Why this programme?

Did you know that around 30% of our master's students publishes their work in academic journals and at top-tier research conferences? Project work, theses, internships and honours projects often find their way into scientific literature, and our students frequently travel to present their work.

Here's a few recent examples:

• As a master's student Artificial Intelligence, Lianne published her internship work with the IEEE Conference on Games. She travelled to London to give a presentation. Read more about Lianne's work and her research internship.
• Five master’s students of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Science for Decision Making programmes tackled AI models and looked into ways of making them interpretable. You can read the write-up of their problem statement and results in this blog.
• Do you want to know more about project-centred learning? The student projects blog collects a selection of layman's write-ups, which is one of the tasks you're asked to complete for the projects. It features bachelor’s theses and master's projects.

In this programme, you'll have plenty of opportunity to concentrate on specific areas of interest and specialise in a particular field. In the first year, you start by following a number of core courses which are complemented with two (semester long) projects. These projects allow you to apply your knowledge to real-life problems. From the first year, second semester onwards, you will be able to pursue your own interests by combining our core courses with a number of elective courses. In the second year of the master’s programme you can specialize in specific topics and profiles, enabling you to fit your personal needs and build towards your future perspective. You can participate in internships within a company, go on an international exchange semester at one of our partner universities or follow courses from other master’s programmes at Maastricht University. The final semester will be fully spent working on your thesis. For more detailed information about the programme, visit the courses & curriculum page.

Maastricht University is focused the development of its International Classroom, a place where our differences become our strengths. From day 1, you’ll be challenged with differing viewpoints and experiences as you interact with staff and students from all over Europe and the world. Your preconceptions and worldview will be enhanced by this interaction, bringing you closer to the programme’s goal of teaching students not only facts and concepts but also international accessibility and understanding. Roughly half of all the students at Maastricht University come from outside the Netherlands. Such diversity creates an international atmosphere that is strengthened by the international orientation of the programme.

At the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences, we consider internships an indispensable experience. Internships give you practical experience that enhances your studies and increases your employability. Many graduates often end up working at the organisation where they intern. You'll therefore be able to do a 6-month intership in the first semester of your second year. 

Imagine visiting Hong Kong, or taking a long-weekend hike outside Reykjavik, all while studying at one of the top universities in the world. The Artificial Intelligence programme has exchange partner institutions in Asia, North America and Europe. Students return having had the experience of a lifetime: travelling the world, meeting new friends, learning about different cultures, and working to complete their studies.

In the second semester of the second year, you write your master’s thesis on a topic of your interest, under the supervision of one of the academic staff members. You can choose to write your master’s thesis at Maastricht University, at a company of your choice or at one of the academic partners of the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences.