Research Master's in Neurocognitive Psychology University of Oldenburg

The Master's degree in Neurocognitive Psychology is a two-year research-oriented international graduate programme that provides systematic coverage of the major fields in psychology and in-depth training in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology.

In our English-taught classes taught in person in Oldenburg, Germany, you can get in direct contact with teachers and students from all over the world and build a long-lasting professional network.

As a graduate student, you will be able to choose from a variety of research and applied modules that span the research focus of the Department of Psychology, and you will be actively involved in its ongoing research activities (cutting-edge topics such as multisensory integration, auditory perception and noise exposure, brain oscillations and behaviour, cortical plasticity, individual differences in cognitive functioning and social cognition, ambulatory assessments of hearing and cognitive decline and non-pharmacological interventions, neuromodulation, neurophysiology of everyday tasks, motor imagery and neurofeedback for functional neurorehabilitation, brain-machine interfaces, pharmaco-neuroimaging, and statistical modelling of brain behaviour associations). The mandatory internship at an external research institution, clinic, administrative body, company or consultancy will help to shape your career path.

The programme does not focus on clinical psychology.

Reasons to study Neurocognitive Psychology

• hands-on research experience in state-of-the-art neuroscience and psychology labs (fMRI, (mobile) EEG, transcranial magnetic and alternating current stimulation (TMS/tACS), MEG, fNIRS)
• English-taught psychology programme with many international students
• interdisciplinary background of teachers and students
• ERASMUS+ partnerships for studying abroad with a number of renowned European universities

Career perspectives

The Master's programme prepares students for a wide range of attractive employment fields. The department regularly organises events to help with the career orientation. Almost all graduates find a job within a few months of graduation or opt to continue their studies: Currently, about 50% continue into a doctoral programme while most others work in a clinical setting. The programme does not result in a license to practice psychotherapy in Germany. Possible career fields include:

• an academic career (PhD)
• research in psychology and neuroscience
• neuropsychological assessment and therapy in neurological hospitals and rehabilitation units
• areas focusing on human information processing and decision making: human-machine interfaces, usability, cognitive ergonomics
• data science

The general part of the course contains five mandatory modules, including computation in neuroscience with Matlab/PsychoPy, statistics, diagnostics and assessment, and scientific communication. The Minor module allows you to broaden your view and take courses from fields related to psychology, additional psychology courses, or German/academic English courses.

The specialised part offers several modules from which students may choose according to their interests (requiring 24 CP).

The practical part of the programme includes 12 CP for a mandatory internship (lasting 360 hours) which can be carried out in (clinical) institutions, companies, or research groups that employ psychologists. Another nine CP must be acquired via the practical project module, where you will gain hands-on research experience in one of the psychology labs at the University of Oldenburg. 30 CP are allocated for completing a Master's thesis with an accompanying Master's colloquium.

General part (mandatory): 45 CP

• Research Methods
• Psychological Assessment and Diagnostics
• Communication of Scientific Results
• Minor (choose a class that fits your interests)
• Computation in Neuroscience

Specialised part: choose 24 CP

• Neurophysiology (EEG)
• Neurocognition
• Sex and Cognition
• Neuropsychology
• Applied Cognitive Psychology
• Human Computer Interaction
• Functional MRI Data Analysis
• Transcranial Brain Stimulation
• Clinical Psychology
• Ambulatory Assessment in Psychology
• Study abroad Psychology / Neuroscience 2 x 6 CP (to accredit modules from a study abroad)

Practical part: 51 CP

• Internship or lab visit
• Practical project (research project in one of the laboratories of the Department of Psychology; external projects are possible)
• Master's thesis & Master's colloquium 30 CP

Total: 120 CP

Knowledge of either EEG, fMRI, or TBS data analysis or HCI or ambulatory assessment methods is essential for most practical projects and Master’s theses offered in the Department of Psychology. Therefore, we strongly advise attending at least one of the modules:
Neurophysiology (EEG)
Human Computer Interaction
Functional MRI Data Analysis
Transcranial Brain Stimulation
Ambulatory Assessment in Psychology

As part of the Research Master's programme, we will teach you various programming skills (Matlab, R, PsychoPy) that are essential for performing research in neurocognitive psychology. Those classes are mandatory, and together with classes in advanced statistics, they will make up many of the studying hours in your first year.

The programme includes a mandatory internship (lasting 360 hours). It may be split in two shorter internships.

The internship can take place at public institutions, clinics, hospitals, administrative bodies, private firms or companies, consultancy and advisory services, associations, academic institutions, or other organisations with relevant activities in the field of psychology. It can take place in Germany or abroad. We encourage research internships.

Several cooperating institutions in the Oldenburg area, which work in the area of clinical neuropsychology, accept applications for internships from students enrolled in the programme in "Neurocognitive Psychology".

