Master in Cognitive Neuroscience at Sapienza University of Rome
Two-year English-taught LM-51 psychology master at Sapienza in Rome on the neural bases of perception, action, emotion and cognition, with 40 places in 2026/27 (20 for non-EU applicants). Entry needs a psychology bachelor's, English at B2 and an online test.
Master
2 years
Rome
English
Sapienza University of Rome
Cognitive Neuroscience is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-51) taught in English at Sapienza University of Rome. Entry needs a bachelor's in psychology or a recognised equivalent and English at B2, then a ranking based on your grades, experience, reference letters and an online test. For 2026/27, 20 of the 40 places were for non-EU applicants. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Sapienza's Cognitive Neuroscience master asks for a bachelor's degree in psychology or a recognised foreign equivalent, English at B2, and a place in a ranking built from a review of your qualifications (70 points) and an online test (30 points), with at least 60 points overall. Non-EU visa applicants also need a MoveIn pre-acceptance letter and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree in psychology
By the application deadline (6 July 2026 for 2026/27) you must hold one of these: [1]
- A bachelor's degree in psychology, or a five-year psychology degree from Italy's old academic system.
- A qualification obtained abroad and recognised as corresponding to a bachelor's degree in psychology.
If you will graduate by 3 November 2026, you can take part conditionally, but exams taken after you apply do not count towards your grade average. [1]
Italian bachelor's degrees in psychology (class L-24) include 10 ECTS of professional training activities. If your degree does not cover these, you earn the missing credits during the master's, on top of its 120 ECTS. [1]
What this means for your transcript
The rule is about the subject of your degree, not a credit count, and 40 of the 70 qualification points come from your grades in psychology and cognitive neuroscience exams. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a BA or B.Sc. in Psychology, including an Honours degree with psychology as the main subject.
- Check carefully: a BA where psychology is one of two or three main subjects. Whether it counts as corresponding to a psychology bachelor's depends on its content.
- Often short: a B.Sc. in Neuroscience, Biology, Biotechnology or Life Sciences, an MBBS or other medical degree, or a B.Tech, BCA or B.Com without a psychology major. The call asks for a psychology degree, not a neuroscience one.
Your transcript must show each exam's full name, date, grade and/or credits, translated into English. [1]
English
English at CEFR level B2 or higher. You upload a language certificate or a self-certification of B2 English with your application, and the certificate is not required if your bachelor's degree was in English. The call does not name specific tests or scores. [1]
Places and selection
For 2026/27 there were 40 places: 20 for EU and equivalent applicants and 20 for non-EU applicants living abroad who need a student visa. Unfilled non-EU places pass to EU and equivalent candidates. [1]
The ranking is out of 100 points: [1]
- Graduation grade and average (40 points): your average in psychology and cognitive neuroscience exams, weighted by credits.
- Further activities (20 points): a first-level master's, internships or work experience in neuroscience and cognitive psychology, seminars, congresses and relevant training courses.
- Reference letters (10 points): up to two letters from lecturers who taught you at university. They are optional but scored.
- Online test (30 points): 30 multiple-choice questions on the subject areas of psychology in 40 minutes, taken from home.
You need at least 60 points overall to be ranked as eligible. Non-EU visa applicants competing for their reserved places can be admitted regardless of that minimum if the Educational Area Board finds them eligible. In a tie, the younger candidate ranks higher. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
These were the dates in the 2026/27 call: [1]
- 15 May 2026: MoveIn pre-selection and pre-acceptance letter for non-EU visa applicants.
- 30 June 2026: Universitaly pre-enrolment for non-EU visa applicants.
- 16 June to 6 July 2026: Infostud registration and the online application.
- 20 July 2026: online test at 1 p.m.
- By 30 July 2026: ranking published.
- 1 to 10 September 2026: enrolment fee payment for admitted candidates, followed by up to three lists of new intakes from 16 September to 12 October 2026.
The 2027/28 call sets the next dates.
Documents and non-EU steps
The online application asks for: [1]
- An ID document.
- A CV in European format in English, up to three pages, dated and signed, covering your studies and relevant work and training experience.
- An English certificate, or a self-certification, at B2 or higher.
- A short motivation letter on why you chose this master and your professional expectations.
- Up to two reference letters (optional, but scored).
- Your degree certificate and transcript, translated into English if issued abroad.
Non-EU applicants living abroad who need a student visa must complete MoveIn pre-selection and Universitaly pre-enrolment first. The pre-acceptance letter does not by itself give the right to a visa or to enrolment: you must also pass the selection and rank within the places. [1]
Sources and verification
Checked by the ApplyAZ admissions team against the university's official documents listed below. Entry rules can change with each new call, and we re-check them before every application.
- Sapienza University of Rome, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology. Call for applications for admission procedures to the Master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience (LM-51), restricted access, academic year 2026-2027, Rector's Decree no. 1133/2026. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Sapienza University of Rome, Cognitive Neuroscience programme page, admission and academic calendar section, academic year 2026-2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Cognitive Neuroscience (Neuroscienze cognitive in Italian) is a two-year master's degree in class LM-51, psychology, run by the Department of Psychology in Sapienza's Faculty of Medicine and Psychology. It is taught entirely in English, in person in Rome, and has a set number of places: for 2026/27 the call offered 20 places to EU and equivalent applicants and 20 to non-EU applicants. [1]
The programme studies the neural correlates of motor, perceptual, affective and cognitive processes, and the relationship between brain and mind across development. It trains psychologists who can identify cognitive deficits, assess how those deficits affect a patient's emotional wellbeing and quality of life, and put rehabilitation into practice. Entry is open to psychology graduates.
