MSc Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology

• Ageing & Neurodegenerative Disorders: Cognitive abilities rise steeply from infancy to young adulthood and then are either maintained or decline in old age, depending on ability. This unit will focus on the mechanisms that underpin these changes, and will explore illnesses that usually develop in later life (e.g. dementia, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease).
• Clinical & Cognitive Neuropsychology: This unit explores the diagnostic assessment and treatment of patients with brain injury or neurocognitive deficits. You will gain an in-depth understanding of neurological injury, the use of neuropsychological tests to accurately assess cognitive deficits and the management, treatment and rehabilitation of brain injured and cognitively impaired patients. At the end of the unit, you'll have an advanced knowledge of how our understanding of cognition can be informed by patient studies.
• Neurodevelopmental Diversity: This unit explores typical neural and cognitive development in childhood, and takes an in-depth look at several cases of atypical development (e.g. dyslexia, ADHD and autism). You will learn more about how to adapt environments for people with developmental conditions, and will learn about related careers from professionals working in this field.
• Introduction to Research Methods: This unit covers theoretical foundations of and methodological issues involved in conducting psychological research, and provides an introduction to qualitative and quantitative approaches. 
• Advanced Quantitative Methods: This unit covers the theoretical background, the performance, and the interpretation of range of statistical techniques intended for analysing data from psychological research. 
• Digital Methods and Data Skills: This unit aims to equip students with core skills for data-driven social science research. Specifically, this unit will equip students in skills around digital research design, data capture, curation, storage and digital data analysis and will introduce concepts of machine learning and artificial intelligence and discuss legal and ethical issues in social science research. 
• Research Project: You'll get to choose from a set of research projects provided by our teaching staff. You will then be responsible for providing an in-depth literature review and designing an experiment to address the research question. You will be expected to collect and analyse data and will be asked to provide a submission-ready write up of the project. Supervision for the research project will be provided in weekly meetings.

You have the option to undertake a minimum 12 days (or 90 hours) over a three-month period or a maximum of 32 days (or 240 hours) over an eight-month period, pending availability in clinical or research settings, providing an opportunity to apply your acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace. Placements will be allocated during Semester 1 on a competitive basis.

During the placements, you will be given an honourary contract and will have the opportunity to gain experience in a clinical setting, regularly meeting with clinical neuropsychologists and taking part in professional life in this field. You will be involved in data collection and handling such as PAL interviews, behavioural monitoring, UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative (UKROC), and use of assistive technology.

You will also be offered research opportunities that may or may not form part of your Research Project. These could involve case studies, literature reviews to support clinical intervention, or the use of assistive technology. This includes dissertation possibilities. In addition, you will have the opportunity to attend multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDTs)/goal setting meetings during which the patient's history, progress and treatment will be discussed.

Placements are an optional (zero credit) component of the course. Applications for placements involve submitting a CV and undertaking an interview. Placement positions are highly competitive so we cannot guarantee each student a placement or the placement of their choice, but we do our utmost to help everyone who wants one to gain a placement. We additionally encourage students to find their own placements in order to enhance their chances of obtaining a position.

You must complete a minimum of 12 weeks (one day per week), though placements can be longer (subject to agreement between yourself and the placement provider). You will spend eight hours per week on placement. You will be expected to keep a placement log and undergo a halfway and end of placement review.

For those more interested in research, internal placements working with a member of staff in the Psychology Research Group will be offered. External research placements are also a possibility if you are able to secure an agreement with a chosen researcher at another institution.

Research placements offer invaluable experience for those wanting to go on to do PhD-level research. You will be expected to spend the equivalent of 8 hours per week for a minimum of 12 weeks, keep a placement log, undergo a half-way and end of placement review. Regular meetings with the academic supervisor will be held.

The Neuropsychology Service is part of the Dorset Healthcare University Foundation Trust. Within this organization, students will work in one of several positions under the overall supervision of Dr Birgit Gurr, consultant clinical neuropsychologist.

