognitive models of normal functioning to understand the cognitive impairments seen in brain-injured populations – with the aim of achieving both a detailed understanding of a case study’s profile and the appropriate intervention for the case at hand. Students will be taught about the functional anatomy of the cerebral cortex and how this information relates to the main methods of Cognitive Neuropsychology, and will also be introduced to the key clinically based theories that underpin the understanding of various neuropsychological syndromes such as aphasia and amnesia – knowledge that guides the rehabilitation methods available for brain-injured populations and the means by which appropriate rehabilitation interventions can be selected.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Students will be taught the types of mental disorders that can occur as a result of brain damage, their explanations through Cognitive Neuropsychology models, and appropriate interventions and research based on case studies. This includes:

• Overview of the goals and approaches of the field of Cognitive Neuropsychology
• Aphasia – speech deficits as a result of brain damage, interventions and theories
• Amnesia – memory deficits as a result of brain damage, interventions and theories
• Agnosia – visual-perceptual deficits as a result of brain damage , interventions and theories
• Executive functions – problem solving and planning deficits as a result of brain damage, interventions and theories.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Neuroimaging enables in vivo investigation of brain function. The module provides students with an introduction to functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data analysis with an emphasis on univariate analysis. Students will be taught the preprocessing and basic analysis of functional MRI data and how to use widely used software packages such as Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) and Analysis of Functional Neuro-Images (AFNI) ).

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Critical evaluation of the advantages and challenges of fMRI analysis
• Conducting basic fMRI data pre-processing with slice timing, realignment, co-registration, segmentation ), normalization and smoothing
• Perform the basic steps, performing first and second level analysis.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

EEG enables in vivo recording of brain function. The module provides students with an introduction to EEG data preprocessing and analysis with an emphasis on Event-Related Potentials (ERP). Students will be taught the preprocessing and analysis of EEG data and how to use widely used software packages such as EEGLab, a MATLAB toolbox.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Critically evaluate the advantages and challenges of ERPs
• Perform EEG data preprocessing (eg, reset, denoising (artifacts), epoch processing, and averaging)
• Perform EEG analysis using ERP.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The module provides a comprehensive overview of critical issues arising in Cognitive Neuroscience, the scientific study of the biological processes of cognition, e.g. memory, speech and emotion processing. Special emphasis is placed on functional and structural neuroimaging, EEG and brain stimulation. Current research issues (eg, brain-behavior interaction, appropriate experimental design, modularity vs. brain connectivity) are discussed, supplemented by recent research articles and studies. Students are expected to participate in the presentation and critical review of articles.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Critically evaluate the main critical issues in Cognitive Neuroscience
• Critically evaluate research methods and techniques in Cognitive Neuroscience
• Critically evaluate current research
• Synthesize information from different fields
• Identify new research directions based on existing literature.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The crisis of reproducibility that Psychology has suffered means that many established results are not statistically robust, jeopardizing the integrity of the discipline as a science. The section provides a comprehensive overview of these issues. Students will learn to use the general-purpose programming language Python to manipulate, model and visualize their data, and to ensure that their research reports are accurate and transparent.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Critical application of best practices for research openness in Psychology
• Implementation of Python code to manipulate raw data in an analysis -ready form
• Construction and interpretation of standard statistical data analysis models using the Python programming language (e.g., analysis of variance and regression)
• Constructing graphical representations to interpret the data.

The module covers planning, conducting and reporting a significant body of cognitive neuroscience research relevant to any branch of cognitive neuroscience. The thesis is intended to take the form of a scientific paper combined with a reflective review of the research process.

More information

The Postgraduate Programme in Cognitive Neuroscience equips students with in-depth knowledge and prepares graduates to pursue successful careers across a range of scientific and professional fields related to the study of the brain and human behavior.
Some of the potential career paths include:
  • PhD Candidate in Psychology, Neuroscience, or related disciplines
  • Researcher / Research Assistant
  • Clinical Study Coordinator
  • EEG, fMRI, and Statistical Data Analyst in biomedical or cognitive technology companies
  • Neuropsychologist (additional certifications may be required)
  • Cognitive Assessment Specialist
  • Developer / Evaluator of Psychometric and Cognitive Assessment Tools
  • Professional in Neurorehabilitation
  • Collaborator in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Development Teams
  • Consultant or Analyst in neurotechnology or neuromarketing firms
  • Educator

The programme is offered in class at scheduled sessions within our facilities located on 68 Syngrou Avenue (next to the ‘Syngrou – Fix’ Metro station). Through our modern educational platform you also have the opportunity to follow classes live on line (synchronous e-learning).

  • Degree in Higher Education (TEI, TEI, Colleges, etc.) from National and/or International Institutions.
  • In some cases, candidates who do not have a first degree but who have significant professional experience may be admitted to the programme, after an interview.
  • IELTS English language certificate, or other equivalent level certificate.

The registration process is simpler and shorter than ever!

You can register in the following ways:

Α) Online

You can download the registration form here and send it completed to admissions@ist.edu.gr,along with the necessary registration documents (to view them click here) and proof of deposit (to view the bank accounts click here.)

B) By visiting IST College

The IST College Administrative Staff will be at your disposal to help you register. All you need is to come to IST College, bringing with you the necessary registration documents, to view them click here.

The way the already affordable IST College tuition fees are paid is very flexible. In consultation with IST College financial services, it is possible to pay in instalments or in a lump sum with a corresponding discount.

In addition, your Education Advisor will inform you about the financial and social criteria that will secure you a tuition fee subsidy of up to 30%, supported by the IST College Student Support Fund.

You can also apply for one of the Scholarships offered by IST College, announced periodically by IST College, in collaboration with well-known companies and organisations. For more information click here.

It is important to note that by paying your tuition fees, apart from attending the courses, you will also enjoy a range of privileges and services at no extra charge such as:

  • Registration
  • Use of the IST College Library
  • Participation in the Examinations
  • Use of the IST College Modern Education Platform
  • Issuance of all certificates of study, grades and certificates from both IST College and the partner university
  • Participation in seminars, events and conferences organised and offered by IST College
  • A card that ensures preferential prices in college-affiliated shops of various sectors and services

Download the Study Guide (here)

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