Applicants are eligible for admission if they have completed a Bachelor's degree of at least 180 ECTS credits (three year full-time study) in the fields of psychology, cognitive science, or in a related field with the emphasis of study on psychology and/or cognitive sciences. At least 90 credit points (equivalent to 1.5 years) must have been obtained in the area of psychology and/or cognitive sciences. Alternatively, students with a Bachelor's degree from other relevant fields (natural sciences, mathematics, informatics, audiology, or medicine) may apply. All applicants must prove the following:

• 5 credit points (150 hours) in statistics
• 5 credit points (150 hours) in experimental psychological or neuroscientific work (e.g. research internship, experimental Bachelor's thesis, research assistant work, experimental projects as part of your studies)
• 5 credit points (150 hours) in biological psychology/neurosciences

Students may have to catch up on missing competencies in statistics in an additional module. The completion of the experimental work and the competencies in biological psychology/neuroscience need to be proven upon application.

Students will be admitted based on a ranking order based on the grade of their Bachelor's degree and points for additional qualifications: 

• at least three months of proven work experience or relevant scientific activities, e.g. as a student assistant or a Bachelor's thesis concerning neuropsychology, neurology, neurocognitive psychiatry, or cognitive and neurosciences 
• documented programming experience of at least 2 credit points or 60 hours
• proven stay abroad relevant to the study of at least four months
• English skills at level C1 or higher, proof not older than two years
• at least six months of continuous proven, voluntary social involvement (e.g. committee work, year of voluntary social work)

Details on the application and ranking procedure can be found on the course website.

We do not ask for letters of recommendation or letters of motivation!

Approx. 435 EUR per semester

You should expect to spend about 1,000 EUR per month to cover personal expenses (accommodation, health insurance, food, etc.).

Students are permitted to work alongside their studies. If you are a student from a non-EU country, you are allowed to work 140 full workdays or 280 half workdays per year.

We offer many student jobs in the Department of Psychology. These jobs are usually offered (once the students have studied here for a few months) in the areas of tutorials and lab work.

Please keep in mind that finding a student job is much easier if you speak some German.

Check funding opportunities here: https://uol.de/p15263en.

• Individual study and career counselling by the programme coordinator
• Neuroscience Career Day (organised by students for students)
• Study and Career Counselling Service of the university
• Career Day of the university

The student union (Studierendenwerk) owns and runs several different student accommodation buildings around the city. Although student rooms in Germany are typically rented unfurnished, the "Studierendenwerk" also provides furnished rooms for international students at affordable rates. They also help with finding private accommodation for international students.

There are also several ways to find private accommodation including:

• local newspapers, e.g. the NWZ
• Websites like www.wg-gesucht.de, where apartment listings can be narrowed down by desired criteria, such as number of flatmates or facilities available
• The "Schwarzes Brett" (notice board) on Stud.IP and several boards in the student canteen / "Mensa" building on campus (if you are still looking once you arrive in Oldenburg)

The University of Oldenburg was founded in 1973, making it one of Germany‘s young universities. Its goal is to find answers to the major challenges society faces in the 21st century – through interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research.

The pathways on the Oldenburg campus are short: the university's academic staff and administrative staff work closely together, using an interdisciplinary approach. Many are integrated into special research areas, research groups, and European clusters of excellence.

The university cooperates closely with more than 300 other universities worldwide and is also affiliated with non-university institutes in the areas of research, education, culture, and business.

The University of Oldenburg prepares approximately 15,000 students for professional life. It offers a broad range of disciplines, from language studies, cultural studies, and the humanities to educational sciences, art and musicology, the economic and social sciences, mathematics, computer science, and the natural sciences as well as the new medicine and health science programmes established in 2012, of which the Department of Psychology is a part.

The development of the excellent research performance of Oldenburg has started to attract the Max-Planck, Helmholtz, Leibniz, and Fraunhofer Associations, which have established research groups and junior researcher groups in Oldenburg particularly in the last few years.

The University of Oldenburg is a centre of research with national and international appeal. All academic fields have developed concise criteria for excellence, organised according to quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and originality and in compliance with international standards. The university creates space for scientific networking within the university and beyond. Interdisciplinary and social responsibility are identity-forming hallmarks of research in Oldenburg. Scientific networking also leads to an efficient transfer of research results in the programmes.

The Department of Psychology in Oldenburg is probably among the best-equipped in the country. It offers access to state-of-the-art neuroimaging facilities such as an MEG system and a 3 Tesla MRI scanner. It also has access to three fNIRS setups, six high density EEG labs, and several neuromodulation devices (TMS, tACS, tDCS). Scientists in Oldenburg also work with mobile EEG and mobile eye-tracking systems.

Oldenburg looks back on more than 900 years of history and is now, with its +176,000 inhabitants, a centre of cultural, scientific and economic life in the region of North-West Germany.

Oldenburg is a good place to live. A mix of entertainment and culture – bars, restaurants and trendy venues as well as theatres and a number of museums – create a big-city feeling. Yet it is a safe place where you can get around easily on your bicycle, as most students do. The city has a well-developed bus system. Student fees cover public transport in the city itself and all over Germany. The green city is also directly connected to the European rail network.

For further information, please visit the following website: https://www.oldenburg.de/.