Short course
The Human Brain: Cognition, Emotion, and Behaviour
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
20/01/2027 - 24/03/202710:30 - 12:30
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
How does the mind work, and how does the brain support it? The way our brain operates remains mostly below the threshold of our awareness, quietly swaying our thoughts and feelings to finally shape behaviour. How does it do all of this, and what happens when things go wrong?
This course offers an accessible introduction to cognitive psychology and neuroscience, designed for students with no prior background in the field. We begin with the brain itself — its structure, organisation, and the methods to study it — before moving through the major domains of cognition: perception, attention, and action; learning and decision-making; emotion and its relationship to thought and behaviour; and finally the higher-order question of how the brain constructs a sense of self and supports awareness.
No prior background in psychology or neuroscience is assumed. The course is designed for the intellectually curious who wish to engage with what the science actually says about the human mind — through landmark experiments, case studies, and some of the most compelling ideas in contemporary science.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts Wednesday 20 January 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 10.30am-12.30pm.
Week 1: Introducing the Brain: Structure, Methods and Neuroimaging
Week 2: Sensation & Perception
Week 3: The Science of Attention
Week 4: From Prediction to Action
Week 5: Learning, Memory & Decision-making
Week 6: Reasoning, Biases and the Limits of Rationality
Week 7: The Science of Emotions
Week 8: Emotion, Stress & Mental Health
Week 9: The Self, Metacognition & Consciousness
Week 10: The Social Brain
Course aims
Course aim: To provide students with a scientifically grounded and critically informed understanding of how the human brain supports cognition, emotion, and behaviour, from basic perception through to self-awareness and social cognition.
Course objectives:
By the end of the course, students will have:
- gained a working understanding of the key brain processes underlying perception, attention, decision-making, emotion, and the sense of self;
- engaged critically with major theories and findings in cognitive neuroscience, developing the ability to evaluate evidence and to gauge the reliability of a scientific finding in the field
- explored the relationship between normal brain function and clinical conditions, and reflected on the broader implications of cognitive psychology and neuroscience for our understanding of human experience.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
– demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principal brain systems underlying perception, attention, decision-making, emotion, and self-awareness, and of the methods used to study them.
– show critical engagement with theories and empirical findings in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, including the capacity to weigh evidence and identify potential limitations
– apply concepts from cognitive neuroscience and psychology to real-world phenomena, including everyday perceptual and emotional experience and cognitive bias
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Teaching methods
Each session will combine structured lecture and discussion, encouraging students to relate the discussed scientific findings to their own observations and experiences. To equip students with a practical, evidence-based understanding of cognition and the brain, the lectures will consider both canonical and state-of-the-art behavioural and neuroimaging studies, placing them into context. Students will also be invited to reflect on and share their perspectives on the ethical and personal dimensions of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. The format of the course is designed with participation in mind, and readings will be circulated in advance of certain sessions to facilitate discussion.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Samuel Recht
Sam is a cognitive scientist whose research focuses on how attention, memory, and confidence interact to shape curiosity about the world and influence learning. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology (2019) and joined the University of Oxford in 2020 as a Fyssen Research Fellow within the Department of Experimental Psychology and University College. Since 2022, he has been a Lecturer at Pembroke College, and in January 2026 he was appointed Departmental Lecturer in Biological Sciences at Oxford Lifelong Learning.
Academic credit
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)
Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.
Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.
Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.
Digital certificate of completion
Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- A Trick Of The Mind: How the Brain Invents Your Reality / Daniel Yon
- The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat / Oliver Sacks
Module code: O26P527PCW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.