What you will study
The Department of Psychology describes the degree through supervised research and educational projects in the fields that make up its core. You work across:
- Neuropsychology
- Cognitive psychology
- Clinical psychophysiology
- Psychobiology
- Physiological psychology
The common thread is how brain activity supports perception, movement, emotion and thought, and how that knowledge is used to assess and treat patients with cognitive impairments.
How the programme is taught
Teaching is in person in Rome. For 2026/27 the first semester runs from 28 September to 18 December 2026 and the second from 15 February to 14 May 2027. [2] The degree ends with a master's thesis presented to a degree commission.
You can carry out the thesis in the department's own laboratories or at partner institutions, including the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation research hospital, the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies of Italy's National Research Council (CNR) and the Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology.
Career paths
The department presents the degree as training for clinical and research work on the brain and cognition. Based on the skills it lists, graduates are prepared for work such as:
- Assessing cognitive deficits in patients and their effect on emotional wellbeing and quality of life
- Planning and carrying out cognitive rehabilitation
- Research in neuropsychology, cognitive psychology and psychophysiology, in university, hospital and research council laboratories
Fees and scholarships
Sapienza sets tuition by family income (ISEE). Students whose income comes from abroad and who have no Italian ISEE pay a fixed yearly amount based on their country, set in each year's fee regulations. [1] The regional scholarship body for Rome is DiSCo Lazio, and its scholarship winners also get a tuition waiver, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. The region decides scholarship awards.
How to apply from outside the EU
Cognitive Neuroscience has its own call for applications and a separate quota for non-EU applicants. For 2026/27, visa applicants first needed a pre-acceptance letter from MoveIn pre-selection by 15 May 2026 and Universitaly pre-enrolment by 30 June 2026. They then applied to the call between 16 June and 6 July 2026, sat the online test from home on 20 July and saw the ranking by 30 July. Admitted candidates enrolled from 1 to 10 September 2026. A pre-acceptance letter does not by itself give the right to a visa or to enrol. [1] The 2027/28 call and calendar are not yet published.
Candidates need at least 60 points out of 100 to be ranked as eligible, but non-EU visa applicants competing for their reserved places can be admitted regardless of that minimum if the Educational Area Board finds them eligible. Unfilled non-EU places pass to EU and equivalent candidates. [1]
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your transcript against Sapienza's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your MoveIn pre-selection, Universitaly pre-enrolment and selection application.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your DiSCo Lazio scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
Do I need a psychology degree for Sapienza's Cognitive Neuroscience master?
Yes. You need a bachelor's degree in psychology, a five-year psychology degree from Italy's old system, or a qualification obtained abroad and recognised as corresponding to a psychology bachelor's. [1]
Is there an entrance test?
Yes. For 2026/27 it was an online test from home on 20 July: 30 multiple-choice questions on psychology in 40 minutes, worth 30 points. The other 70 points come from your grades, further activities and reference letters, and you need 60 overall. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at CEFR B2 or higher. You upload a certificate or a self-certification of B2, and no certificate is needed if your bachelor's was in English. The call does not name specific tests or scores, so we check which proof your file can use. [1]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU visa applicants needed a MoveIn pre-acceptance letter by 15 May 2026 and Universitaly pre-enrolment by 30 June, then applied to the call by 6 July 2026. The 2027/28 calendar is not yet published. [1]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes, if you graduate in time. For 2026/27, you could take part conditionally if you graduated by 3 November 2026, but exams taken after your application did not count towards your grade average. [1]
I have a B.Sc. in Biology or Neuroscience. Can I apply?
Usually not on that degree alone. The call asks for a bachelor's in psychology or a qualification recognised as corresponding to one, and 40 ranking points come from psychology and cognitive neuroscience exams. We check your transcript before you apply. [1]
Do I need reference letters?
They are optional but scored. You can submit up to two letters from lecturers who knew you during your university studies, worth up to 10 of the 100 ranking points. [1]
Where can I do my thesis?
In the Department of Psychology's laboratories or at partner institutions such as the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, the CNR Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies and the Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology.
Can someone handle my whole application to Cognitive Neuroscience at Sapienza?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Sapienza's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the DiSCo Lazio scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.
I'm applying from India. What is the route into Cognitive Neuroscience?
You need a bachelor's in psychology, so an Indian BA or B.Sc. in Psychology can meet the rule if it is recognised as equivalent, plus English at B2. Your ranking rests on your psychology grades, relevant experience, up to two reference letters and an online test. The steps are MoveIn pre-selection, Universitaly pre-enrolment, then the selection. [1] Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
No. The academic rules for Cognitive Neuroscience are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: MoveIn pre-selection and pre-acceptance letter, Universitaly pre-enrolment, then the selection with an online test, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.
I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for Cognitive Neuroscience are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: MoveIn pre-selection and pre-acceptance letter, Universitaly pre-enrolment, then the selection with an online test. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for Cognitive Neuroscience are the same whatever your nationality, and your degree is assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: MoveIn pre-selection and pre-acceptance letter, Universitaly pre-enrolment, then the selection with an online test, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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