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Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)

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 will 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 will know the principles underling the nature and nurture debate; you will 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.

Key features

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.

Undergraduate Virtual Open Day: 29 April 2025. Click here to register.

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Teaching & Assessment

As part of our open and inclusive learning environment, you can enjoy the world-class resources and expertise of the University of Cambridge wherever you are on your academic journey.

Our video-based teaching platforms offer a flexible way to access lectures, while our Virtual Learning Environment makes it easy to study and learn online and interact with your tutor and fellow students.

Our teaching methods include lectures, presentations by guest speakers and facilitators, and interactive and experiential learning activities. We will also give you reading and assignments to complete outside of classroom sessions.

You will be asked to submit one assignment totalling 1,800-2,000 words for Unit 1; a formative presentation of 1,300-1,500 words and a summative assignment of 1,800-2,000 words for Unit 2; and a 1,800-2000 word assignment and a 3,000 word lab report for Unit 3. Assignments will relate to producing essays, and a document which summarises a research article. You will also produce a research report detailing your write-up of a psychological experiment conducted as part of the course, and will be required to undertake a group presentation on a particular topic studied within the course. Guidance and support will be provided for each assignment, and there are more details about how this course is assessed in the course guide we will send you once you have enrolled.

Qualifications

This course is equivalent to half of the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree. It offers 60 CATS credits, which are recognised by higher education institutions and employers.

How many hours of study are required?

Notional hours

The award of academic credit is a means of quantifying and recognising learning and within the UK, one credit notionally represents 10 hours of learning. This course attracts 60 credits, so students should expect to need to study for approximately 600 hours in total to complete all units successfully. However, it is recognised that students study at different paces and use a variety of approaches, so this is a recommendation, rather than a hard-and-fast calculation.

SEEC Credit Level Descriptors for Higher Education (2021) here

Unless otherwise stated, teaching and assessment for ICE courses are in English. If your first language is not English, please refer to our Information for Applicants pages for further guidance.

Course dates

10 Oct 2025 to 10 Jun 2026

Course duration

9 Months

Apply by

18 Aug 2025

Course fee

£4,100

Course director

Academic director

Academic Directors, Course Directors and Tutors are subject to change, when necessary.

Venue

Virtual Classroom
(via Zoom or equivalent)

Qualifications / Credits

60 credits at Level 4

Course code

2526CCB251