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University of Oxford, Pawel-Sytniewski
University of Oxford
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Oxford MSc Clinical and Therapeutic Neuroscience Q&A

Hi there! I'm one of the first students to be doing this exciting brand-new course (2019–2020). If anyone who is thinking of applying has any questions, please ask and I'll try my best to answer!
(edited 2 years ago)

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Reply 1
Original post by nickyr212
Hi there! I'm one of the first students to be doing this exciting Hi brand-new course. If anyone who is thinking of applying has any questions, please ask and I'll try my best to answer!

Hi there! Thanks for making this thread.
If you dont mind me asking, how have you found the course on the whole? What are your plans after completing this course? Do you happen to know how competitive the course is? What were interviews like? And what was your profile like, when you first applied to the course?
I know that's a lot of questions ahah but thought I'd just ask straight away
University of Oxford, Pawel-Sytniewski
University of Oxford
Oxford
Original post by nickyr212
Hi there! I'm one of the first students to be doing this exciting brand-new course. If anyone who is thinking of applying has any questions, please ask and I'll try my best to answer!

Do you know how different the course is to the MSc Neuroscience?
Reply 3
Hi John!

I’ve only done the first term of this course, and so far I’ve found it to be an awesome learning experience. We learned in lectures about a broad array of brain conditions, both psychiatric and neurological (which got quite clinical at times), which was a cool chance for us to know a bit of everything. The other cool thing is that you get to come up with your own topics for all the essays you write during this course, so it really gives you the opportunity to explore whatever topics/questions you like! This is especially useful if you’re thinking of doing a PhD in the future.

I think it’s also great that we get to do two research projects within the course. Even though you’ll have less time to do each one (and I’m sure I’ll struggle once I do them lol), it’s a great chance to develop plenty of new skills!

From what I hear from students doing other courses, this course (so far) isn’t as intense as other Master’s degrees. I think that’s a good thing as you don’t have to churn out a ton of less well-thought essays in a short period of time. It seems like the course director genuinely cares about enhancing our learning experience through quality rather than quantity.

I’d say the main disadvantage is that this course is still being developed as we’re doing it, so the uncertainty and constant changes have been frustrating at times. But I’m sure that won’t be an issue in subsequent years. :tongue:

I’m thinking of going into research, potentially doing a PhD, but I won't be going into it straight after I’m done with the course. I think it all depends on how my research projects go and whether I manage to come up with a specific topic I’d like to research. :smile:

None of the applicants were interviewed for this course! (I know, I was shocked as well). I think it may have been because there weren’t a lot of applicants - I think only 45 applied last year and there are 23 of us right now. They may start interviewing once they receive more applications in the coming years, so I can’t tell you what questions they might ask - sorry!

I did my undergrad in psychology at Cambridge and then worked in London as a medical writer for one and a half years before applying for this master’s. :smile:
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by LucyCassia
Do you know how different the course is to the MSc Neuroscience?

Hi Lucy! I'd say the two courses are quite different in scope just by looking at what they each cover in their handbooks. Broadly speaking, I'd say that the clinical course is more specific in what they cover than the more general neuroscience one + the clinical course goes into more detail on the experimental aspects, such as drug discovery, disease modelling, biomarkers and clinical trials (brain conditions and treatments are all taught within the first term).
Reply 5
Original post by pala123K!!
Hello there,

Thank you for your thorough response.

Regarding what you wrote about not having an interview, was that actually written on the respective course webpage last year?

As far as I can see know, it does say that there will be an interview.

Out of curiosity, I would like to understand whether what is currently written under the "Performance at interview" (on the current course webpage) was also present on last year's version.

Hi! What's written in that section right now is exactly the same as last year - that's why it was such a surprise to all of us! I think whether or not they do interviews this year will depend on the number of applicants. :smile:
Original post by nickyr212
Hi! What's written in that section right now is exactly the same as last year - that's why it was such a surprise to all of us! I think whether or not they do interviews this year will depend on the number of applicants. :smile:

Yeah, makes sense.

