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 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.

^@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 CityUHK is 3401.

Students are required to complete 30 credit units for graduation from this Master of Science in Neuroscience (MSN) programme. 

Course Description

Core Courses (15 credit units)

Elective*

The Master of Science in Neuroscience programme is divided into two streams: (1) the Undeclared Stream and (2) the Human and Artificial Intelligence Stream. Each of them comprising 15 credit units. The Human and Artificial Intelligence Stream is designed for students who are interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and applications, AI and human disease, and human-computer interactions. Students are required to select one of these streams at the beginning of their study, allowing them to tailor to their career goals and academic interests.

1. Undeclared Stream

Students are required to register 15 credit units from the list of elective courses below.

2. Human and Artificial Intelligence Stream

 a.    Major Stream Elective Courses (12 credit units)

 b.    Elective Courses (3 credit units), choose from the list of courses in the table below:

*Remarks

• Some of the elective courses will be offered subject to sufficient enrolment or every two years.
• Courses offered by different departments might have timetable conflicts, please plan ahead for the courses to register.
• NS6001 Research Project in Neuroscience will normally last for a maximum of two semesters to complete in Semester A and Semester B. The enrolment quota of NS6001 is subject to the availability of the lab of the faculty members.
• Students who select Human and Artificial Intelligence Stream and choose NS6001 as the elective course are required to pay a total of 33 credit units in tuition fees.

Department of Neuroscience (NS)

College of Biomedicine (CBM)

Department of Biomedical Sciences (BMS)

Last updated on 13 January 2025