• At least 4 core specialisation-specific courses
• Electives
• Research Methods in Computer Science and a Master's thsis

Courses are taught by lecturers from both UvA and VU, and may take place at either campus.

Specific core courses

You will take at least four of the following ​​specialisation​​​​​​-defining courses (subject to availability): 

• Data Systems Architecture
• Big Data at the Edge
• High Performance Computing and Big Data
• Data Preparations
• Data Mining Techniques
• Web Services and Cloud-based Systems
• Data Protection Technologies
• Digital Twin Engineering

These courses provide the foundation for working with distributed and scalable systems, secure data handling, and data stream processing. 

Electives and free-choice courses 

In addition to your ​​specialisation​​​​​​-specific courses, you can choose from a wide range of electives within the broader Computer Science curriculum. This allows you to explore topics such as artificial intelligence, software engineering, or systems security, depending on your interests and career ambitions. 

Research project and Master’s thesis 

You will conduct an individual research project (typically in your second year), supervised by a member of staff from UvA or VU. Projects may be carried out in collaboration with research institutes or external partners, including companies working in data science, cloud services, or analytics infrastructure. 

Teaching and learning 

Teaching methods include lectures, lab sessions, group projects and individual assignments. The programme is taught entirely in English. 

Learn more 

For a full overview of course options and detailed programme structure, visit the study guide or consult the joint Master’s Computer Science page.