Getting started: overview for new students

Within our Applied Mathematics programme we offer three specializations. The first one focusses on applied analysis, computational science, and systems theory (SACS), the second on operations research (OR) and the third on Data Science (DS). The research and education within the specializations is organized by our research chairs. Your choice of specialization and the chair within that specialization will influence the courses you'll have to take and the kind or projects you will do during your internship and graduation. 

When you start your programme and specialization you will compose your course programme together with the chairholder of a research chair of your liking, or in case of Data Science, with the programme mentor. If you are unsure which specialization and chair you want to choose you can visit the websites of the chairs and read about their research. Hopefully this will help you make your choice for a specialization, and within the first quarter, also a chair. If you are still debating what chair would fit best, you should still meet with one of the professors of the specialization of your choice and make a preliminary choice.

Specialization Mathematical Systems Theory, Applied Analysis and Computational Science (SACS)

www.utwente.nl/ewi/sacs

• Mathematics of Computational Science: Professor Jaap van der Vegt
• Applied Analysis: Professor Stephan van Gils
• Multiscale Modeling and Simulation: Professor Bernard Geurts
• Hybrid Systems: Professor Hans Zwart and Anton Stoorvogel

 Specialization Operations Research

• Stochastic Operations Research: Professor Richard Boucherie
• Discrete Mathematics and Mathematical Programming: Professor Marc Uetz

Specialization Data Science

Programme mentor: Associate Professor Jasper Goseling
Possible chairs: DS, or one of the chairs mentioned above.

The applied mathematics programme consists of 120 EC divided over two years. On the AM website www.utwente.nl/am you will find the AM course programme 2019-2020  Depending on your preferred specialization you will follow either the blue (SACS), green (OR), or orange (MDS) track. The red courses are core mathematics courses and mandatory for all students. The official rules concerning the course programme are described in the teaching and examination regulations (TER, or OER in Dutch). 

Course programme approval

When you start your programme we advise you to contact one or more chairholders/programme mentor to talk about your course programme and the topics you are interested in. With their advise you will build your programme out of the mandatory courses supplemented with specialization courses and in some cases electives from related programmes and fields of application (e.g. physics, biomedical engineering, industrial engineering). If you have found a chair of your liking and composed your programme, you will need the chairholder of the chair to approve your programme. For Data Science you will first meet with programme mentor Jasper Goseling, and based on your programme choices meet with a chair after. You can arrange this by filling out the programme form on the AM website and handing in a signed copy to our Office of Educational Affairs. 

Academic year

A year is divided into 2 semesters and 4 quarters (roughly 1A: Sep – Nov, 1B Nov – Feb, 2A: Feb – Apr, 2B: Apr – Jul). The upcoming quarter you need to pick (around) 15 EC in courses. As 15 EC is the recommended study load per quarter. Because the AM programme is composed of semester courses and courses that only last a quarter, building a course programme can be a bit of a challenge. So it is best to start looking into the courses at an early stage.   

Mastermath

Some courses in our programme are nationwide courses organized by the Mastermath programme. This is where all math programmes within the Netherlands combine their strengths and expertise to offer joint courses open to all math students. In order to access more detailed course information and schedules you can create an account on the Mastermath website https://elo.mastermath.nl/ (go to login). The courses we offer within our programme are generally scheduled on Monday and are often semester courses.

A list of our educational systems and other (important) applications / facilities (login with your ICT account: student number s0000000, and password):

• Osiris: used to store course information, register for courses and grades. Use https://osiris.utwente.nl/student/StartPagina.do to login and register for courses. With www.utwente.nl/coursecatalogue you can visit the course information without logging in. Also, if you click on the courses in your course programme on www.utwente.nl/am you will automatically visit the course information on the course in Osiris.
• Canvas: used during the course for more in depth course information, lecture sheets, assignments, etc. https://canvas.utwente.nl
• Timetable: You can access your timetable on utwente.nl/timetable and selecting either a programme or individual courses

More information about the educational systems: www.utwente.nl/en/educational-systems/new_students/ 

On the AM website you can also find most of the people (including me) involved with organizational side of the AM programme. Some important ones:

• Study adviser: Lilian Spijker For an appointment, please go to https://eemcs.planner.utwente.nl/
• Programme director:  Anton Stoorvogel
• Professors of the Mathematics research chairs: https://www.utwente.nl/en/am/organization
• Study association: W.S.G. Abacus www.abacus.utwente.nl 
• Office of Educational affairs (also known by the Dutch abbreviation BOZ). They are located in the Citadel building on the 4th floor. Email: boz-tw-ces@utwente.nl.

See the Quicklink section in the menu for a large number of general UT links to systems, IT facilities or support organisations for students.

If you want to switch out or change something in your course programme you can fill out a Form alternation study programme after discussing the changes with the professor of your chair. 

