Admission and application
?
Application period
Please select your nationality and previous education to view the application periods.Application period
Please select your previous education to view the application periods.Application period
September intake
Please note
Due to the selective nature of this programme, the guaranteed application deadline is May 1. If you apply after May 1, we can no longer guarantee that your application can be considered.
Application period
September intake
Please note
Due to the selective nature of this programme, the guaranteed application deadline is May 1. If you apply after May 1, we can no longer guarantee that your application can be considered.
Application period
Please select your previous education to view the application periods.Application period
September intake
Please note
- Due to the selective nature of this programme, the guaranteed application deadline is May 1. If you apply after May 1, we can no longer guarantee that your application can be considered.
- Apply by 1 May at the latest if you want to apply for housing assistance by Radboud University.
Application period
September intake
Please note
- Due to the selective nature of this programme, the guaranteed application deadline is May 1. If you apply after May 1, we can no longer guarantee that your application can be considered.
- Apply by 1 May at the latest if you want to apply for housing assistance by Radboud University.
Application period
Please select your previous education to view the application periods.Application period
September intake
Please note
Apply by 1 April at the latest if you want to apply for housing assistance by Radboud University.
Application period
September intake
Please note
Apply by 1 April at the latest if you want to apply for housing assistance by Radboud University.
Dutch degree
Admission requirements
The Master's programme in Cognitive Neuroscience is a selective programme, which means that a placement process applies. The outcome of the assessment of your previous education determines whether you can be admitted to the placement process. You are admissible to the placement process if you have completed a Bachelor's degree in:
- Linguistics
- Physics
- Biology
- Medicine
- Mathematics
- Behavioural Sciences (e.g. Psychology)
- Artificial Intelligence
- or a related discipline
In order to be enrolled in this research Master’s, you will need to have obtained a Bachelor’s degree in one of the above-mentioned disciplines from an academic university. A degree from a university of applied sciences (in Dutch: hbo) is not sufficient. Completion of a pre-Master's programme in combination with a degree from a university of applied sciences is also not sufficient.
Candidates who meet the admission requirements will be included in the selection and placement procedure.
Placement procedure
During the placement procedure, the Selection Board determines which of the admissible candidates can be offered a place to study in the Master’s programme based on the following criteria:
- Motivation, CV and transferrable skills: To apply for the Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience you have to submit a letter (max. 2 pages, single spaced) in which you outline your motivation to do the programme and mention your preferred track. In addition, an up-to-date CV is required to be sent in which you should at least outline your educational background, your English skills (see also below), your (relevant) working (and research) experience and other relevant skills and background knowledge that you may have. In this respect, it should be noted that background knowledge in mathematics (calculus), statistics and computer programming (e.g., Matlab or Python) is recommended for this programme and knowledge in these areas is therefore expected to be mentioned in your CV.
- Reference letters & transcript: Two letters of reference are required. The referee should know you in the context of your academic background. For example, a referee can be the supervisor from your Bachelor’s thesis and/or a lecturer/supervisor from a course that you completed. The letters of reference can be sent along with your other documents, or your referee can send the letter directly to the programme secretary (email to: cns [at] cns.ru.nl (cns[at]cns[dot]ru[dot]nl)). Finally, an up-to-date transcript of your Bachelor's programme is required in which all completed courses are mentioned as well as their respective workload (ECs/credits) and results.
- Interview: The Selection Board may ask for an interview (in-person or online) if additional information is required before you are selected for a place in the programme. If you are invited for an interview, it will last for approximately 15-20 minutes and will cover topics such as your motivation to do the Master’s programme, your background (secondary education and Bachelor’s education), and of course you may expect questions about the Master’s programme itself (e.g., What courses would you like to take?).
- Track-specific admission requirements: There are a number of general admission requirements for the Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience. Besides these, every track sets specific requirements regarding basic academic knowledge. See the Extra requirements below.
In order to be enrolled in this selective research Master’s, you will need to have obtained a Bachelor’s degree in one of the above-mentioned disciplines from an academic university. A degree from a university of applied sciences (in Dutch: hbo and in German: Fachhochschule) is not sufficient. Completion of a pre-Master's programme in combination with a degree from a university of applied sciences is also not sufficient.
Track specific admission requirements
There are a number of general admission requirements for the Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience. Besides these, every track sets specific requirement regarding basic academic knowledge. As part of the Cognitive Neuroscience placement procedure, the Selection Board assesses whether you meet the selection criteria. One of the criteria is the degree to which your previous education and research experience are a topical fit with the track that you have chosen. The track-specific requirements are as follows;
Language and Communication
Eligible educational backgrounds: linguistics, psychology, or cognitive neuroscience.
