Objectives and competences
The master's course is designed to train researchers to an internationally competitive level in behavioural sciences, specifically in the areas of personality and behaviour, cognition and plasticity, primatology and in research methodology in behavioural sciences. This programme has obtained a quality award from the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU).
The teaching plan consists of a number of subjects that provide an overall update in the contents of these areas, complemented with solid training in research methodology and other related topics, such as neuroscience. The master's degree also prepares students to access the doctoral programme. In particular, it is associated with the UB doctoral programmes in Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, and in Biodiversity.
To access the master's degree, students must have a high level of English, as this is the language of instruction. On completion of the master's degree, students should be able to operate easily in an international environment.
Basic information
| Type | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Faculty of Psychology |
| Branch of knowledge |
|
| Mode of delivery |
|
| Credits | 60 |
| Number of places available | 25 |
| Length of course | 1 academic year |
| Language(s) of instruction | English, 80%; Catalan, 10%; Spanish, 10% |
| Approximate price per credit | 19.37 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2025-2026 |
| Coordination | FERRAN PONS GIMENO |
| Course details | Indicators |
| Open pre-enrolment | Yes |
| Open enrolment | No |
| Lead to doctoral studies | Yes |
| Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualification | No |
| Bridging courses | No |
Objectives and competences
Objectives
Competences
- Capacity to design, plan and carry out a scientific project to solve a specific research problem.
- Understanding of and capacity to apply data collection and analysis techniques for specific types of research.
- Understanding of and capacity to apply a range of data processing techniques.
- Ability to critically interpret scientific research.
- Ability to write scientific articles and books, and an understanding of the steps required for publication.
Access and admission
Applicant profile and access requirements
Recommended applicant profile
The recommended entry profile for prospective students corresponds to a highly motivated applicant seeking solid training in the field of research in behaviour and cognition, which involves a high degree of personal commitment and a willingness to train and improve the basic skills required for work in this area. In addition, in order to fully benefit from the training offered by the program, students are expected to have an intermediate to high level of English.Access requirements and conditions
General requirementsStudents wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:
- Official Spanish university degree.
- A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.
- A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.
Specific requirements
Applicants must hold a llicenciatura degree, an EHEA bachelor's degree or an equivalent university degree issued outside Spain. In the case of applications from graduates in disciplines other than psychology, the Coordination Committee will determine whether additional bridging credits are required, which would be taken from the core subjects of the EHEA bachelor's degree in Psychology at the UB.
Pre-enrolment
Calendar
From March 30 to June 12, 2026Notification of resolutions: from June 25 to June 30, 2026
Notes:
- Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
- Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.
Required documentation
- Pre-enrolment application.
- Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
- Other specific documentation related to the selection .criteria
Recommendation letters should be directly sent to the master's program coordinator at ferran.pons@ub.edu.
Selection criteria
- Academic record, particularly in the final years: 60%
- B2 minimum level of English: 30%.
- Publications, scientific presentations, and letters of reference: 10%
Notification
Enrolment
As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned
- Documents required for enrolment
- Procedure to formalize enrolment
- Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
- Economic information (in Catalan)
Course curriculum
Subjects and course plans
Distribution of credits
| Type | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Compulsory | 25 |
| Optional | 25 |
| Compulsory placements | 0 |
| Compulsory final project | 10 |
| TOTAL | 60 |
List of subjects
Previous years
Placements
Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.
Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record. There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
Institutional information
Career opportunities
What can you work on ?
The training programme is designed for people who wish to start a career as researchers in the fields of experimental psychology, behaviour, neurosciences and primatology. It is also suitable for professionals of the behavioural sciences and life sciences who wish to complement their research training.Access to the labour market
Data from the university system in Catalonia