Neuroscience MSci

Unlock how the brain co-ordinates our body and behaviour, while discovering the challenges of treating neurological disorders. Explore the latest discoveries and gain hands-on lab experience.

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This course is available in Clearing.

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Key information

Why choose this course at Sussex?

  • Develop specialised skills in your integrated Masters year for careers in scientific industries, alongside transferable skills for diverse professions.
  • Carry out interactive neuroscience experiments, take part in workshops, and explore the latest discoveries about the brain and nervous system.
  • Benefit from our history as the first UK university to offer neurobiology degrees and our expertise across more than 50 research groups.

From decoding how our nervous system processes sensation and drives behaviour, to finding better treatments for brain disorders and degenerative diseases, there’s so much yet to discover in the field of neuroscience.

At Sussex, you’ll explore the latest discoveries about the brain and nervous system. You’ll join a friendly and supportive community of students and academics in the School of Life Sciences. Our teaching will inspire you, with topics including:

  • molecular and cellular neurobiology
  • development and genetics
  • neurophysiology
  • behaviour
  • brain disorders.

From Year 1 you’ll be in the lab, gaining practical hands-on experience. You’ll carry out interactive neuroscience experiments and take part in workshops. You’ll also develop computing, programming, data analysis and communication skills.

Sussex was the first university in the UK to offer a degree in neurobiology. Building on that ground-breaking step, the wider Sussex Neuroscience community now represents over 50 different research groups. They work across a broad spectrum of specialisms, from vision and consciousness, to AI and behaviour.

When you graduate, you’ll have the data-handling and analytical skills for a wide range of science and science-related careers. This could include:

  • the biotechnology industry
  • the NHS and healthcare
  • academic research
  • science writing or publishing
  • public science engagement.

And in addition, in your integrated Masters year, you gain a strong theoretical and practical foundation for a career in – or related to – research. You’ll spend a semester working on an individual research project in one of our Neuroscience research teams. In this year, you’ll develop advanced skills in technical, analytical and scientific communication skills.

Our courses adapt to the latest demands of the working world and are informed by our Employer Advisory Panel of key organisations which hire our graduates. Our employability strand develops research skills, professional competencies, and includes dedicated sessions with our Careers and Entrepreneurship Team to help you bolster your CV, train for interviews, map out career trajectories, and more.

  • 94% of our research overall in Biological Sciences was assessed to be world leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021) 

MSci or BSc?

We also offer this course as a three-year BSc. Find out about the benefits of an integrated Masters year.

Your degree in Neuroscience is right here

  • Video transcript

    [Intro MUSIC: Gentle pop]

    [Video footage of students and academics working together in laboratories and study rooms and posing for camera]

    Student 1: I’m currently doing my own scope and review, looking at the shared neurobiological pathways in depression and dementia.

    Student 2: My work as an ambassador opened me up to the wider communities.

    Student 3: The more kind of vocational training with students one-on-one in the lab really allows you to multiply your positive impact.

    Academic 1: A range of different practical skills related to neuroscience on multiple scales.

    Student 3: One of the most unforgettable experiences at Sussex was the first time found an experiment working, turning on that fluorescence microscope and seeing it illuminated in front of you.

    Student 2: I feel immensely more confident. I am actually capable of doing research. I’m capable of doing well.

    Academic 1: Our students have lots of opportunities to develop the skills they need, to work with researchers, industrial placement opportunities, to study abroad.

    Student 1: I was in Denmark for a month. It’s surreal to take my little ideas that I created and present them to world-class researchers.

    Student 3: Being at Sussex right now feels really cutting-edge. I’m surrounded by very dedicated people.

    Student 2: All the experience I’ve had right now, it really feels like I can do anything.

    [MUSIC fades]

    [END CARD. University of Sussex, Brighton, logo]

How to apply

Campus tours

Join a campus tour this summer and get a feel for life at Sussex. With award-winning campus food, a National Park setting and buzzing Brighton on our doorstep, our location and facilities are hard to beat.