Do you mind sharing a bit of the structure of the course. For example, does the course have formal exams?
Original post by nickyr212
Hi! What's written in that section right now is exactly the same as last year - that's why it was such a surprise to all of us! I think whether or not they do interviews this year will depend on the number of applicants. :smile:

Equally do you mind sharing how long after the deadline did you hear back from the department? Did you apply for the January deadline?
Reply 8
Original post by pala123K!!
Yeah, makes sense.

Do you mind sharing a bit of the structure of the course. For example, does the course have formal exams?

To summarise, there are six compulsory modules (there are no optional papers):

Term 1
1. The Psychopathology, Clinical features, and Molecular Neuropathology of Brain Disorders
2. Pharmacological, Neurological and Psychological Treatments

Term 2
3. Medicinal Chemistry and Computational Modelling
4. Experimental Models

Term 3
5. Bioassays and Biomarkers
6. Clinical Trials, Mobile Technology and Digital Health

There's a qualifying exam at the end of the first term before the Christmas holidays which is pass/fail - you essentially need to pass this exam in order to continue with the rest of the course, but you're allowed one resit in early January. It's a computer-based multiple-choice exam and you need at least 50% to pass. You'll also need to submit two essays (one for each module), but they are not assessed.

In the rest of the course, you'll need to submit four essays (one for each module in term 2 & 3) and two dissertations (one in term 2, one in term 3), all of which will be assessed. Each essay is 3000 words max and you get to come up with your own topic as long as it's relevant to their respective module; you'll have about a month to do each one. You'll have about 3 months to do each dissertation, which are based on research projects that you get to choose from a list. Your final class/grade is based on the four essays and two dissertations.

You'll have lectures every term (2-3 days a week) and journal club seminars to participate in during the second and third term as well.

You'll find more details in the handbook on their course webpage: https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/study/msc-taught-course-in-clinical-and-therapeutic-neuroscience
Original post by pala123K!!
Equally do you mind sharing how long after the deadline did you hear back from the department? Did you apply for the January deadline?

They were really quick! I got my informal offer in the first week of February and received my formal offer letter by the end of the month.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by nickyr212
To summarise, there are six compulsory modules (there are no optional papers):

Term 1
1. The Psychopathology, Clinical features, and Molecular Neuropathology of Brain Disorders
2. Pharmacological, Neurological and Psychological Treatments

Term 2
3. Medicinal Chemistry and Computational Modelling
4. Experimental Models

Term 3
5. Bioassays and Biomarkers
6. Clinical Trials, Mobile Technology and Digital Health

There's a qualifying exam at the end of the first term before the Christmas holidays which is pass/fail - you essentially need to pass this exam in order to continue with the rest of the course, but you're allowed one resit in early January. It's a computer-based multiple-choice exam and you need at least 50% to pass. You'll also need to submit two essays (one for each module), but they are not assessed.

In the rest of the course, you'll need to submit four essays (one for each module in term 2 & 3) and two dissertations (one in term 2, one in term 3), all of which will be assessed. Each essay is 3000 words max and you get to choose your own topic as long as it's relevant to their respective module; you'll have about a month to do each one. You'll have about 3 months to do each dissertation, which are based on research projects that you get to choose from a list. Your final class/grade is based on the four essays and two dissertations.

You'll have lectures every term (2-3 days a week) and journal club seminars to participate in during the second and third term as well.

You'll find more details in the handbook on their course webpage: https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/study/msc-taught-course-in-clinical-and-therapeutic-neuroscience

They were really quick! I got my informal offer in the first week of February and received my formal offer letter by the end of the month.

Cheers!! I appreciate the time you took writing this response.

Are you thinking of staying at Oxford next year? Perhaps doing a PhD?
Reply 10
Original post by pala123K!!
Cheers!! I appreciate the time you took writing this response.

Are you thinking of staying at Oxford next year? Perhaps doing a PhD?

I'm thinking of going into research and potentially doing a PhD, but not right after my MSc is done - I still need to decide what exactly I'd like to explore. Oxford would indeed be one of my choices. :smile: I'm also thinking of gaining work experience in pharma R&D/drug discovery.

My coursemates have many different ideas on what they'd like to do next: some are going straight into PhDs, some are going into grad med school, some are looking to get biotech/industrial/scicomm work experience - there seem to be many options out there. :smile:
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by neuropathology
Thanks for making this! Do you know the average GPA of people who were accepted? What is a competitive GPA for this program?

