Second year undergraduates in a chemistry lab session, Chemistry building, University Park. November 5th 2021.

Neuroscience BSc

Medical School Building and University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

Curious about how your brain works?  Would you like to understand neurological diseases such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s? Then Neuroscience is for you.

Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, in this course you'll study the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, as well as neurological diseases and disorders.

Our degree programme convers concepts from the genome through to human based clinical neuroscience. Disciplines studied will include:

  • behaviour
  • cellular and molecular biology
  • experimental design
  • genetics
  • pharmacology
  • physiology
  • neuroanatomy
  • neuroimmune interactions
  • environmental neuroscience

Through optional modules and research projects, you can tailor the course to focus on the specific areas of neuroscience that interest you. You’ll be taught by leading scientists with a range of specialities to broaden your understanding of neuroscience.

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Fundamentals of Neuroscience

Mandatory

Year 1

Core Skills in Neuroscience

Mandatory

Year 1

Human Physiology

Mandatory

Year 1

Genes, Molecules and Cells

Optional

Year 1

Life on Earth

Optional

Year 1

Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour

Mandatory

Year 2

Building Brains

Mandatory

Year 2

Neurons and Glia

Mandatory

Year 2

Communicating and Ethics in Neuroscience

Mandatory

Year 2

Experimental Design and Practical Neuroscience

Mandatory

Year 2

The Environment and the Brain

Mandatory

Year 2

Neurobiology of Disease

Mandatory

Year 2

Neuroscience Research Methods

Mandatory

Year 3

Neuroscience Research Project

Mandatory

Year 3

Advanced Skills in Neuroscience

Mandatory

Year 3

Pain and Sensory Disorders 3

Optional

Year 3

Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience

Optional

Year 3

History of Science

Optional

Year 3

Chronobiology

Optional

Year 3

Psychpharmacology

Optional

Year 3

Nature vs Nurture, the forces shaping your brain

Optional

Year 3

Psychopharmacology & Mental Health

Optional

Year 3

Auditory Systems: Cochlea to Cortex

Optional

Year 3

Current Research in Neuroscience

Optional

Year 3

The Gut Microbiome-brain axis and Mental Health

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About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Wednesday 21 February 2024. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Teaching methods

  • Lab sessions
  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops
  • Practical classes
  • Anatomy sessions
  • Case-based learning
  • Problem-based learning
  • Self-study
  • Small group learning

Exams happen twice a year at the end of each semester. Coursework runs throughout each year and exists in many different formats.

Find out more about our teaching on our school website.

Assessment methods

  • Dissertation
  • Essay
  • Examinations
  • Lab reports
  • Presentation
  • Coursework
  • Case studies
  • Debates
  • Formative assessments
  • Literature review
  • Poster presentation
  • Practical exams
  • Practical write-ups
  • Short project
  • Verbal exam

Approximately 20 hours of contact time per week. Class sizes vary with module.

Graduates from our course have developed careers in scientific research in the pharmaceutical industry and academia. Other careers have included management, scientific writing, professions allied to medicine, teaching and graduate entry medicine.

Recent graduate destinations include:

  • Axol Bioscience: laboratory production scientist
  • Nielsen: neurophysiologist
  • Ashfield Healthcare UK: recruitment executive
  • Public Health England: healthcare scientist
  • Cancer Research UK: clinical trial assistant

Find out more about the career options open to neuroscience graduates.

Average starting salary and career progression

93.90% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £28,993.


HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017- 2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

Course data

Open Day June 2022