Undergraduate award: Certificate in Cognitive Psychology

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'll 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'll know the principles underlying the nature and nurture debate; you'll 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 overview

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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 live day schools on Mondays from 10am to 4pm on:

12 October 2026
26 October 2026
16 November 2026
07 December 2026
11 January 2027
25 January 2027
15 February 2027
08 March 2027
05 April 2027
19 April 2027
10 May 2027
07 June 2027

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

What is cognitive psychology and how has the discipline developed over time? This unit offers a broad introduction to the history, important debates and research methods used in cognitive psychology. The unit will explore and review some of the main theories and central debates in psychology, including the role of nature vs nurture, the relationship between the mind and the brain, and the role of automatic versus-controlled processes in shaping human behaviour. It will examine key research papers that have revolutionised cognitive psychology. This unit also will also introduce core research methods and experimental approaches used in cognitive psychology.

Lent term: Memory, Language and Perception

Unit 2 start date: week commencing 4 January 2027
Unit 2 end date: 24 March 2027

What are the key areas of cognition studies in cognitive psychology and how do they interact and influence each other? This unit explores the core distinctions between different types of memory and the different areas of the brain that underpin these different forms of memory. Students are introduced to both auditory and visual perception, paying particular attention to how light and sound is converted into electrical signals by the eye and ear, and explore how those electrical signals are communicated to and processed by the rest of the brain. Key aspects of language processing models are introduced and explored, with a focus on how we learn language, and different language deficits. Finally, this unit considers the way in which memory, language and perception can interact to influence each other.

Easter term: Executive Functions, Intelligence and Social Cognition

Unit 3 start date: week commencing 29 March 2027
Unit 3 end date: 9 June 2027

This unit provides an introduction into some of the core topics in cognition, starting with classical models of ‘executive function’, and its relation to short term memory. It also explores the notion of general intelligence and neural mechanisms involved in general problem solving. This unit also explores some of the core topics in social cognition, from our ability to understand that others might have mental states that differ from our own (theory of mind reasoning) to a review of the discovery of ‘mirror neurons’. Finally, it will explore the nature of attention and its relationship with consciousness, our ability to judge the accuracy of our own perception and cognition (e.g. meta-cognition) and the limits to introspection.

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.