Decoding the mind: from thinking to feeling
There has never been a more interesting time to dive into cognitive psychology, which studies mental processes, including how people perceive, think, remember, learn, solve problems, make decisions and are influenced by their emotions. This course will provide you with a solid foundational knowledge of cognitive psychology. We will explore together what are now the key questions, methods and principles used to discover the psychological realm of human experience. By the end of the course, you will know the principles underling the nature and nurture debate; you will have a clear idea of the relationship between brain, mind and behaviour, and of the major approaches to observe and study the mind-body system. Ready to step into the mind? We look forward to welcoming you.
Why choose this course with us?
- Learn at Cambridge, whatever your experience: this is an open-entry course
- Access Cambridge teaching in a flexible format: part-time and online
- Gain a credited, Cambridge award: boost your learning and career opportunities
- Join our peer-learning and Cambridge alumni communities: connection and support, for life
Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Course information
Course highlights
During this part-time online certificate course, you will:
- learn from an array of experts from across Cambridge and the UK
- understand the science of how we think and make decisions
- develop key academic skills that aid study, and improve future career opportunities and employability.
Cognitive scientists, neuroscientists and psychologists from across Cambridge and the UK will introduce you to cognitive psychology’s history and core themes as we explore memory, language, perception, attention and consciousness as well as executive functions, intelligence and social/emotional cognition. You will discover the most important techniques used to investigate the mind, the importance of the neuropsychological research in understanding how brain lesions can help us understand how the brain normally functions. You will develop a critical approach to methods and techniques and their importance for research questions. You will also develop research skills such as how to ideate and design an experiment; how to collect data and how to preprocess and analyse a dataset. You will also practice and refine scientific and academic writing and learn how to report original findings in the format of a scientific journal article and how to discuss data with reference to peer-reviewed literature.
As part of our learning community, you will:
- understand the history, core themes, and methods in the scientific study of the mind, brain and behaviour
- explore key questions, such as the extent to which behaviour is learned or innate and the extent to which functions in the brain are localised to specific areas
- consider how humans think, and what is meant by intelligence and social cognition
- understand the core distinctions between different memory systems
- explore the nature of language processing, with a particular focus on language deficits in different patient groups
- look at core topics in cognition, including classical models of executive function and its relation to short term memory, and social cognition.
Course breakdown
This course will run from 9 October 2026 to 9 June 2027.
Each of the 3 units explores a number of topics through asynchronous (pre-recorded) lectures and 4 day schools.
Each term's teaching usually takes place on Mondays. Exact teaching dates and times will be confirmed in the course guide upon enrolment.
Michaelmas term: History, Core Themes and Methods
- Course (unit 1) start date: 9 October 2026
- Unit 1 end date: 6 January 2027
Lent term: Memory, Language and Perception
- Unit 2 start date: week commencing 4 January 2027
- Unit 2 end date: 24 March 2027
Easter term: Executive Functions, Intelligence and Social Cognition
- Unit 3 start date: week commencing 29 March 2027
- Unit 3 end date: 9 June 2027
After the course
You may wish to continue your study of psychology by pursuing a full degree, or bring your knowledge of cognitive psychology to another related course with us, such as one of our coaching courses.
Further information
Will the Certificate in Cognitive Psychology be a good foundation if I want a Psychology degree?
Yes. If you are new to psychology this course will provide you with an understanding of the historical development of modern psychology and allow you to develop an understanding of the scientific method in its application to psychology. This will stand you in good stead to continue your studies across the range of psychological disciplines, and pursue a psychology degree.
Will the Certificate in Cognitive Psychology enable me to gain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) after completing the course?
No. Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC, or GBR as it was previously known) is a standard set by the British Psychological Society (BPS). It ensures that, before anyone can start a clinical psychology course, they have already studied psychology in sufficient breadth and depth to provide a sound basis for their postgraduate training. The Certificate in Cognitive Psychology is not accredited for GBC membership, as it is not a degree; it is the equivalent of half a year’s study at first-year undergraduate level. Therefore completing the Certificate does not provide the breadth and depth of a degree.
You can find accredited courses on the BPS website.
What is the Flipped Classroom Approach?
The Flipped Classroom approach is a blended learning strategy which aims to increase student engagement with the course. Teaching and learning for the unit are delivered through a combination of formal presentations by the tutor, a range of interactive and participatory methods of teaching and learning, and through reading and tasks to be undertaken individually by students outside the unit sessions.
Entry requirements
There are no formal academic entry requirements for this course. It’s open to all learners who are interested in the subject.
English language requirements
Our courses are taught in English and require a good level of fluency. If English is not your first language, you’ll need to meet the requirements of one of the language proficiency tests below. You’ll need to complete your test and submit the results to our admissions team by 15 September 2026.
IELTS (Academic), IELTS for UKVI Academic, IELTS One Skill Retake
Overall score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in any component.
TOEFL iBT or TOEFL Home Edition
https://www.ets.org/toefl.html
Overall score of 92, with no element below 20.
(Please note that changes to TOEFL Internet Based Test and Home Edition mean that it will no longer be suitable for entry to Cambridge at Undergraduate level from 21 January 2026. Tests taken after this date will not be accepted.)
Cambridge English C2 Proficiency
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/proficiency/
Overall score of 176, with no element lower than 169.
As part of our open and inclusive learning environment, you can enjoy the world-class resources and expertise of the University of Cambridge wherever you are on your academic journey.
Our video-based teaching platforms offer a flexible way to access lectures, while our Virtual Learning Environment makes it easy to study and learn online and interact with your tutor and fellow students.
Our teaching methods include lectures, presentations by guest speakers and facilitators, and interactive and experiential learning activities. We will also give you reading and assignments to complete outside of classroom sessions.
You will demonstrate your learning using a range of assignments submitted at the end of each unit. You will also produce a research report detailing your write-up of a psychological experiment conducted as part of the course, and will be required to undertake a group presentation on a particular topic studied within the course. Guidance and support will be provided for each assignment and there are more details about how this course is assessed in the course guide we will send you once you have enrolled.
Qualifications
This course is equivalent to half of the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree. It offers 60 CATS credits, which are recognised by higher education institutions and employers.
Hours of study
The award of academic credit is a means of quantifying and recognising learning and within the UK, one credit notionally represents 10 hours of learning. This course attracts 60 credits, so students should expect to need to study for approximately 600 hours in total to complete all units successfully. However, it is recognised that students study at different paces and use a variety of approaches, so this is a recommendation, rather than a hard-and-fast calculation.
SEEC Credit Level Descriptors for Higher Education (2021) here.
Fees
The total fee for this course is shown above in 'Course details'.
To help you manage your finances more comfortably, you can pay the fee in instalments. For more information on payment options, and how to secure your place, see how to pay.
Funding
We're dedicated to reducing and removing financial barriers to learning. Visit financial support before applying to find out what options may be available to help you in your studies. You can explore external funding and stay up to date on our concessions and bursaries.
We're committed to supporting you in your learning journey, and we offer a variety of support opportunities to meet individual needs. Visit student support to find out more about how we can help.
