My UM
My UM
Search

Join the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences

 

Looking to study Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and/or Data Science in the heart of Europe? 

The Department of Advanced Computing Sciences is home to the Netherlands' most international academic community in these fields. We will gladly welcome you as an exchange student in the city of Maastricht.

For incoming exchange students

Course content

Our department offers courses in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. As exchange student, you will be able to select courses from our top-ranked bachelor's and master's programmes. You can find more information about courses, scheduling, rules concerning grades and credits in the study guide. The handbook includes information about all of our programmes combined.

Download the study guide

If you would like to check out the course catalogue of our individual programmes, follow the links below:
Course catalogue BSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
Course catalogue MSc Artificial Intelligence
Course catalogue MSc Data Science for Decision Making

DKE student handbook

About us

The Department of Advanced Computing Sciences

We are a research and teaching community of around 120 staff members and 800 students. Approximately 75% of our staff and students is from abroad; together, we come from over 50 different countries. Within the Netherlands, this makes us the most international university community in our field. 

Our department offers education through one bachelor's programme (Data Science and Artificial Intelligence) and two master's programmes (Artificial Intelligence and Data Science for Decision Making). We've been teaching since 1992 and our programmes are among the top-ranked according to the Dutch Keuzegids rankings. 

Our study programmes have their own study association, MSV Incognito: we sponsor a membership for all of our students, including those joining us for an exchange semester.

Learn more about the department
Follow us on social media: Facebook and Twitter

DKE students

Living and studying in Maastricht

Maastricht developed from a Roman settlement into a flourishing European city. The city is best-known for the 1992 Treaty of Maastricht, which laid the foundation for establishing the European Union. Given the city's location, this is hardly a surprise: Maastricht lies in the heart of Europe, within 30 kilometers from the Belgian and German borders. The city and its inhabitants have a strong international character which is reflected in our department.

However, there is more to the city than just its cross-border character. For example, Maastricht has the second highest number of monuments in all of the Netherlands: roughly 1 monument for every 73 inhabitants, second only to the Dutch capital of Amsterdam.

This historical decor forms the backdrop for year-round cultural events, such as festivals, international art fairs, concerts and more. Just outside of the city, you can stroll through rolling hills and explore cave complexes.

Student associations

There's no shortage of student associations to join either: did you know that Maastricht has 29 student sports associations and 80+ other student associations, ranging from social clubs to themed organizations and associations targeted at international students? 

Discover the city of Maastricht
Practical details about living in Maastricht

Panoramic view of Maastricht city centre

How to apply

Eligible students are welcome to study for one or two semesters at our department.

To find out whether you qualify and for more information on the application procedure, go through the checklist below. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to Ms. Wendy Brandt, our International Relations Officer, using the contact details below. 

Application deadlines
Fall semester: June 1
Spring semester: November 1 of the preceding year

Application procedure checklist

1. Does your home institution have an agreement with us?

2. Do you meet the entry requirements?

Exchange students should have completed at least one year at their home university at the time of participation. Exchange students may have special eligibility requirements regarding their grade point average (GPA) or progress. You can contact the International Relations Office of your home university for more information.

Language requirements
Because all of our education is in English, non-native speakers will have to demonstrate a proof of English language proficiency. Students with an International Baccalaureate or European baccalaureate diploma are exempt from this requirement.

Exchange students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of English language proficiency as follows:

  • TOEFL 575 (Test of English as a Foreign Language, paper-based version)
  • TOEFL 232 (computer-based version)
  • TOEFL 90 points (internet based version)
  • IELTS (International English Testing System) test with a score of at least 6.5
  • CAE (Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English) test score must be at least a B, whereas a C is sufficient for your CPE (Cambridge Certificate of proficiency in English).

3. Secure a nomination from your home institution

So far so good? Then the third step is to obtain a nomination to study in Maastricht from your home institution's International Relations Officer (IRO).

If you have been nominated as an outgoing exchange student for the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences, your nomination must be officially announced through e-mail by your university's IRO. Please ask them to send your nomination to dacs-iro@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

4. Apply!

After you've been nominated, you can apply by sending the following information to our International Relations Officer:

  • A completed application form (to be requested via dacs-iro@maastrichtuniversity.nl)
  • An official academic transcript
  • A copy of your passport/ID-card
  • A passport-size picture
  • A list of requested courses

Send the required documents to Ms. Wendy Brandt via dke-international@maastrichtuniversity.nl. 

