To truly grasp how the brain works, you need to understand many things at once.

This one-of-a-kind bachelor’s programme combines the captivating fields of psychology, biology, math, and computational science. Mastery of these fields is required, because processes on all these levels are happening simultaneously when we think, feel, act, remember, or perceive.

The idea of combining different perspectives on the same brain functionality is called ‘transdisciplinarity’. With this unique approach, a bachelor’s degree in Brain Science will make you a truly transdisciplinary brain scientist.

Why this programme?

The bachelor Brain Science will train you to become a well-rounded scientist with a transdisciplinary perspective on the human brain. After graduating you’ll be in a unique position to contribute to solutions to major societal questions and challenges.

What transdisciplinarity does for you?

This bachelor will give you fundamental scientific insight into the healthy brain on different levels of function. Because of this multi-perspective insight, you will also have a keen eye for what can go wrong. By integrating biological, computational, and psychological perspectives, you will understand how to treat brain diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer, or central nervous system injuries.

• Combining hard and soft skills: Hard skills are specific skills and capabilities, soft skills are personal attributes that help you effectively work with others. The bachelor Brain Science will train you in hard skills complemented with crucial soft skills trained in the Problem-Based Learning system. 
• Hard skills:
  • Design and conduct experiments
  • Analyse and model data
  • Report scientific findings
  • Programming (Python, R)
  • Build computational models
  • Programme your own data analysis
• Soft skills:
  • Work on scientific projects in groups
  • Giving and receiving feedback
  • Take responsibility for work in a team
  • Be a team player
  • Ethics of good research and artificial intelligence
• Transferrable skills: Your mathematical background, computational skills, and the acquired ability to be a bridge builder in interdisciplinary teams will serve you in many fields within or outside of science. The ability to connect different aspects while thinking about complex problems is in demand everywhere.

It will be fun!

You will experience the joy of uncovering the interconnectedness of the fields of biology, computational science, and psychology. You will see how relatively simple mathematical models are useful in capturing complex biological or psychological processes. You will see how everything is connected, from molecules and cells, to synapses and networks, and interactions among networks that sustain behaviour and cognition. You will also discover how high school mathematics are extremely useful.

Have you ever wondered why trigonometry, matrix algebra, or differential equations are useful? Have you wondered in biology class why you had to learn about details of gene expression? You will be amazed! They will make much more sense once you start to the bachelor Brain Science. In short, transdisciplinarity is fun!