Brain, mind and consciousness

(Minor)

Every single aspect of our being is regulated by our brain. Understanding our brain is understanding who we are. How does the brain work? This nagging question has been occupying many generations of researchers and philosophers. Join them and be overwhelmed by the complexity and beauty of the three-pound organ that is the seat of our intelligence and controls our ability to think, talk, feel, see, hear, remember things, walk and much more. If you are up for an exciting journey into your brain, sign up for the minor 'Brain, mind and consciousness.'

Study Programme

The minor consists of four courses (30 EC).

Educational Approach

This is an English taught interdisciplinary minor.
The principal instructional formats used in this minor are: (1) lectures, classroom setting, interactive, (2) small group meetings using reciprocal peer tutoring, (3) small group meetings for project-based learning, and (4) directed self-study, supported by blended learning and flipped classroom techniques. These instructional formats will be employed with the goal of stimulating self-efficacy of participants and, at the same time, providing appropriate scaffolding in the learning process. In addition, the instructional formats will be geared towards using the skills critical thinking, collaboration, and reflection.

Entrance requirements

The minor is accessible for students from the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and the programmes LAS (GW) and Natuurwetenschap & Innovatiemanagement (GEO), and comparable Faculties from other universities. Because of the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary character of the minor, the courses are designed to accommodate students from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds.
Students can sign up for the individual courses of the minor, as well as for the minor as a whole.

For completion of the minor as a whole the courses ‘Conscious brain and unconscious mind’, ‘The imprinted brain’, and ‘Wiring brain research’ are obligatory. The entrance course ‘Meet your brains’ is interchangeable with another (basic) neuroscience course. Please contact the minor coordinator for possibilities.

Specific entrance requirements for the individual courses can be found in the OSIRIS course catalog, and the Courseplanner.

Application and registration

How to register for this minor and its course modules, depends on whether you are a student of Utrecht University or not.

More information

If you wish to know more, or have questions about this minor, please contact the minor coordinator prof. dr. Ferdi Engels.