Note the application deadlines:
Apply for the fall semester (runs from Sept - Jan) before June 1; 
Apply for the spring semester (runs from Feb - July) before November 1 of the preceding year.

5. Waiting therapy

Can't wait to come to Maastricht? Here are a few suggestions to kill the time:

  • Delve into the wonderful world of vlaai, the local delicacy. Nope, it's not a stereotype... We eat a lot of vlaai here. Introduction day? Vlaai. Birthday? Vlaai. Excellent ranking results? Vlaai. Pi day? Vlaai! What flavour will you try upon arrival?
  • Have a look at the past activities of MSV Incognito, the department's study association. If you look closely you can spot some patterns: the annual OMGWTFBBQ, the Block Opening Drinks (BOBs), the MysteryLAN... Our department sponsors an Incognito membership for each of our students, so you'll be able to join all of it from the moment you arrive.
  • See what MyMaastricht has to offer. The website collects all sorts of useful information about what it's like to live in Maastricht, including tips for finding housing, an overview of bars, listings of cultural events and so forth.
  • Go find us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. We won't lie, we love online attention but it's also a genuinely good way of finding out what goes on in our department. 

Get in touch

If you have any questions about studying abroad at the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences, don't hesitate to get in touch. 

We hope to meet you in Maastricht!

Luc Giezenaar
International Relations Officer, Department of Advanced Computing Sciences

dacs-iro@ maastrichtuniversity.nl
+31 88 388 7206

Luc Giezenaar

This particular internship focuses on the organisation of professional and academic events. The ideal candidate enjoys working in a small team with plenty of practical challenges. The internship will show you all aspects of event organisation, such as being able to strategically and logistically categorise the type of events, to coordinate all parties involved in making the event a success, to welcome the organisers and guests on the actual day of the event. This experience will allow you to gain knowledge and insights in the world of academic events, courses, workshops and conferences in an international academic environment.

Ideal Candidate
Excellent communication skills;
Excellent command of English (written and spoken);
Knowledge of Dutch and/or French is an advantage;
Capable of multi-tasking and work with a variety of staff;
Excellent interpersonal skills in person, by e-mail and by phone;
Eye for detail and willingness to continuously learn;
Ability to work independently as well as in a small, hands-on team;
You feel at home in a complex organisational environment;
Ability to work in an international and multicultural setting;
You are able to organise your workload, manage your own time and set clearly defined priorities;
Due to the nature of the events no 9:00 to 17:00 mentality;
IT (MS Office, audio and video equipment) savvy;
Provide and receive constructive feedback.

What we offer
A kick-start to your career and network in Brussels;
International academic working environment;
Small and dynamic team;
Excellent learning and self-development opportunities;
An internship with a wide range of responsibilities;
Support in developing your own initiatives;
Remuneration per month; 
Public transportation costs within Brussels are fully covered.

Application

This internship position will be available from the beginning of October 2017 for a period of six months following an evaluation after three months.

Interested? Please send your CV and motivation letter to campusbrussels@maastrichtuniversity.nl

internship

Full description

Event Organisation
You will be the first point of contact for organisers under the supervision of the events coordinator. You will learn how to guide them through the process of booking appropriate venues and advise them on a suitable format. You may also be asked to find suitable speakers or participants for courses, events or workshops. You will communicate with a wide range of UM (academic) staff, students and alumni. In return you will gain an in depth understanding of the Brussels events world.

Event Coordination
You will monitor online registration processes and assist in setting them up under the guidance of the events coordinator. You will coordinate with external & internal suppliers collecting and communicating the information to all relevant parties.  As a result you will gain an insight in the logistical world of event coordination in Brussels and receive a true hands-on experience.

Event Promotion
You will assist the communications manager with designing social media strategies, drafting newsletters and promotional content for academic events, workshops and courses. You will be expected to represent Maastricht University in the Brussels arena. You will gain experience in creating content to share with the correct target audience using the UM Campus Brussels promotional tools.

Event Execution
You will welcome a wide range of guests to the campus ranging from students to academics, MEP’s, and other EU Officials. You will support in preparing rooms and practical support to guests throughout the events answering all queries. Therefore you should be comfortable to host people and assist organisers throughout the event keeping the event up to the professional UM Campus Brussels standard. In turn this will broaden your network, enhance your people skills and provide you with a broad and complete event organisation experience.

