• Programme information
  • Curriculum
  • Core courses
  • Interdisciplinary Research
  • Colloquia
  • Skills training
  • Workshops
  • Electives
  • Internship and thesis
  • Mentor
  • Teaching methods
  • International experience
• Specialisations
• Internships
• Career prospects
• More information
• Application and admissions
• Frequently Asked Questions

Programme information

The two-year research master in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience has five specialisations: 

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Fundamental Neuroscience
• Neuroeconomics
• Neuropsychology
• Psychopathology

The curriculum of the programme includes theoretical core courses, advanced statistics, workshops and skill trainings. Core courses form the backbone of the chosen specialisation.

Interdisciplinary courses

Through interdisciplinary courses, students also become acquainted with the broad range of complementary research approaches that link the four specialisations. The shared curriculum fosters exchange of knowledge and cooperation across the specialisations, as well as important skills for a research career. During the course Interdisciplinary Research Proposals, for example, small teams of students write a grant proposal on their topic of interest and present these during a final symposium. The curriculum as a whole gives students a solid intellectual foundation and practical skills necessary for conducting the master’s thesis research and for pursuing a future career in science or a related field.

Master's thesis and research internships 

The second year is largely dedicated to a master's thesis, which is completed under the supervision of the academic staff. A subset of students also completes a clinical research internship and minor’s thesis. This provides experience in doing research in an applied setting and provides qualifications for future clinical training. Internships may be undertaken at Maastricht University or abroad.

Limited number of students

In order to preserve the high quality of the programme, no more than 20 to 25 students will be accepted into each specialisation in the programme each year.

“We are impressed by the integration of courses and internships. The programme features a balanced combination of teaching methods and a sound relationship between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. It offers cutting-edge interdisciplinarity, e.g., the combination of advanced neuroimaging techniques, analysis methods and cognitive/clinical neuroscience applications, such as neurofeedback.”
Panel of international experts commissioned by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO), 2011.