Clinical Neuroscience Practice MSc/PgCert

About this course

• Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
• Application deadline: 30 June 2024

Discover how theory applies to practice and shape the future of neuroscience healthcare delivery to improve patient care.

From migraine and traumatic brain injury to motor neurone disease and dementia, one in six people in the UK are diagnosed with a neurological condition (The Neurological Alliance).

To help meet the growing demand for experts in this area, we’ve designed a course that explores how to provide high-quality care, as well as the psychological impact of conditions on cognition, emotion and behaviour. We focus on using the latest evidence-based practice while listening to patients' lived experiences and their close others (or carers).

If you complete a clinical placement, you’ll work alongside healthcare leaders. You’ll observe as they deliver the latest treatments like deep brain stimulation which, by altering electrical signals in the brain, produces life-changing outcomes for people with Parkinson’s disease. Neurorehabilitation and neuropsychological rehabilitation (both impairment-based and strategies), neuromodulation and cerebrovascular disease are just a few examples of areas our experts are exploring.

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Is this course right for you?

This course is designed for professionals already working in the field including doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, as well as psychology graduates. This means you’ll learn alongside students from a range of backgrounds which reflects the multidisciplinary nature of modern neurosciences healthcare.

We offer this course as a PgCert and MSc. For the PgCert, students only take the Foundations of Clinical Neuroscience module plus the Clinical Neuropsychology or the Health Services Delivery. This is a great option if you want to upskill but can’t commit to the full course.

You’ll work on projects within teams and learn about neurological disorders, including hearing directly from patients about their lived experience. Reflective practice is also key for expanding your expertise and becoming the best clinician you can be.

You’ll learn from academics and clinicians who have commissioned, designed, and delivered state-of-the-art clinical services. They will share their experience of working with NHS England, NICE, and other national bodies. We also give you the chance to hear from people living with neurological and related illnesses as patients or carers.

Why St George's?

1. Practical experience – explore practical delivery in a UK context then watch clinicians use the latest evidence-based interventions on clinical placement (this is optional if you already have clinical experience).
2. Research-active academics – learn from our experts at the Centre for Biomedical Education and Neurosciences and Cell Biology Research Institute, as well as senior clinicians from Atkinson Morley Regional Neurosciences Centre.
3. Community of change makers – we value patient voices, the equal contribution of the different health professions and awareness of structural factors.

Course content

Unlike courses with similar titles, this course goes beyond theory. It’s a course about neuroscience in clinical practice. You learn how breakthroughs in the lab can shape the future of care for people with a diverse range of neurological conditions.

Working towards the MSc qualification, you’ll complete:

• a practical work placement with the hospital’s renowned clinical neuropsychology and clinical health psychology team  (this is optional for students who already have clinical experience);
• our Foundations of Clinical Neuroscience module;
• one or both specialist modules on Clinical Neuropsychology or Health Services Delivery for the Neurosciences;
• at least one research support module and a dissertation.

You can also pick optional modules from our other courses on topics like genomics or global health.

Sharpen your research skills

Your dissertation will focus on an area that interests you. Perhaps you’ll look at the quality of life of people living with neuromuscular disorders. Or maybe you’re interested in looking at how we can create interventions for carers.

Outside of lectures and seminars, you can get involved with our journal club, run by a clinical teaching fellow, which explores structural inequalities within this area. You’ll also attend events such as our annual conference on structural inequalities, as well as research networking events where you can present your ideas.

Contact/visit us

You can reach out to us at pgenquiries@sgul.ac.uk with any questions, or speak to our current students via Unibuddy.

You may also like to attend one of our upcoming postgraduate events in March and April, where you can tour our campus and hear from students and current staff, including course directors and our admissions team.

For details on how to apply, please visit the Clinical Neuroscience Practice course page.