Master in Neurosciences

“Master in Neurosciences: from the Bench to the Bedside”

The “Master in Neurosciences: from the bench to the bedside” (MiN) is an official Master of the Universidad Miguel Hernandez (UMH) that is taught in the Institute of Neurosciences, a joint center UMH – CSIC. This Master qualifies to enroll the PhD Program in Neurosciences of the Institute of Neurosciences, an also it gives access to PhD programs in Spain and in countries of the European Higher Education Area (Bologna area).

The master has a total of 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) taught in one academic year (October – July, approximately); the working language of all activities of the Master is English.

Director of the Master: Prof. Emilio Geijo Barrientos

Deputy director of the Master: Prof. Francisco Martini

Master Objective

The main objective of this Master is to provide to recently graduated students the fundamental theoretical and practical formation that will be necessary to follow a PhD program in Neurosciences, and that will be the starting point of a career of research in this wide scientific field.

Student profile

We seek students with a degree in biology/biomedicine related disciplines (Biology, Biomedicine, Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pharmacy, …) who are planning to initiate a research career in the field of the Neurosciences. Previous laboratory experience in the field of neuroscience (or in related fields) is not required but it will be valued for the admission in the Master.

MASTER TIMETABLE

Academic year 2025-26

The detailed timetable for the 2025-26 academic year will be posted soon.

 

The Master’s program is structured around a series of compulsory and elective courses. In addition, it offers students the opportunity to participate in various scientific activities organized at the Institute of Neurosciences.

  • 1. Compulsory courses. First term (September – December)
    • New developments in the study of the organization of the nervous system and cellular Components of the nervous system (6 ECTS; UMH code 1336).
    • Genetic analysis of the nervous system and advances in embryology (6 ECTS; UMH code 1337).
    • Cell communication (6 ECTS; UMH code 1339).
    • Synaptic transmission and plasticity. Processing of sensory information (6 ECTS; UMH code 4157).
    • Animal facilities and tools in Neuroscience (3 ECTS; UMH code 2699).
  • 2. Compulsory courses. Second term (February – May)
    • Functional image analysis (3 ECTS; UMH code 2700).
    • Neuropathology (3 ECTS; UMH code 2695).
    • New therapies (3 ECTS; UMH code 2697).
  • 3. Compulsory courses. All academic year (September – May)
    • Neuroscience today (4.5 ECTS; UMH code 1335).
    • Master research project (15 ECTS; UMH code 2750).
  • 4. Elective courses (second term February – May)
    Each Student must choose one of the following courses:
    • From ionic channels to information processing in the Nervous System: a functional approach (4.5 ECTS; UMH code 4158).
    • Developmental neurobiology: from neurogenesis to circuit formation (4.5 ECTS; UMH code 2702).

Other scientific activities:

  • Scientific conferences, seminars, and meetings organized by the Institute of Neurosciences. Details of these regularly scheduled activities can be found on the IN website 
  • Participation in events held as part of the Brain Awareness Week (BAW)

Accreditation for Working with Laboratory Animals:

This accreditation is not required to complete the Master’s program, including the laboratory-based Master’s Research Project (TFM/MRP). However, as working with laboratory animals is a key tool in Neuroscience research, the program will offer interested students the opportunity to take the official course organized by UMH, which is necessary to obtain the official accreditation to work with laboratory animals (currently, this course is available only in Spanish). Details about the course and how to enroll will be provided at the beginning of the academic year.

Applying / Admission

The maximum number of students admitted each academic year is 20.

The steps to apply are as follows (the dates are for applying for the 2025-26 academic year):

To complete a pre-inscription in the Master:
For the academic year 2025-26 the deadline for this pre-inscription will be June 19, 2025. This step is done through the UMH web:
http://estudios.umh.es/acceso/masters/preinscripcion/
(currently this web is available only in Spanish). This website also provides the publication dates for the list of admitted students and the enrollment period. At this stage, applicants must submit the following documents in PDF format:

a) official academic transcript of the completed degree, including the grade point average (GPA);
b) proof of English proficiency (level B2 or higher);
c) curriculum vitae;
d) statement of purpose. The statement of purpose should outline the applicant’s motivation and interest in the Master’s in Neuroscience, as well as their professional goals. Optionally, applicants may also include additional documents such as letters of recommendation.

Once the pre-inscription period has closed, admission will be based on the submitted documentation. The list of admitted students will be published on June 30. The selection criteria are as follows:

  • 70% of the final score is based on the undergraduate GPA that qualifies the applicant for the Master’s program.
  • The remaining 30% is based on: a) prior research experience in fields such as biology, biomedicine, or neuroscience; b) additional training in related areas; c) relevance of the undergraduate degree to the Master’s program; d) interests and motivation expressed in the statement of purpose.

If you are admitted to the Master’s program, you will receive instructions by email to complete your official enrollment (between July 7 and 10). To enroll, you must have completed the undergraduate degree that qualifies you for the program.

If the maximum number of admitted students (20) is not reached during the first pre-enrollment and enrollment period, a second round will take place in the second half of July. The deadlines for this second period are also detailed at:
http://estudios.umh.es/acceso/masters/preinscripcion/.

Please note that we cannot guarantee the availability of places during this second enrollment period.

Scholarships

There are available fellowships from:

  • Fundación Carolina.

https://gestion.fundacioncarolina.es/programas/

  • Severo Ochoa Excellence Program:

More information in the following PDF document: Scholarships MIN 2025/2026.pdf

For further information about these fellowships, please ask to: masterneurociencia@goumh.umh.es

Master Research Project / MRP

The aim of the Master’s Research Project (TFM/MRP) is to carry out original research within one of the research groups at the Institute of Neurosciences (IN). This project is intended to provide students with direct experience in laboratory work in the field of Neuroscience. During the TFM/MRP, students are expected to learn some of the techniques commonly used in Neuroscience and to obtain original results, which they must present and defend at the end of the academic year. These results may also serve as the initial phase of a future PhD project.

 

The list of available TFM projects for the 2025–2026 academic year will be posted here soon.

 

Student interchange programs

The Master has an international agreement with the Institut Pasteur/Sorbonne Université (Paris) for the interchange of students. The inyerchage consists in the participation durina week in the Development and plasticity of the nervous system (DPSN) Course of the Pasteur Institute.

» English link Institut Pasteur
» French link Institut Pasteur

For further information, please write to: masterneurociencia@goumh.umh.es