Required knowledge in domains and indicative literature:
- Psycholinguistics (e.g., Carroll, D.W. (2008). Psychology of language).
- Experimental design and statistics (e.g., Moore, D.S., McCabe, G.P., & Craig, B.A. (2014). Introduction to the practice of statistics; or McClave, J.T., & Sincich, T. (2013). Statistics).
- Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics (e.g., O'Grady, W.D., Archibald, J. (2015). Contemporary linguistic analysis: An introduction).
- Cognitive Psychology, especially topics on memory, perception, action and attention (e.g., Eysenck, M.W., & Keane, M.T. (2015). Cognitive psychology: A student's handbook).
Candidates should demonstrate knowledge in areas 1, 2 and 3 or 1, 2 and 4.
Perception, Action and Decision-making
Eligible educational backgrounds: psychology, biology, (bio)medical sciences, or natural sciences.
Required knowledge in domains and indicative literature:
- Biophysics (e.g., Hobbie, R.K. & Roth, B.J. (2015). Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology).
- Neuroscience (e.g., Kandel, E. & Schwartz, J. (2013). Principles of neural science; or Purves, D. (2012). Neuroscience).
- Psychonomics (perception, motor control) (e.g., Gazzaniga, M. & Ivry, R.B. (2013). Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind; or Wolfe, J.M. & Herz, R.S. (2014). Sensation & Perception).
- Experimental design and statistics (e.g., Moore, D.S., McCabe, G.P., & Craig, B.A. (2014). Introduction to the practice of statistics; or McClave, J.T., & Sincich, T. (2013). Statistics).
Candidates should demonstrate knowledge in areas 1 and 2 or 3 and 4.
Development and Lifelong Plasticity
Eligible educational backgrounds: psychology, biology, (bio)medical sciences, or natural sciences.
Required knowledge in domains and indicative literature:
- Biophysics (e.g., Hobbie, R.K. & Roth, B.J. (2015). Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology).
- Neuroscience (e.g., Kandel, E. & Schwartz, J. (2013). Principles of neural science; or Purves, D. (2012). Neuroscience).
- Cognitive Neuroscience (e.g., Gazzaniga, M. & Ivry, R.B. (2013). Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind).
- Experimental design and statistics (e.g., Moore, D.S., McCabe, G.P., & Craig, B.A. (2014). Introduction to the practice of statistics; or McClave, J.T., & Sincich, T. (2013). Statistics).
Candidates should demonstrate knowledge in areas 1 and 2 or 3 and 4.
Natural Computation and Neurotechnology
Eligible educational backgrounds: artificial intelligence or natural sciences.
Required knowledge in domains and indicative literature:
- Mathematics (e.g., calculus, linear algebra, vector analysis, fourier series and transforms, ordinary differential equations (e.g., Boas, M.L. (2006). Mathematical methods in the physical sciences)
- Electromagnetism and calculus-based introductory physics (e.g., Boas, M.L. (2006). Mathematical methods in the physical sciences)
- Neuroscience (e.g., Kandel, E. & Schwartz, J. (2013). Principles of neural science; or Purves, D. (2012). Neuroscience).
- Artifcial intelligence (e.g., robotica, computational modelling) (e.g., Poole, D.I.R. & Mackworth, A.K.P. (2010). Artificial Intelligence, foundations of computational agents).
Candidates should demonstrate knowledge in areas 1, 2, and 3 or 1, 2, and 4.
Please note
Candidates must meet the required knowledge level before starting the programme. The suggested textbooks serve as reference material to indicate the expected academic level and scope.
Non-Dutch degree
Admission requirements
This Research Master’s programme is selective, which means that a placement procedure applies. The outcome of the assessment of your previous education determines whether you can be admitted to the placement procedure. You are admissible to this procedure if you have completed a Bachelor's degree from a research university in one of the following disciplines:
- Linguistics
- Physics
- Biology
- Medicine
- Mathematics
- Behavioural Sciences (e.g. Psychology)
- Artificial Intelligence
- or a related discipline
The degree needs to be from an academic university, or research university, and must be equivalent to the level of a Bachelor’s degree from a research university in the Netherlands.
If you meet the degree requirements, you automatically advance to the Cognitive Neuroscience placement procedure.