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On campus - in person

You’ll study for this degree on our campus, joining our academics and fellow students. With in-person contact time, digitally supported educational resources, library collections and independent study, this course is designed to give you an inclusive education. Your learning experience may also include work placements, field trips, studying abroad and internationalisation experiences.

Find out about our beautiful campus

Virtual tour

Want to learn more about life at Sussex?

Our 360° virtual tour has been designed to introduce you to life in our diverse, supportive and inclusive community. Join our students for an immersive experience as they reveal why Sussex offers a space to follow your passions, find your voice, and discover people and places that will inspire you.

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ResearchPlus

As a founding partner of ResearchPlus, a collaboration of research-focused universities, we engage with government, industry and civil society to support economic growth, prosperity and wellbeing across the whole of the UK.

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Modules

This is a single-honours course, allowing you to focus in depth on your core subject. Find out more from our guide to undergraduate study

  • Year 1 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    In your first year you’ll build a solid foundation in the biosciences. You’ll learn about the biology of neural mechanisms at the level of molecules, cells and behaviour. You’ll get hands-on experience in laboratories, and in workshops on research methods and analysis.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include lectures, seminars, workshops and practicals.

    60%: Lecture
    20%: Seminar
    20%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include examinations and coursework.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 230 hours of contact time and about 970 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.

  • Year 2 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    In your second year you’ll focus on learning the central principles of neurobiology. You’ll gain experience in practical techniques and experimentation in our neuroscience teaching lab. You’ll develop your employable skills through a variety of activities such as a team coding challenge and a poster presentation.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include lectures, practicals, workshops and seminars.

    70%: Lecture
    5%: Seminar
    25%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include examinations and coursework.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 210 hours of contact time and about 990 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.

  • Experience Year

    Study abroad (optional)

    Apply to study abroad – you’ll develop an international perspective and gain an edge when it comes to your career. Find out where your course could take you

    If your application to study abroad is successful, you’ll have to meet the academic requirements at Sussex and also at the partner university. Find out more about studying abroad as a Sussex student

    Placement (optional)

    To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can provide you with information and advice. If you’re successful in obtaining a placement, this will form part of your course.

    Find out more about placements and internships

    Recent Life Sciences students have gone on placements:

    • AkzoNobel
    • Pfizer
    • the NHS.

    Please note that if you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t transfer to the version of your course with an optional study abroad period in any country or optional placement in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid

  • Year 3 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn and spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    Year 3 is when you’ll be able to specialise, choosing from a broad range of advanced neuroscience topics. A highlight of the year is the individual research project, with a choice of different methods such as experimental work, data analysis, literature review or public outreach.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include lectures, practicals, workshops, seminars and one-to-one meetings with a research supervisor.

    50%: Lecture
    20%: Seminar
    15%: Practical
    15%: One-to-one

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include examinations and coursework.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 185 hours of contact time and about 1,015 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.

  • Year 4 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Autumn teaching

    Your degree

    In Year 4 you’ll focus on developing your research skills. Half of the year is dedicated to your individual research project, which will be practical or analysis-based within one of the Sussex Neuroscience research groups. Taught modules support you in learning a variety of technical and academic skills relevant to research and other careers.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include lectures, practicals, workshops, seminars and one-to-one meetings with a research supervisor.

    25%: Lecture
    35%: Seminar
    25%: Practical
    15%: One-to-one

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include examinations and coursework.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 100 hours of contact time and about 1,100 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.

Spirit of Sussex Award

Feel involved in life at the University, make friends and enrich your experience with us – the Spirit of Sussex Award is our way of recognising your extracurricular and voluntary achievements.

Find out more about the Spirit of Sussex Award

  • Video transcript

    Hi everyone! As I'm sure you've all heard by now, the Spirit of Sussex Award is now live.

    Students across the Sussex community are already earning their points

    What will you do to earn yours?

    There's so many ways to get involved.

    Head over to the website to start your Spirit of Sussex journey.

