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Cognitive Neuroscience

Your future

The specialisation Cognitive Neuroscience will provide you with an excellent background for any professional career. Its interdisciplinary character is a major advantage for research or teaching careers, because you will become an expert in cognitive psychology as well as in neuroscientific methods.

You’ll be able to find work at:

  • universities
  • research institutes
  • educational institutes
  • the private industry
  • clinics

Employed | An FPN podcast

Employed Cognitive Neuroscience master

Today we are listening to Job van den Hurk and Giancarlo Valente. Job is an alumnus of the master Psychology specialisation Cognitive Neuroscience, and Giancarlo is the programme coordinator.

Job talks about his current position as scientific director of Scannexus, the ultra high field imaging centre in Maastricht, and his job as co-host of the children’s tv programme on the brain called BrainStorm. He talks about staying open and finding a position that fits you, even if it may stray a bit from your original path. Just because you’re specialised in your training, doesn’t mean you cannot be valuable outside of that field. And how difficult times in your life and career can be the best learning moments.

Let's listen to Job and Giancarlo.

Cognitive Neuroscience in the world

Forensic Psychology world map

Students start their career in Cognitive Neuroscience at Maastricht University and then spread out all over the world.

On this digital map you can find out more about the career paths of some of our alumni

Open the world map

Forensic Psychology

Anne Bach | Germany

  • Graduated: 2019
  • First and current job: Psycho-Oncologist in a German university clinic while working on a PhD

During my master’s in Cognitive Neuroscience, I learned a lot about doing research and the specific brain functions. At the same time, I was able to find out who I was as a person and what I want to do professionally. Since finishing the master’s, I practice clinically as a psycho-oncologist in a German university clinic while working on a PhD. What I learned in the master’s was a necessary base for doing this PhD. I develop study designs, carefully collect data, analyse, and visualise. Despite the change in scientific field, the one-year master’s gave me the tools to understand the effects of a patient’s brain tumor qualities. Neuroscience is everywhere and I love it!

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Celia Gkavanozi | Greece

  • Graduated: 2017
  • First job after:  Junior Lecturer at University of Amsterdam (UvA) & Research Assistant at Social Brain Lab – Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN)
  • Currently: Lecturer at Metropolitan College Greece & PhD student at Panteion University

Studying in Maastricht, and specifically at the Cognitive Neuroscience specialisation of the Master in Psychology, was one of the best experiences of my life. That year had everything: knowledge, friends, endless days in the library, tears, laughter, success stories & failures. Studying alongside prestigious professors & students from different cultures changed the way I perceived and approached psychology that far. I arrived at this Master as a novice psychologist, and I left as a young yet determined researcher. Nobody says mastering something will be easy, but as soon as you manage to overcome the first difficulties, you will realize that the road of science itself is bumpy yet magnificent and you now have a backpack full of tools and know how to help you on the way.

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Saleha Alshehri | Saudi Arabia

  • Graduated: 2015
  • First job: government organisation in brain research specialising in brain damage and its impact on human behaviour and perception
  • Current job: licensed clinical psychotherapist

My name is Saleha Alshehri, I finished my MSc (cognitive neuroscience) in 2015, and I went back to Canada. After graduation, I worked in a government organisation in brain research specialising in brain damage and its impact on human behaviour and perception. The information I gained through this master offered me a great scientific background regarding human perception and how each sensory system plays a significant role in our world experience. I finished another MA in counselling psychology and currently I’m a licenced clinical psychotherapist in Canada. My background in Cognitive Neuroscience provided me with a unique stance as a therapist and a researcher. My life in the Netherlands was a beautiful and rich experience for me and my kids. I’m grateful for this chapter of my life!

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Job van den Hurk | The Netherlands

  • Graduation: 2008
  • First job: PhD in cognitive neuroscience
  • Current job: As scientific manager of ultra-high field centre Scannexus, I oversee the technical development at our MRI facilities.

First job: PhD in cognitive neuroscience: following the master, now it was time to do research for a living. This is when the real learning started. More and more you realise how little you know, and although this can feel overwhelming at first, this realisation can be the fuel for curiosity and investigation.

Current job: As scientific manager of ultra-high field center Scannexus I oversee the technical development at our MRI facilities. In this role, I try to build bridges between various scientific disciplines, and bring (clinical) research to the next level. Moreover, I use various opportunities to enthuse both professionals and laymen about the fascinating techniques and discoveries that arise from MRI and neuroscience.

This master gives a perfect overview of the state-of-the-art of the field of cognitive neuroscience. It helped me realise both what the big important questions were, but also what smaller building blocks were required to move forward. It prepared me for a career in science and analytics.

Ethan Rich | USA

  • Graduated: 2019
  • First job: PhD in translational neuroscience.
  • Current job: research & development specialist at an international medical device company

Following the one-year cognitive neuroscience master’s, I worked on a PhD in translational neuroscience. For two years, I developed neuroprosthetics and novel biomarker detection methods with stroke patients. Now I’m a research & development specialist at an international medical device company, where I continue with neuroscience. The master’s in Maastricht was a perfect transition from a physiotherapy background over to neuroscience and the related technology. I had the absolute pleasure of supervision from two professors who taught me that kindness and close attention to detail have a place in science. Thank you, Lars, Bettina, and UM!