All prospective students must meet the English language requirement before enrolment. It is not required to have met this requirement when you apply; you can await the outcome of the placement procedure. The requirement needs to be met before the enrolment deadline.
Students with a Bachelor's degree obtained in Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, New-Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States, where the language of instruction was English, are exempted from the language requirements. Other candidates need to have obtained one of the certificates below before the enrolment deadline
Language tests and scores
TOEFL iBT
- Minimum score: 100
- Subscores: 22
Please note: the TOEFL Home Edition is not accepted.
IELTS Academic
- Minimum score: 7.0
- Subscores: 6.5
Cambridge C1 Advanced
- Minimum score: 185
- Minimum subscore: 176
Cambridge C2 proficiency
- Minimum score: 185
- Minimum subscore: 176
Pearson PTE Academic
- Minimum score: 67
- Minimum subscore: 61
LanguageCert Academic
- Minimum score: 75
- Minimum subscore listening: 65, reading: 65, writing: 70, speaking: 75
Candidates who meet the admission requirements will be included in the selection and placement procedure.
Placement procedure
During the placement procedure, the Selection Board determines which of the admissible candidates can be offered a place to study in the Master’s programme based on the following criteria:
- Motivation, CV and transferrable skills: To apply for the Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience you have to submit a letter (max. 2 pages, single spaced) in which you outline your motivation to do the programme and mention your preferred track. In addition, an up-to-date CV is required to be sent in which you should at least outline your educational background, your English skills (see also below), your (relevant) working (and research) experience and other relevant skills and background knowledge that you may have. In this respect, it should be noted that background knowledge in mathematics (calculus), statistics and computer programming (e.g., Matlab or Python) is recommended for this programme and knowledge in these areas is therefore expected to be mentioned in your CV.
- Reference letters & transcript: Two letters of reference are required. The referee should know you in the context of your academic background. For example, a referee can be the supervisor from your Bachelor’s thesis and/or a lecturer/supervisor from a course that you completed. The letters of reference can be sent along with your other documents, or your referee can send the letter directly to the programme secretary (email to: cns [at] cns.ru.nl (cns[at]cns[dot]ru[dot]nl)). Finally, an up-to-date transcript of your Bachelor's programme is required in which all completed courses are mentioned as well as their respective workload (ECs/credits) and results.
- Interview: The Selection Board may ask for an interview (in-person or online) if additional information is required before you are selected for a place in the programme. If you are invited for an interview, it will last for approximately 15-20 minutes and will cover topics such as your motivation to do the Master’s programme, your background (secondary education and Bachelor’s education), and of course you may expect questions about the Master’s programme itself (e.g., What courses would you like to take?).
- Track-specific admission requirements: There are a number of general admission requirements for the Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience. Besides these, every track sets specific requirements regarding basic academic knowledge. See the Extra requirements below.
Track specific admission requirements
There are a number of general admission requirements for the Master’s programme in Cognitive Neuroscience. Besides these, every track sets specific requirement regarding basic academic knowledge. As part of the Cognitive Neuroscience placement procedure, the Selection Board assesses whether you meet the selection criteria. One of the criteria is the degree to which your previous education and research experience are a topical fit with the track that you have chosen. The track-specific requirements are as follows;
Language and Communication
Eligible educational backgrounds: linguistics, psychology, or cognitive neuroscience.
Required knowledge in domains and indicative literature:
- Psycholinguistics (e.g., Carroll, D.W. (2008). Psychology of language).
- Experimental design and statistics (e.g., Moore, D.S., McCabe, G.P., & Craig, B.A. (2014). Introduction to the practice of statistics; or McClave, J.T., & Sincich, T. (2013). Statistics).
- Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics (e.g., O'Grady, W.D., Archibald, J. (2015). Contemporary linguistic analysis: An introduction).
- Cognitive Psychology, especially topics on memory, perception, action and attention (e.g., Eysenck, M.W., & Keane, M.T. (2015). Cognitive psychology: A student's handbook).
Candidates should demonstrate knowledge in areas 1, 2 and 3 or 1, 2 and 4.
Perception, Action and Decision-making
Eligible educational backgrounds: psychology, biology, (bio)medical sciences, or natural sciences.
Required knowledge in domains and indicative literature:
- Biophysics (e.g., Hobbie, R.K. & Roth, B.J. (2015). Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology).
- Neuroscience (e.g., Kandel, E. & Schwartz, J. (2013). Principles of neural science; or Purves, D. (2012). Neuroscience).
- Psychonomics (perception, motor control) (e.g., Gazzaniga, M. & Ivry, R.B. (2013). Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind; or Wolfe, J.M. & Herz, R.S. (2014). Sensation & Perception).
- Experimental design and statistics (e.g., Moore, D.S., McCabe, G.P., & Craig, B.A. (2014). Introduction to the practice of statistics; or McClave, J.T., & Sincich, T. (2013). Statistics).
Candidates should demonstrate knowledge in areas 1 and 2 or 3 and 4.
Development and Lifelong Plasticity
Eligible educational backgrounds: psychology, biology, (bio)medical sciences, or natural sciences.
Required knowledge in domains and indicative literature:
- Biophysics (e.g., Hobbie, R.K. & Roth, B.J. (2015). Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology).
- Neuroscience (e.g., Kandel, E. & Schwartz, J. (2013). Principles of neural science; or Purves, D. (2012). Neuroscience).
- Cognitive Neuroscience (e.g., Gazzaniga, M. & Ivry, R.B. (2013). Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind).
- Experimental design and statistics (e.g., Moore, D.S., McCabe, G.P., & Craig, B.A. (2014). Introduction to the practice of statistics; or McClave, J.T., & Sincich, T. (2013). Statistics).
Candidates should demonstrate knowledge in areas 1 and 2 or 3 and 4.
Natural Computation and Neurotechnology
Eligible educational backgrounds: artificial intelligence or natural sciences.
Required knowledge in domains and indicative literature:
- Mathematics (e.g., calculus, linear algebra, vector analysis, fourier series and transforms, ordinary differential equations (e.g., Boas, M.L. (2006). Mathematical methods in the physical sciences)
- Electromagnetism and calculus-based introductory physics (e.g., Boas, M.L. (2006). Mathematical methods in the physical sciences)
- Neuroscience (e.g., Kandel, E. & Schwartz, J. (2013). Principles of neural science; or Purves, D. (2012). Neuroscience).
- Artifcial intelligence (e.g., robotica, computational modelling) (e.g., Poole, D.I.R. & Mackworth, A.K.P. (2010). Artificial Intelligence, foundations of computational agents).
Candidates should demonstrate knowledge in areas 1, 2, and 3 or 1, 2, and 4.
Please note
Candidates must meet the required knowledge level before starting the programme. The suggested textbooks serve as reference material to indicate the expected academic level and scope.
Application procedure
You must first make sure you meet the admission requirements of the Master's programme you would like to apply for. To apply for a programme, you need to submit an enrolment application in Studielink before the application deadline and follow the steps below.
Steps
Step 1: Submit an enrolment application in Studielink
You can apply for a Master’s programme at Radboud University via Studielink. You can apply for a programme for the following academic year from 1 October onwards.
Step 2: Complete the digital questionnaire
If your previous education needs to be assessed by the Admissions Committee, you will receive login details for a digital questionnaire, OSIRIS Application, at the email address that you provided in Studielink. You will need to log in to the questionnaire, and once you have completed it you will need to upload the requested documents.
Please make sure that you complete the questionnaire and upload the documents before the application deadline. If you do this after the deadline, there is no guarantee that we will be able to process your application for admission in time. You can find the application deadline at the top of the Admission & Application page of the Master's programme.
Step 3: Keep an eye on your inbox
Your completed questionnaire will be processed. Within approximately 3 weeks after you have submitted the digital questionnaire, Student Admissions will inform you by email about the admission decision. There are three possible outcomes:
- You are admitted to the placement procedure.
- You are admitted to the placement procedure under certain conditions. There are conditions that you will need to fulfil before you will be able to enrol in the study programme.
- You will not be admitted to the placement procedure. Your application in Studielink will be withdrawn. You will receive further details by email about why your application was rejected.
The details of this outcome will be sent to the email address that you provided in Studielink.
Step 4: Participate in the placement procedure
Have you been admitted to the placement procedure? Then you will receive an email from the Master's programme about what the placement procedure looks like and what actions are expected of you. Based on the placement procedure, it will be assessed whether you will be selected for the Master’s. There are two possible outcomes:
- You are offered a place in the Master’s.
- You are not offered a place in the Master’s. Your application in Studielink will be withdrawn and, unfortunately, you cannot enrol for this programme.
Have you been offered a place in the Master's programme?
Go to the enrolment procedure and follow the steps to enrol.
Links
Application procedure
In order to apply you must first make sure you meet the admission requirements of the Master's you would like to apply for. The application procedure then consists of three steps: creating an enrolment application in Studielink, uploading documents in OSIRIS, then the placement procedure.