Hey there! Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the GPA system to be able to say for sure. Their entry requirements state you need 3.6 minimum (out of 4.0), but I wouldn't be able to tell you what a competitive GPA would look like - sorry!
Original post by nickyr212
Hi there! I'm one of the first students to be doing this exciting brand-new course. If anyone who is thinking of applying has any questions, please ask and I'll try my best to answer!

Hello there,

I just wanted to ask in which college were you allocated? Did you choose any? If so why?

Just wanted to get your view on this
Reply 13
Original post by pala123K!!
Hello there,

I just wanted to ask in which college were you allocated? Did you choose any? If so why?

Just wanted to get your view on this

I got into Wolfson College which was my first choice. I chose it mainly because 1. I was more drawn to a postgrad-only community, and 2. I would have guaranteed accommodation on college campus. In hindsight, I didn't realise how far away it is from all the departments that lectures take place in, so distance is definitely a thing to consider. :tongue: But I still love my college despite the distance and wouldn't have changed my choice. Honestly, you really can't go wrong with whatever college you end up getting into. :smile:
Hi, thanks for making this thread! I'm applying this year and was wondering how long you were given to accept or deny your offer after receiving your offer letter. Additionally, did you receive any scholarships? Also have you heard any opinions about Green Templeton College?
Reply 15
Original post by kathyidk
Hi, thanks for making this thread! I'm applying this year and was wondering how long you were given to accept or deny your offer after receiving your offer letter. Additionally, did you receive any scholarships? Also have you heard any opinions about Green Templeton College?

Hi Kathy! I got my formal offer letter at the end of February and was given exactly one month to confirm my place. If you're still waiting for an update regarding scholarships during that time, you can always accept the offer and withdraw later if you (unfortunately) can no longer make it.

I didn't receive any scholarships, but fortunately I didn't need one. In fact I'm not sure if anyone in our course received a scholarship, I hadn't asked. In case you haven't seen this link already, this search function can tell you which scholarships you would be eligible for: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/fees-funding/search/graduate

The only thing I've heard about Green Templeton College is that there a lot of medics there for some reason. :tongue: I don't know much else about it, sorry!
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by nickyr212
Hi Kathy! I got my formal offer letter at the end of February and was given exactly one month to confirm my place. If you're still waiting for an update regarding scholarships during that time, you can always accept the offer and withdraw later if you (unfortunately) can no longer make it.

I didn't receive any scholarships, but fortunately I didn't need one. In fact I'm not sure if anyone in our course received a scholarship, I hadn't asked. In case you haven't seen this link already, this search function can tell you which scholarships you would be eligible for: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/fees-funding/search/graduate

The only thing I've heard about Green Templeton College is that there a lot of medics there for some reason. :tongue: I don't know much else about it, sorry!

Thank you so much for your response. I hope you have a great time completing the rest of the course.
Would you by any chance know what kind of English degree classification people had? Or what kind of academic profile they have? I’ve applied and I’m a bit worried my marks may fall short, even although I’m predicted a 2:1.
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 18
Original post by QueenBizzle
Would you by any chance know what kind of English degree classification people had? Or what kind of academic profile they have? I’ve applied and I’m a bit worried my marks may fall short, even although I’m predicted a 2:1.

Oxford applications tend to be very competitive (especially neuroscience-related degrees as of recent!), so most people who end up getting accepted have at least a high 2:1, if not a first. However, other aspects of your application other than grades will count as well, e.g. your research interests, any experiences you've gained, your references, interview performance (if it's happening this year), the number of applications received, etc, so don't lose hope! I got a lower 2:1 than most competitive applicants and yet I got accepted. :smile:
Original post by nickyr212
Oxford applications tend to be very competitive (especially neuroscience-related degrees as of recent!), so most people who end up getting accepted have at least a high 2:1, if not a first. However, other aspects of your application other than grades will count as well, e.g. your research interests, any experiences you've gained, your references, interview performance (if it's happening this year), the number of applications received, etc, so don't lose hope! I got a lower 2:1 than most competitive applicants and yet I got accepted. :smile:

Thanks so much for your response! I’m trying not to lose hope, although realistically I know I don’t really stand a chance. Maybe I’ll apply again next year :smile:

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