Students may be placed at Poole Hospital’s Stroke Unit, where they will learn about neuropsychological aspects of stroke mainly focusing on cognitive, emotional and behavioural changes in the acute period after stroke.  Following introduction to the Stroke Unit, the patients and the procedures, student will observe Dr Gurr initially to learn about the administration of baseline assessments, how to establish rapport with stroke patients and how to engage them in basic psychological support. The placement is an excellent opportunity to learn and practice clinical skills whilst under the guidance of a highly experienced clinician. Students will learn to independently administer baseline neuropsychological assessments; undertake clinical psychology interviews and mood assessments. They will be extensively involved in cognitive stimulation work, reminiscence intervention, supportive counselling, administering basic relaxation and coping strategies.

As part of a multidisciplinary team at the Stroke Unit, students will participate in the morning handover meetings, case meeting with doctors and most of all will collaborate with other therapists to coordinate their assessments and interventions with the holistic neuro-rehabilitation programmes. During weekly lunchtime seminars, students will be introduced to knowledge about neurological aspects of stroke, brain injury, but also neuropsychological theory, test theory and psychotherapy theory and strategies. Students are given the opportunity to orally present and discuss a mini-case study during the month of January, a skill which is directly applicable to assignments in the course.

As an alternative to the Stroke Unit, students may be placed in the Community Brain Injury (CBI) Team. Students working in this role would initially shadow Dr Gurr as described above, in order to learn basic skills related to working with patients with brain damage. They would then be recommended to work with the CBI team. In this role, students can work with other psychologists on the team, facilitating assessments, group activities or the peer support group.

There may be further opportunities to work with in-patients at the Neurological Assessment and Rehabilitation unit at Poole Hospital. All of the placements with the Neuropsychology Service follow a gradual programme of teaching and applied practice. Commonly, students have acquired substantial skills and knowledge by January-February during the placement year. This can enable them to work fairly autonomously on the level of assistant neuropsychologists. This experience is often very valuable for those candidates who intend to apply for assistant jobs in view of clinical psychology training. Additionally, students will be confronted with the pressures and professional requirements of working in the NHS, which will add substantially to their work experience.

Students who have gained the confidence, skill and knowledge to work professionally with patients often welcome the opportunity to enroll in other activities offered within the Neuropsychology Service, such as such as cognitive-behavioural, relaxation, health management and life skills groups within Poole Hospital. Also, participation in free courses by Dorset Healthcare is possible.

A previous student commented: “This has been a positively stretching experience for me. I have learnt so much. Birgit has really invested her time and energy in the students. She has been flexible and receptive to our learning goals.” Another said: “I think it’s important to have self-confidence, to be independent and to be comfortable initiating.” Indeed, as all opportunities with the Neuropsychology Service are year-long placements, it is absolutely critical that students are committed and highly enthusiastic to learn and participate in a real world clinical and working environment. 

Branksome Clinic offers IPT for adults with severe and enduring emotional and psychological difficulties, such as personality disorders or PTSD.

Within this service, students are welcomed to join the team of assistant psychologists working under Dr Sophie Rushbrook. Sophie is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, trained and accredited in cognitive analytic therapy, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy, and is an international trainer for Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for individuals with severe, enduring personality disorder.

On this placement, you may have the opportunity to be trained to deliver the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), and to take part in different therapeutic work (DBT, or RO-DBT). As this is quite a high-risk environment, Sophie will assess what tasks are suitable for you. There’s plenty to help out with!

This is a challenging placement which requires a high level of maturity and confidence, but a fantastic opportunity to work in a clinical environment of the sort you will need to experience if you wish to become a clinical psychologist.

Clinical Partners is a nationwide private mental health partnership. A team of assistant psychologists work from their Head Office (North Dorset) to triage patients looking for psychiatry, psychology or therapy for themselves or their children. The referrals are then sent to the right clinician, who all work in a self-employed basis. Clinical Partners also work with the NHS, care homes and medico legal services.

Students have been placed within the business development side of the business, working with staff to help improve the services the clinicians can offer. This might include activities like putting together an information pack for patients who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition; talking to psychiatrists and psychologists to get quotes about a condition or therapy; researching and writing blogs for the website around topics in mental health. There may be some opportunity for patient-facing work, for instance calling to check up on people and organise re-assessments.

Clinical Partners has a track record of employing graduates and offer a Graduate Training Scheme, which will see successful candidates triage patients, working closely with the clinicians, be offered training and development opportunities and work with a fun and flexible team. They often go on to pursue the Clinical doctorate from here.