Sometimes during the first half of the course programme students find they would be a better fit with another chair. If you feel that way and want to switch during the first year, please contact the professor of the chair you want to switch to and discuss your current course programme and the fit with the desired chair. If necessary fill out an alteration form to change some of the courses, otherwise only inform the chair you are leaving and the new chair of your switch. 

When you register for a course in Osiris, you will automatically be registered for the upcoming examination of that course (but always check your examination registrations in Osiris, just to be sure). If you want join for the re-sit (even if you did not attend the first attempt), you need to manually register for that second examination opportunity. Registrations will be open up until 2 weeks before the exam date.

All the rules and regulations regarding the programme are described in the Teaching and Examination Regulations (TER, also known by the Dutch abbreviation OER). If you want to differ from the rules and regulations as described in the Teaching and Examination Regulations or you want to ask for an exemption or other special circumstances apply, you can put in a request with the Examination Board. Note that the Board only meets once every few weeks, so if you want to put in a request, do this as soon as possible.

• Start in time. Especially an internship abroad takes a lot of preparations (VISA, subsidies, fees, work license, etc.)
• The initiative for the internship lies with the student, but
  • Your chair can often help with contact information for companies, research partners, assignments, etc.
  • The EEMCS internship office can give you an overview of where previous students went and what kind of assignments they did

For the specific rules, read the corresponding sections in the Teaching and Examination regulations.  

• Study load of the internship is 20 EC with a nominal duration of 14 weeks
• Completed at least 45EC in courses before the start. 
• Outside the University of Twente
• No necessary / vital courses uncompleted, for the Chairholder and supervisor to decide.
• Register your internship before the start in Mobility Online
• Hand in the report at the internship office and with your UT supervisor within two weeks after finishing your internship

• Visit the EEMCS internship website and read the internship guide
• Make an appointment with the internship office for more practical information and administrative procedures, and start your registration in Mobility Online
• Contact your chairholder to discuss assignments and a supervisor
• Complete your registration in Mobility Online

• Company supervisor: will supervise your daily progress and provide you with guidance during your work at the company/institute
• Your chair supervisor: a member of the permanent staff of your chair. Provides guidance on the overall course of the internship and grading of the report.

You have the option to combine your internship and final project. If you want to do this, you will need to take the following into account:

• The combined Internship / Final project always takes place at a research company or university outside the UT.
• You need to write and hand in two separate reports. One for your internship, and one for your Final Project. They will be graded separately.
• You will need to register both the internship and final project separately (in Mobility Online and on the Final project form).
• The maximum duration of the Final project combined with the internship is 48 weeks.

• Research chairs generally publish available assignments or completed assignments on their websites to help you (see organization - chairs).
• The initiative for the final project lies with the student, but the chairholder of your chair can often help. 
• Requirements to the assignment:
  • The project must address topics in the area of your track.
  • The final project must have a scientific character.
  • The final project should be feasible in the prescribed time.

• You need an approved study programme before the start of the final project
• The final project is always the last step in your Master's programme and by the time you start, you should have adequate mathematical knowledge. Only in exceptional cases (e.g. in case of unreasonable delays), can the Examination Board allow you to take courses (with a maximum of 10 EC) during your final project. Note that uncompleted courses don't automatically warrant additional time to finish your final project.
• The maximum duration of the Final Project is 32 weeks (actual duration is 28 weeks, plus 4 weeks accounting for illness, holiday, unforeseen circumstances, etc.)
• At the beginning of the project you need the following information (in order to complete your registration in Mobility Online:
  • The responsible chair
  • Approval of the assignment by the chairholder
  • A daily supervisor. If the daily supervisor is not from the responsible chair, a second supervisor from the chair needs to be appointed.
  • The start date and end date
  • A short description, including a working title
  • In case of confidentiality, approval from the programme director

• Find an assignment and a daily supervisor in consultation with the chair(holder)
• Register in Mobility Online: Fill out the Extended Registration (during registration pick internal of you stay within the UT and external if you go outside the UT e.g. abroad or to another company / organisation)
• Log back into Mobility Online and finish the procedure. Print out the form and upload a copy signed by your supervisor, to be checked and approved by BOZ (Educational Affairs Office) in Mobility Online.
• If confidentiality applies, your supervisor has to put in a request with the programme director before the approval of the project
• Carry out the final project and write your report
• During the second half of the Final Project contact the EEMCS Information Specialist to sign of on your literature research
• Near the finish line, discuss the date of completion with your supervisor
• Prepare for Graduation (by following rules and the checklist)

• Contains at least two persons:
  • The professor of your chair
  • A permanent staff member of the chair you are doing your final project with
  • Possible other experts on the topic of your final project
• One of the members of the committee will be made responsible for your daily supervision. If the daily supervisor is not a member of the permanent staff of Applied Mathematics, a second supervisor from within the AM department is appointed.

• Needs to be composed at least two weeks before the actual graduation date
• At least three persons containing:
  • all members of the graduation committee
  • possible other members from the AM staff, other departments within the UT or outside the UT