The degree in Psychology, Neuroscience and Human Sciences is a newly established 2-year Master’s level program organised by the Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences of the University of Pavia (DBBS) and by the Department of Humanities and Life Sciences of the University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS) Pavia.

Pavia University, established in 1361, is one of the oldest academic institutions in Europe. IUSS is a member of the Federation of University Schools with Scuola Normale and Scuola Sant’Anna in Pisa.

This degree has its roots within the Italian Department of Excellence network. It is an independent Degree, although equivalent to the Italian Laurea magistrale in Psicologia (LM-51), thus allowing all students to receive the qualification for postgraduate training and to the Albo degli Psicologi (Italian register for clinical psychology professionals).

Application deadlines:

Information about the application process for A.Y. 2025/2026 will be available in February 2025.

Curricula:

This Master Degree program is a course of excellence providing high-level training and teaching, specifically focused on the interaction between psychology, neuroscience and human and social sciences that are connected to the investigation of the human brain and behaviour.

In addition to psychological courses, students have the opportunity to choose one or more specific curricula including:

• Social and Forensic Neuroscience (coordinated by Gabriella Bottini and Nicola Canessa)
• Neurophilosophy (coordinated by Michele Di Francesco)
• Neurolinguistics (coordinated by Stefano Cappa and Andrea Moro)
• Neurocomputation (coordinated by Egidio D’Angelo), organised in collaboration with the Human Brain Project European Research Network.
• Psychology of Music (coordinated by Tomaso Vecchi), organised in collaboration with the Neuromusic Network and the Mariani Foundation

Programme structure:

YEAR 1
• Cognitive Neuroscience 
• Cognitive Development
• Four courses to be chosen from: Neural modelling and computation / Communication and Neuropragmatics / Neurolinguistics / Epistemology, Logic and informal reasoning / Cognition / Psychology of Music / Neuropharmacology / Developmental psychobiology / Cognition and emotion / MRI Physics for Neuroscience / Neurobiology of Memory / Neuroeconomics
• Extra: Practice courses and labs PCL – Individual training activity

YEAR 2
• Applied Clinical Neuroscience
• Social Cognition
• Two courses to be chosen from: Cognition / Development of musical ability / Neuroscience of Music / Psychology of learning disabilities / Psychology of Music / Applied Neuroscience / MRI Physics for Neuroscience / Neurobiology of Memory / Neuroeconomics / Neuroethics / Advanced Research Methods
• One course to be chosen from: Neural Modelling and Computation / Neurophysiology / Communication and Neuropragmatics / Language Acquisition and Degeneration / Neurolinguistics / Philosophy of Mind / Epistemology, Logic and informal reasoning / Cognition / Development of musical ability / Neuroscience of Music / Psychology of learning disabilities / Psychology of Music / Applied Neuroscience / MRI Physics for Neuroscience / Neurobiology of Memory / Neuroeconomics / Neuroethics / Advanced Research Methods / Socio-emotional Development
• Extra: Practice courses and labs 2

Career opportunities:

The Master offers the following career opportunities: theoretical and applied research in the field of cognitive psychology and neuroscience, in hospital and assistance area, in prevention and care of psychological disorders area, in prevention and care of cognitive disorders area; forensic psychology, psychology of music, neuro-computational models.