Programme Aims

• Provide students with diverse background of undergraduate education with updated knowledge and practical techniques of basic and translational neuroscience.

• Provide students with knowledge and encourage them to critically think about emerging neuroscience and neuroscience-related interdisciplinary research, technology, education, and industries, and to prepare them for a career in this growing multi-disciplinary field.

• Educate healthcare and non-healthcare professionals with updated relevant knowledge of neuroscience and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Programme Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)

• Understand how the anatomy and physiology of our nervous system enable the various functions such as learning and memory, sensory and motor function, and emotion.
• Understand how dysfunction of the nervous system can lead to neurological and psychiatric disorders, and how new therapeutics can be developed to treat them.
• Critically evaluate the latest research literature and apply it to provide solutions to current issues in nervous system health.
• Critically analyse, interpret, discuss and justify neuroscientific data.
• Communicate effectively, manage skillfully, and work closely with people from diverse education and professional background and experience. Communicate complex translational neuroscience concepts effectively to a variety of audience.

General Entrance Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the University's general entrance requirements and the following programme-specific entrance requirements:

• Applicants should possess a recognised undergraduate degree in Life Science/ Bioengineering/ Psychology/ Medicine/ Dentistry/ Veterinary Medicine/ Biostatistics or a related discipline.
• Preference for admission will be given to individuals who have completed a holistic undergraduate education with knowledge covering statistics, neuroscience, psychology, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, medicine, animal science, and bioengineering.
• Additional attention will be paid to students, who have little training in health-related area to ensure that they can follow the progress of the programme.

English Proficiency Requirements

Applicants whose entrance qualification is obtained from an institution where the medium of instruction is NOT English should also fulfill the following minimum English proficiency requirement:

• a score of 59 (revised paper-delivered test)^ or 79 (Internet-based test) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)^@#; or

• an overall band score of 6.5 in International English Language Testing System (IELTS)^@; or

• a score of 450 in band 6 of the Chinese mainland’s College English Test (CET6); or 

• other equivalent qualifications.

^ Effective from 11 April 2021, the TOEFL revised paper-delivered test is no longer offered.

^@TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years. Applicants are required to provide their English test results obtained within the two years preceding the start of the University's application period.

^# Applicants are required to arrange with the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send their TOEFL results directly to the University. The TOEFL institution code for CityU is 3401.

In view of the recent development of COVID-19, ‘TOEFL iBT Home Edition’ and ‘IELTS Indicator’, as indicated below, are accepted as equivalent qualifications for the fulfillment of the University’s minimum English proficiency requirement for admission to TPg programmes until further notice:

•    TOEFL iBT Home Edition: a score of 79; or
•    IELTS Indicator: an overall band score of 6.5

Students are required to complete 30 credit units for graduation from this Master of Science in Neuroscience (MSN) programme.  MSN will be organized as an interdisciplinary programme with Department of Biomedical Sciences (BMS).

Course Description

Core Courses (15 credit units)

• Research Methodology and Ethics
• Neurobiology of Disease
• Neural Basis of Learning and Memory
• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
• Advanced Neuroscience (BMS)

Elective Courses (15 credit units)*

• Sensory and Motor Neuroscience
• Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience
• Human and Artificial Intelligence
• Research Project in Neuroscience #
• Advanced Computational Neuroscience
• Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (BMS)
• Genomics and Bioinformatics (BMS)

*Some of the elective courses will be offered subject to sufficient enrolment or every two years.

#Students who plan to pursue PhD studies in the future are advised to take this elective (6 credits) to gain valuable research experience during a two semester-long study period. 3 more electives will be required to fulfill the course requirement.

Department of Neuroscience (NS)

Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences (JCC)

Department of Biomedical Sciences (BMS)