 

Hard to believe but it’s our 10-year anniversary this year. We certainly can’t let this occasion slide and therefore suggest to meet in Maastricht in order to catch-up, reminisce old times and party. In a democratic decision, we have chosen the weekend from 14-15 October 2017.

Celebrate with us!

Practical information

14 October (Main Event)
Where: D’n Hiemel When: 19:30 - late. (We can stay at D’n Hiemel till 2am but can always move somewhere else at some point should we feel the urge.)
What: Catching-up followed by some party and dancing
Food: Tapas, Finger food (included)
Drinks: Everybody pays for themselves at reasonable prices (2 €/beer + softs, 3€/wine…).
Price for ticket (including food and entrance): 15 €
Account for payments (no at the door sale): Elisabeth Reitzenstein / IBAN: BE25 3635 0390 9582
Deadline for payments: 1 October 2017, 23:55 Sunday, 15 October (optional + tbc)
The day after: Since most of us will probably stay in Maastricht, we thought that a joint hangover brunch could be cool. Obviously optional and according to your physical condition, travel times etc. We are in touch with “The Lab” which is a super stylish location with cheap prices but they are still fine-tuning their concept. Please let us know if you would like to come to the brunch so we can make a proper reservation and fix it with them or a similar place. We’ll keep you posted on the progress on that! Merci! RSVP:

IMPORTANT TO READ
If you wish to participate, please transfer the 15 € for the party to Elisabeth Reitzenstein / IBAN: BE25 3635 0390 9582 until 5 September AND send an email to Lilli at edfvr@gmx.de indicating your
a) Attendance at the party on 14 October
b) Interest in the brunch on 15 October.

Indicating your (non-)attendance at the FB event is also very helpful but please note that we don’t see this as binding. To be properly registered, we need an email and your payment.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
A) Electronics, lights, music at the party: There will be the usual sound system (whatever that means ;-) ) but nothing too fancy and no DJ offered by the location as this would have meant extra costs which we deemed unnecessary. Please feel free to bring phones, tablets, ipods, and/or prepare awesome (Spotify) playlists. We still need verify the internet connection though. A laptop should be there but you can also bring your own, should you want to do something more professional. Feel free to get in touch, should you have more specific questions on this.
B) Afternoon programme on Saturday: We haven’t foreseen or planned anything from our side. This obviously shouldn’t keep any of you from organising something – should you fancy a boat trip, city tour or alike. Feel free to use our FB event page to do so.

WHY THE DEADLINE?
It is necessary for the locations to have a rough idea about our number to know how to organise themselves (Dn Hiemel) and which brunch place we might be feasible and how many seats we need. It should still be possible for some last-minute deciders to join the party but those of you, who are already planning on coming anyways: Please let us know.

HOTELS:
We know some of you have already done so but for everyone else: Now is the time to organise your hotel / AirBnB!

Luise’s enthusiasm for her job radiated from a picture spotted on her LinkedIn profile. She was on this field work trip in Malawi, Africa. Extremely curious to hear what she was doing there and how she got this position, we scheduled an interview with her.

It was Luise’s passion for international relations that brought her to Maastricht. She had been doing internships and volunteer jobs for various international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Amnesty International, women’s shelters and refugee aid organizations since she was fifteen years old. Working to make the lives of other people easier and better had never felt like work to her. When she first heard about University College Maastricht (UCM), she decided to visit and was persuaded by the inspiring place right away: Students and staff of UCM immediately noticed “the new girl”, showed her around and shared experiences with her. Full of motivation, she applied soon after and the rest is history.
 

"It gives you so much courage to contribute to having a positive impact on this world.”

UCM and friends
UCM felt like a breeding ground for extremely passionate students willing to do good in the world and willing to go the extra mile to achieve their goals. “What I loved about UCM is that people deeply cared about what they were doing”, says Luise. “The environment made me so enthusiastic that I convinced many of my friends to start studying in Maastricht, too.” The atmosphere also inspired her to continue to work and do internships around the world in between her studies: From the International Criminal Court in Cambodia to the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect in New York and many other places, she followed her passion.