One of our past students said: “Working at Clinical Partners has provided me with a unique opportunity to gain experience dealing directly with patients and family-members often independently. It has also allowed me to learn a lot about the process of mental healthcare from a very varied team of experienced, specialist clinicians. This has provided practical compliments to my theoretical understanding of psychology gained at BSc and MSc level”.

We’ll be selecting the candidates for this course by looking at their applications – there are no interviews or additional selection activities. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU.

For more information, see full our entry requirements and take a look at our post graduate ‘​how to apply’ pages. 

Please see our website for the application deadlines. You should apply as early as possible to be considered for your course of choice. If you require a student visa, apply for the visa as soon as you have an unconditional offer and receive your CAS. There may be delays in visa processing in your country and you need to be in Bournemouth ready to study for the start of term.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

The normal requirements for embarking upon this degree are:

• A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2, or equivalent in a required subject.
• Required subjects include: Neuroscience, Psychology, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics/Statistics.

​If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry team for more information.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

• India: Bachelor’s degree (4 years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 55% 
• Nigeria:  Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:4 
• China:  Chinese Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with 65% or above 
• Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0 
• Ghana: Bachelor's degree from University of Ghana or Legon with a grade of 2.00 or above, or from Cape Coast with a grade of 2.5 or above
• USA: Bachelor's degree (four years), with a 2.5 GPA or above
• Vietnam:  Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 6.5/10, or 2.25/4, or a Master’s degree/Thac si. 

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

As an MSc Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology graduate, you will be prepared to undertake further training for a variety of roles, working in contexts such as the NHS (hospital and community), the private/independent health care sector (nursing homes and private hospitals), education, and academic research.

Potential careers include:

• Mental Health Assessor
• Clinical Psychologist
• Therapist providing psychological therapies (IAPT)
• Educational Psychologist
• Lecturer
• Academic Researcher

If you want to continue your studies after achieving your MSc, you can look into our range of doctoral programmes.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course, including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
• Accommodation and living costs. Please visit our website for more information.
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas) if this is part of your course of study. Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• Expenses relating to placement or research projects e.g. travel etc. up to a maximum of £200 per student
• SportBU membership.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office or Digital ID verification charges.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during the course of your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full time fee.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. For September 2024 and January 2025 entry, a £5,000 deposit is required. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

• You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
• You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

We offer a range of scholarships to students who are beginning their studies at BU. Our website also provides details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.

Dr Toscani did his undergraduate work in Florence (Italy), followed by an MSc thesis on the electroencephalographic correlates of visual sensitivity and memory for facial emotions.

After graduation he moved to Giessen (Germany) to work on perception of color, material properties, and peripheral vision with Karl Gegenfurtner and Matteo Valsecchi. 

Dr Rachel Moseley's research interests centre on autism spectrum conditions (ASC). Within this broad domain, she has used neurometabolic (MRI, DTI) and electrophysiological (EEG, MEG) methods to investigate cognitive processes in people with and without ASC.

Rachel is most interested in language and semantic processing, emotion processing, and social neuroscience. Her interests also focus on mental health in autism and the female profile of autism spectrum conditions. Girls and women with ASC are an understudied group and are commonly mis- or undiagnosed as they do not fit the traditional, male conceptualisation of autism.

Dr Julie Kirkby's research interests fall within developmental and cognitive psychology, focusing on the development of reading and language processing in typical populations and those with specific difficulties like developmental dyslexia. She lends her expertise in mobile and static eye-tracking to the course.  

Professor Jan Wiener, based in the Department of Psychology, is a co-leader of the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre at Bournemouth University and leads the Key Transferable Skills unit. His research interests focus on navigation and wayfinding in typical and elderly populations and those with degenerative disorders, using behavioural experiments, virtual reality techniques and eye-tracking.

Dr Ellen Seiss leads the unit on Ageing and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Ellen has a strong basis in cognitive neuroscience, in particular EEG, and studies disorders of affect, movement and movement control such as Parkinson’s Disease and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Dr Martin Vasilv leads the Advanced Statistics unit. In his research, he is using eye-tracking to study how people control their eyes during reading. Hi is also interested in auditory distraction, multi-tasking, academic distraction, and education psychology.