Steps
Step 1: Submit an enrolment application in Studielink
To apply for a Master’s programme, you have to create an account and an enrolment application in Studielink (the national online registration system for Dutch universities). First you will be asked to fill in your previous education, then select the programme you wish to apply for in the list that appears. In order to submit an enrolment request in Studielink, you will need the following:
- Your own DigiD account. If you do not (yet) live in the Netherlands, you cannot use DigiD and you will need to log in with a Studielink username and password. Do you live in the Netherlands but do not have a DigiD account? Make sure that you apply for an account well before the application deadline. It usually takes 5 working days for a DigiD account to be activated.
- Contact information, such as your phone number and email address.
Step 2: Upload documents in OSIRIS Application
After you have created an enrolment application in Studielink, you will receive an email with personal login details for OSIRIS Application. You have a maximum of 56 days or until the application deadline to upload your documents and submit a complete application. After this period, if you have not submitted your application, it will be automatically cancelled.
Which documents are requested depends on the programme. During the application process in Studielink, you will find out which of the following documents you need to submit:
- Bachelor’s diploma or equivalent
In OSIRIS Application, list the full, official name of the diploma that you have or will receive. Use the language and name in which the diploma is issued. If you have graduated, we require you to upload your diploma.
- An official transcript of your Bachelor's degree or equivalent
If you have not obtained your degree, upload the list of grades received so far. If you have obtained your degree, upload your full and complete transcript of grades. Also, upload the description of the grading scale on the overleaf page of your transcript (if applicable).
If you have already graduated from your previous education and are currently still studying please upload transcripts and diplomas from all degrees (post-secondary school).
- Sworn translations of diploma and transcript
Translations need to be made by an officially recognised translator. Official translations are not required if your diploma and transcript are originally in Dutch, English or German. If your school provides English versions of your documents, upload those along with versions of the documents in the original language.
- Course description for unfinished courses
If you have not yet completed your degree, upload a list of the courses that you are currently taking or still need to take, including the course content, the number of hours and the literature used per course, see example below in downloads. Be sure to include information about research courses, practical work and a thesis/internship (if applicable).
- Course description for finished courses
Upload a list of all the courses you have taken during your degree, including the course content, the number of hours and the literature used per course, see example below in downloads. Be sure to include information about research courses, practical work and a thesis/internship (if applicable).
- Personal statement/motivation letter (depending on programme)
Your personal statement should contain, at least, a brief description of why you have chosen this specific Master's programme and how it fits your previous education.
For the motivation letter please describe your future plans and what you would like to learn and research at Radboud University. What are the topics of the research you would like to do? Please be specific about your ambitions and explain how your previous education prepared you for this specific Master's programme. This will allow us to find out if your previous education is appropriate. Last but not least, include your interest in studying at Radboud University (specific disciplines, facilities or other considerations).
- Reference letter(s)
Reference letters are required if you are applying for a scholarship and/or a Selective Masters programme and you will be asked to upload them to your OSIRIS Application. Please note, these must be signed and stamped or signed and on official letterhead.
- Overview of education/experience
Please upload an overview that contains, in chronological order, information about your education and knowledge/experience acquired during an internship, training, or work; for example, a resume.
- English language certificate
You are permitted to apply without a language certificate. However, if you are admitted to the programme and a language certificate is listed as a requirement in your admission email, you will be required to provide proof of proficiency before the enrolment deadline. If you can prove English proficiency through your previous education, a certificate is not required. Visit the language requirements website for full details.
- Handling fee
Non-EU/EEA applicants must pay a handling fee before their application can be processed. Visit the handling fee page for full details and how to pay.
Step 3: Participate in the placement procedure
After you have completed your application in OSIRIS Application, the Admission Board will assess your application. Keep in mind that next to eligibility you must also participate in a placement procedure.
Have you been admitted to the placement procedure? Then you will receive an email from the Master's programme about what this placement procedure looks like and what actions are expected of you. Based on the placement procedure, it will be assessed whether you will be selected for the Master’s. There are two possible outcomes:
- You are offered a place in the Master’s.
- You are not offered a place in the Master’s. Your application in Studielink will be withdrawn and unfortunately you cannot enrol for this programme.
You will receive the outcome via the email address you entered in Studielink.
Have you been offered a place in the Master's?
Congratulations! Then go to the enrolment procedure and follow the steps to enrol.
Example of a detailed course description of all the courses taken during your degree, including the course content, the number of hours and the literature used per course.