    Text: The Spirit of Sussex Award is an exciting new programme designed to recognise and celebrate the things you do outside your course.

    Participating in the Award makes it easy and fun for you to get involved and make the most of university life.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

Neuroscience is an exciting science with decades of discoveries ahead. And at Sussex, it benefits from the University’s interdisciplinary ethos.”Jethro Reeve
Neuroscience MSci
How to apply

Our experts

I work on synapses — the connection sites between neurons. These fascinating structures are targets for diseases such as Alzheimer’s.”Professor Kevin Staras
Professor of Neuroscience 
Apply now
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Careers

  • 86% of Sussex undergraduates have completed work experience by the end of their course (University of Sussex Career Readiness data at point of graduation 2023/24)

Our modules help you develop transferable skills in time management, communication and analysis. You gain laboratory skills and improve your problem-solving, independent thinking and teamwork abilities. You can go on to work in fields such as:

  • the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors
  • environment and health science
  • research careers in neuropharmacology and neuropsychology.

Embedded employability

This course is designed to meet the latest demands of the working world. It’s informed by our Employer Advisory Panel of key organisations hiring our graduates.

Throughout your studies, you’ll develop research skills and professional competencies. Sessions with our Careers and Entrepreneurship Team will help you bolster your CV, train for interviews and map out career trajectories.

Where do our graduates work now?

Surveyed 15 months after finishing their courses, our recent Neuroscience graduates worked for employers including: 

 (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-2022) 

What to do with a Neuroscience degree

Explore the careers you might be interested in after studying for a degree in Neuroscience

Working while you study

Our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can help you find part-time work while you study. Find out more about career development and part-time work

Sussex has given me the vital foundations I need to pursue my aspiration of becoming a mental health professional.”Prital Patel
Day Services Worker, St Thomas Fund, CRI 

Design your future at Sussex

Taking the next step in your career can feel daunting, but we’ll help you to explore, connect and flourish throughout your studies and beyond.

As a Sussex student, you’ll learn how to tackle real-world challenges and have access to tailored programmes of careers support:

  • our Career Lab helps you to explore your options, build key skills and connect with employers. Take part in internships, community consultancy projects and insight visits, where you can learn about life at organisations such as Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, the Knepp Rewilding Project, and fashion brand Puig
  • one-to-one appointments with your Faculty Careers Consultant can enable you to identify your career goals, write an effective CV and prepare for future interviews
  • entrepreneurship initiatives like StartUp Sussex and Ideas Lab can empower you to turn your concepts into reality.

Explore how our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can support you

How to apply
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Entry requirements

Find your place in Clearing

This course will be available in Clearing. Explore your options at Sussex – right here, right now.

How to apply
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Fees

Note that your fees, once they’re set, may be subject to an increase on an annual basis. Find details on our Tuition fees page.

Home students

£9,790 per year

Channel Islands and Isle of Man students

£9,790 per year

On 19 March 2026 the UK Parliament set out that the tuition fee cap for 2026 entry will be £9,790. As the University of Sussex keeps fees for Home students and Channel Islands and Isle of Man students in line with UK Government-approved levels, fees will be £9,790 in 2026. In line with our terms and conditions, the University charges fees at the maximum levels set by the UK Government.

International students

£27,300 per year

Study abroad

Find out about grants and funding, tuition fees and insurance costs for studying abroad

Placement

Find out about tuition fees for placements

Living costs

We know the rising cost of living is on everyone’s mind, and affects us all in different ways. Our guide to living costs has been designed to help you plan and budget for life as a Sussex student.

Learn more about typical living costs

Scholarships

Our goal is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to regardless of financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique people.

How to apply

Contact us

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Enquiries

Contact us with any questions about your course:

+44 (0)1273 876787
Ask us a question

Find out more about the School of Life Sciences: Neuroscience

Prospectus

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Legal information

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Find out about our terms and conditions, including the student code of conduct and your cancellation rights

Find out about our complaints and appeals process

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