Study Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology in Europe

This master's program explores cognition by combining disciplines such as psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, philosophy, linguistics, and anthropology. It integrates formal computer science methods with experimental research in psychology and neuroscience. Students gain skills in developing intelligent systems, performing simulations, designing behavioral and neuroscience experiments, and applying IT tools in empirical research. Graduates will understand human thinking and behavior and be prepared for roles in cognitive science research or in applied scientific and technical fields.

To be admitted into this master's program, applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree. If entrance exams are required, they will cover content typically taught in similar bachelor's programs. International students must meet the same criteria as Slovak students and provide a certificate confirming their degree is recognized in Slovakia. Proof of English proficiency at a B2 level is required and can be shown through standardized tests, previous education in English, or equivalent documentation. Applicants may list up to three preferred programs on a single application form.

This master's degree offers an interdisciplinary education in cognitive sciences, the study of mental processes that shape the behavior of both biological organisms and artificial systems. The program is designed to gradually build students into confident, independent researchers capable of synthesizing approaches, methods, and knowledge across disciplines, whether they go on to further postgraduate study or into science-based industry.

The first year opens with an intensive introductory course structured to let students complement their existing undergraduate background: alongside a shared component covering the discipline's core work and its interdisciplinary character, students choose one elective module from either an introduction to empirical research and statistical methods or an introduction to the philosophy of cognitive science, and select two elective elements from cognitive psychology, neuropsychology and cognition, comparative cognition, and the critical history of cognitive science. Students then take a broader interdisciplinary sequence covering topics such as numerical and visual cognition, judgment and reasoning, rationality, individual differences in cognition, metacognition, consciousness, theory of mind, and social cognition. Further first-year coursework builds core research competencies through empirical research methods, covering experimental and non-experimental designs, measurement theory, neuroscience methods, programming cognitive experiments, and open science tools; a dedicated statistics course using open-source software, covering linear and logistic modeling, repeated-measures and hierarchical designs, and techniques such as mediation, path analysis, and structural equation modeling; and a course on research ethics, covering ethical issues in working with research participants, data management and sharing, data protection regulation, and the use and misuse of research findings. Students also complete two short rotation projects, allowing them to plan and design early-stage research studies in different subdisciplines before settling on a topic for their thesis.

In the second year, students work closely with a chosen supervisor to design and carry out an original research project for their master's thesis, complemented by a science communication project related to their research. Additional coursework includes a journal club focused on discussing current literature, science communication training covering science writing, digital presentation, and audience-specific communication, and a professional development course covering academic and industry career paths, transferable skills, and research and data science pathways, including an industry engagement day. Students also select elective courses each semester to build technical research skills or deepen their knowledge in areas of particular interest.

Applicants must hold an undergraduate university degree, typically in cognitive science or a related discipline such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, informatics, biology, biomedicine, or anthropology, though applications from other academic backgrounds are also welcomed. Applicants must demonstrate good spoken and written English at a minimum B2 level, assessed through a short interview rather than a formal language test. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may also apply and, if successful, receive a conditional offer pending completion of their degree. Required application materials include a completed application form, a structured motivational letter in English that includes a research proposal, a CV in English, and evidence of the applicant's undergraduate degree status; degrees from institutions outside Croatia must undergo an official recognition procedure. Shortlisted applicants are invited to an interview with three members of the teaching staff, covering a general introductory question, a question based on the applicant's research proposal, and a question on general empirical research methods.