BSc Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology
• Psychology

AAA-AAB:

• AAB including two core sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, or:
• AAA including one core science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths) and one of the following subjects: Geography, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Physical Education.

Subjects with overlapping content are not normally considered as separate A-levels; Further Mathematics is not considered alongside Mathematics and Human Biology is not considered alongside Biology.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

AAB-ABB including:

• at least one core science Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, and;
• if only one core science is taken, one of the following subjects: Geography, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Physical Education.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

• live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
• live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
• have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

ABB - BBB including:

• at least one core science Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, and;
• if only one core science is taken, one of the following subjects: Geography, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Physical Education.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

• have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
• have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

36 - 35 points overall. 6, 6, 6 to 6, 6, 5 at Higher Level including two science subjects, normally Biology and Chemistry, but can include Physics, Geography, Psychology or Mathematics (AA and AI are both considered).

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including at least five GCSEs at minimum grade 6/B, including English Language and Mathematics. If an applicant has a grade 5/C in either English Language or Mathematics, but has a grade 6/B in the other subject, we would advise they still apply. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade B/5. We will accept C+ in the Northern Ireland reformed GCSE, or;

IELTS 7.0 (with no less than 6.5 in any component), or;

An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

If you have followed a non-standard educational route and have been, for example, educated at home, your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course to which you applied. You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the academic entry requirements as specified for the course. We will also require a reference which should be written by somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. Please refer to UCAS for further information: UCAS reference guidelines

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences. Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.

Please visit this page with information for mature students.

Applications are considered on the basis of the UCAS form.

Because of the high volume of applications we receive, we will not consider those applicants who choose Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology as a second option and whose personal statement is geared towards a different discipline. However, if you find at a later stage that you have not been made an offer for your chosen area, please contact our admissions team for advice.

You will gain a broad introduction to biological sciences, including the nervous system and pharmacology, which are relevant to cognitive neuroscience.

Psychology topics will include social psychology, brain structure and function, perception, and cognition.

Year 1 also provides an introduction to the essential data handling and laboratory skills required for all biological scientists.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

You will continue your studies in greater depth and begin to specialise.

In the Research Skills unit, you have the opportunity to carry out techniques that are widely used in current biological and cognitive neuroscience research.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Final year topics reflect the current hotspots of neuroscience and psychology endeavour and the research interests of our staff, and are constantly being updated.

You will undertake an independent in-depth research project that may involve supervised research on a biology or psychology topic, or you may choose to work on e-learning, educational, data analysis or bioinformatics topics.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Taking a BPS-accredited undergraduate course confers eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society.

GBC is an entry requirement for all postgraduate training programmes leading to chartered psychologist status.