Overview

The acquisition and comprehension of language are based on extremely complex cognitive processes which are not yet entirely understood. It’s these processes, and their biological underpinnings, that form psycholinguistics’ field of study and are the basis of this track. You’ll study language acquisition, word recognition and production, as well as multilingualism or sign language. 

This track will provide up-to-date insights into the neurobiological basis of language and you’ll learn how state-of-the-art methods and approaches are currently being applied. This track also works closely together with Radboud University ’s Centre for Language Studies (CLS) and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI), also housed on the Radboud University campus.

Future career opportunities

The programme provides a great basis for a scientific research career as it gives you the qualifications you need to attain a PhD position. The majority of our graduates have taken on a PhD project, at the Donders Graduate School, International Max Planck Research School and elsewhere in- and outside of the Netherlands. Other graduates follow a non-academic career path, as researcher in research institutes in the Netherlands or abroad, government institutions, industrial and commercial settings (e.g. in the pharmaceutical industry).

Research

This Master’s programme is located within the world-renowned Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, located on the campus of the Radboud University, with a research staff of over 900 scientists. This institute has several unique facilities for brain imaging using EEG, fMRI and MEG. You will be able to use these facilities enabling you to do any type of research in this field you would want to. Besides the Donders Institute, there is the Radboud University medical centre and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Their researchers work together very closely, exchange expertise and share state-of-the-art research equipment to unravel the workings of the human brain. 

Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the NVAO (the Dutch-Flemish accreditation organisation).