During her time in Maastricht, Luise made many of her closest friends for life at the many associations she joined, from volunteering and at university itself. Having moved away from Maastricht does not mean she is now out of touch with them: ”You would not believe how regularly so many of us still see each other although we’re all spread throughout the world. You cannot go to any place in the world without seeing a fellow alum which is wonderful. Many of my UM friends even came to join my birthday celebration just now here in the Swiss mountains.” Before she goes on a work trip, Luise often reaches out to fellow graduates within her network. If not to cooperate, then to exchange views or to spend leisure time together. Visiting Maastricht also still feels like coming home to her: “I always run into people I know within UCM premises and the professors actually still remember you with a smile and make time to catch up.”

NGO Consulting around the world
Luise works for The Salvation Army and several other non-governmental organisations and is consulting organisations and governments worldwide. The organisations strive to make development work more efficient by cooperating with partners on how to use resources wisely and by working closely with local communities. One of her major strengths is in identifying and collecting the best practices from each country, organisation and project to help people develop effective programmes. The biggest challenge is often the limited time frame available in a country: “That is why it is key to establish motivation and networks, so even when we leave, people continue to strive to deliver the best projects possible”.  

An example of an effective programme
“We have an excellent micro credit programme in rural Myanmar (Burma) which I frequently visit. In particular regions, people have an average family income of 60 USD a month and no chance of getting a loan to start a small business to escape the poverty. Through the programme, the people – mainly women – first get trained in budgeting and developing a good business idea. Then they form saving groups, receive their loans and meet weekly to discuss progress and save money to pay back the loan after six months. Those interested can get an even higher loan in the next loan cycles. For almost all of them, this means a tremendous increase of income and life quality, for some of them even ten times higher incomes than before. One of the ladies I met from a very poor family used her first loan to rent a weaving chair. Quickly, she was so successful in selling the skirts she produced, she bought the weaving chair with her next loan. With the resulting income, she acquired more weaving chairs and now employs two other women and her daughter. Her family life, income and children’s perspectives have improved significantly. She could send her kids to school who now want to become a doctor and a teacher. It was deeply touching and inspiring to see this and only one successful story of many. It gives you so much courage to continue to contribute having a positive impact in this world.”

Wise advice
When asked about a key advice that has guided her in her successful life, Luise mentioned her former UCM professor Rogier Creemers who said “Never let go of your passion. It will help you go far and will open doors you never expected to open”. “Until now, just using my passion as my compass in life brought me so many opportunities and I cannot wait to see where else it will take me in the future.”

By Charlotte Groven, July 2017

Since September 2017, all teaching materials are provided in English. All students are attending English-taught lectures and tutorials. However, the programme will also offer you the possibility to write your exams, papers and BA thesis in Dutch if you are a Dutch-native speaker.

To help you advancing your Dutch academic writing skills we offer you Research & Writing I and II in Dutch (and English). Moreover, a Dutch academic writing advisor is appointed. In this way, we prepare you as a Dutch-native speaker to be better qualified for working in a professional work environment in Flanders or the Netherlands, where Dutch is the main language, and in which a sufficient English level is an added value.

Do you want to learn more about how our Dutch students have experienced studying in both English and Dutch? Then please check out this video (only available in Dutch)

Support and manuals for PURE and UM Research Publications users.

 

Access to all Maastricht University Research Output. UM Research Publications compiles Maastricht University research output for both academic and public access. It offers not only scientific and professional publications, but also talks, activities, and press content related to UM research.

Go to
UM Research Publications

Upcoming events

 

Research-in-Progress and Journal Club meetings

At IDS, we are holding Research-in-Progress seminars and Journal Club meetings. These are one-hour 'brown bag' sessions on Thursdays at 12.00 (30 minutes for Research-in-Progress followed by 30 minutes for Journal Club). They will be held on the following dates:

  • 12 October

  • 23 November

  • 14 December

Other upcoming events

Past events

Requests to access the Nanoscopy or Imaging Mass Spectrometry facilities of M4I can be specified using the contact form below. The lab manager of the requested facility will evaluate your request. Within two working days, you will receive a response to discuss further steps to gain access and potential costs associated with facility usage.

Access to facilities

During this evening you will learn more about the Dutch culture and you will get to know the city of Maastricht (and the nightlife) a bit better. It is an informal event where you can have a chat with all new international students and where a few of the current international students will tell about their experiences in Maastricht.

Registration International Evening

Privacy statement
Subscribe to