Bioscience with a foundation

Ruda2002

Hi everyone,

I got my offer for a foundation year followed by Bioscience.. what I understood it will enable me join any of this long list of course https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2020/?s=BS that obviously doesn't include psychology course...

I am specifically after cognitive neuroscience and psychology (or just psychology)...

I also had an offer from Into which will enable me to proceed to psychology at Manchester.. since I am not yet determined which path (neuroscience vs psychology) I need some advice....

Reply 1

Ruda2002

I forgot to say I was also offered foundation courses at Kings (KCL) and Edinburgh but those are only foundations while my offer in Manchester is 4 years inclusive of a foundation..

University of Manchester

Manchester

Reply 2

kbowler12

I am on the Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology course at manchester currently, and there are a lot of people on my course who did the foundation year. The way it works is that the department (Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health) is split into the 3 compartments. CogNeuro & Psych falls under "Biology", and Psychology falls under "Health". Thats why you cant do a Psychology degree with a bioscience foundation. But, as I say, there are plenty of people on my course that did the foundation. There have also been a very small number of people who transferred from CogNeuro onto straight Psychology.

The CogNeuro course is 50/50 biology and psychology, which is great. However, dont underestimate the biology side. It easily takes up way more time than the psychology part. It is a very intense degree. For example, im in my second year, and we have a dissertation, biology lab report and a psychology essay all due in on the same week. The communication between biology and psychology isn't great, and there is a lot of conflict in getting things done.

Despite all of that, I really love my course. The community of students (50 of us in total) is great, we all know each other, and are all there for each other.

I'd be happy to answer questions about it, if you need anything. :smile:

Reply 3

Ruda2002

Original post by kbowler12

Thank you kbowler12 I think I will go for it :smile:

Reply 4

velvets779

Original post by kbowler12

Hey! I’m looking to take cognitive neuroscience and psychology as a degree, just wondering what career paths are available? Currently choosing between neuroscience and cog psych, I find both very interesting and can’t decide which one to take!

Reply 5

kbowler

Original post by velvets779

So, essentially, you can do anything that either the individual neuroscience or psychology course let's you do. I am planning on doing a PhD in the Neuroscience side of things, but many people on the course want to work in Pharma, become clinical psychologists, and most people don't know yet. An important thing to note is that "Cognitive neuroscience" that the degree relates to is essentially just neuroscience. Same units, same everything. The main difference lies in the psychology units. A lot of cognition units (For things like memory, language, perception etc) are included as mandatory on this degree, with only a few units from other areas of psychology (one developmental, one social, one mental health For the entire degree). This means that you have the option of getting BPS accreditation on your degree, and you practice psychology clinically. But, essentially, you can do anything. Don't feel like you have to know everything now.

Reply 6

vero_smirnova

hey im doing bioscience with foundation year too, and planning to do neuroscience too, I think that career wise neuroscience is defo better in choosing a career after but psychology would maybe be an easier course but with more limited options of careers

Reply 7

kbowler12

Original post by vero_smirnova

Psychology isnt necessarily easier! The content is certainly easier, but it is harder to do well in essays and coursework. Psychology also definetly does not limit career options! If anything, there is more careers in psychology. with psych, you can do business, teaching, clinical, forensic, research, health, and aa lot more. Neuroscience certainly has harder content, but assessment is usually easier, and the coursework is easier. There are more "industry" jobs in neuroscience, such as research etc, but beyond that, it isnt different from a biology degree. Bottom line: dont discount psychology.