University of Birmingham program

Good Brain, Bad Brain

Explore the key concepts of the human brain with this flexible program of online courses from the University of Birmingham.

  • Overview 3 courses
  • Duration 8 weeks
  • Learn Free

Explore the human brain, for CPD or as a gateway to further study

This program of three online courses introduces the key concepts of the human brain, before exploring the effects that Parkinson’s disease and drugs have on it.

The Good Brain, Bad Brain program is suitable for anyone who wants to know more about the brain: you may be doing your A-levels and considering a neuroscience-related degree; or you may already be working in healthcare and want to learn more as part of your continuing professional development (CPD).

Either way, the courses provide a flexible way to learn - they are accessible for free on desktop, tablet or mobile and delivered in bite-sized chunks.

And when you complete all three courses and buy a Certificate of Achievement for each, you will earn a FutureLearn Award as proof of completing the program of study.

Courses

3 courses

How does our pricing work?

Start Learning Free
$207 USD - Course Upgrades

Can I learn for free?

Programs are made up of short courses, most of which you can join for free.

However, if you want to take the final assessment and unlock the award or accreditation for the program, you must upgrade each individual course or buy Unlimited to gain a Certificate of Achievement for all the courses in the program.

How do course upgrades work?

If you want to spend more time on course material and better demonstrate what you've learned, you may choose to upgrade each course. You can upgrade your courses at any point after you enrol.

When you upgrade a course, you get ongoing access to the course material for as long as the course exists on FutureLearn. This means you can return to the subject whenever you like.

You will also be given access to any course tests, and the ability to qualify for a downloadable and printed Certificate of Achievement to show what you’ve achieved.

How does Unlimited work?

If you have Unlimited, you will get access to all of the short courses in this program, plus thousands of other short courses and tests.

You have the ability to learn at your own pace throughout your subscription time and gain digital Certificates of Achievement on all your courses.

If you gain a certificate on a course, you will keep access to the course’s content beyond your Unlimited subscription time so you can revise the content whenever you need.

Unlimited costs $27.99/month. Find out more about Unlimited.

Are these the final prices?

Yes. There are no additional fees. The price you see here includes everything - such as test fees, tuition and any additional accreditation provided by the course.

Learn with experts in neuroscience and pharmacology

The Good Brain, Bad Brain program has been developed by the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. On each course, you’ll learn with Alison Cooper - a senior lecturer, specialising in neuroscience and pharmacology.

  • University of Birmingham

Learning outcomes

The Good Brain, Bad Brain program is suitable for anyone who wants to know more about the brain. By the end, you will be able to:

  • describe the key features of the cells that make up the human nervous system that allow them to carry out their function;
  • explain how the arrangement of these cells within the human brain relates to brain function;
  • describe the defining symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and explain how the pathology seen in Parkinson’s disease leads to these symptoms;
  • explain the rationale behind the currently used treatments for Parkinson’s disease;
  • appreciate the need for new therapies and what our increasing understanding of the neurobiology is telling us about what possible new therapies there might be;
  • and describe the stages of drug discovery and development, from scientists having the first idea to it being used in clinical treatment.