Study programme - Courses | Msc Applied Mathematics

You have a lot of freedom in customising your Master’s in Applied Mathematics.

Within this Master's, you will build your expertise within one of the three specialisations. In addition, you can tailor your Master’s with elective courses that suit your interests and ambitions. There is a large variety of electives you can choose from – you can even choose electives from related Master’s! By working towards your ideal Master’s, you get to develop your own expertise as a mathematician.

How to compose your Master’s

As a student of this Master’s, you will follow three compulsory courses which provide a solid theoretical foundation. What the rest of your curriculum looks like, depends on the choices you make in composing your Master’s. There are three steps in doing so:

Step 1: Choose a specialisation
When applying for the programme, you indicate your preference for one of the specialisations. Not sure yet about which specialisation suits you best? That’s not a problem! During the beginning of your Master’s, you will keep the opportunity to switch, if one of the other specialisations seems to suit you better. The Master’s in Applied Mathematics has three specialisations:
Step 2: Join a research group
Once you have chosen your specialisation, you will choose a research group to work in as a junior researcher. From this research group, a mentor will be assigned to you to guide you through important decisions such as compiling the perfect set of courses and choosing the best type of internship. Eventually, you will complete your master’s thesis in the research group you’ve chosen.
Step 3: Select electives
Once you have chosen your specialisation, you will compose a set of courses that match your interests and ambitions. There are some (compulsory) courses related to the specialisation you have chosen, as well as free elective courses. There is a large variety of electives you can choose from within the Master's in Applied Mathematics as well as electives from related Master’s! In composing your Master’s, you can count on the support of your mentor, so that you will have a coherent programme that will help you reach your goals. Your composed set of electives needs approval from the examination board.
You are supposed to remain critical of the choices you made in composing your study programme. Your interests may shift during your studies, or you might think that a different elective would better suit your ambitions. That’s why you keep the opportunity to adjust your curriculum during the programme, in consultation with your mentor.
Are you curious about the electives you can follow? Choose a specialisation and find out!

Master’s structure

During this two-year Master’s, you will collect a total of 120 EC. The three compulsory courses will provide you with fundamental knowledge in applied mathematics. Moreover, you will follow a set of (partly mandatory) courses related to your chosen specialisation, as well as free electives. In the second year, you will go on an internship and you will conclude your Master’s with your master’s thesis.

European Credit Transfer System

Student workload at Dutch universities is expressed in EC, also named ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), which is widely used throughout the European Union. In the Netherlands, each credit represents 28 hours of work.

First year
Compulsory courses for the Master's	6 EC 6 EC 5 EC	Continuous Optimization (Mastermath course) Scientific Computing Pioneers of Applied Mathematics
Specialisation courses	15 - 17 EC	Each specialisation consists of a set of (partly mandatory) courses. Find out more about the courses you can follow by first choosing a specialisation.
Elective courses	26 - 28 EC	You can choose many different electives out of a pre-approved list, but you can also suggest other electives, either within the Master’s in Applied Mathematics, but also electives from related Master’s.
Second year
Internship	20 EC	In your second year, you will go on an internship. Find out more by first choosing a specialisation.
Master’s thesis	40 EC	You will end your Master's by writing your master's thesis.
Total EC	120 EC

Mastermath

The Departments of Mathematics of the Dutch universities have combined their efforts to enhance their Master's in mathematics. Part of the cooperation is aimed at organising joint courses in mathematics. These courses offer you the highest quality of instruction and open up opportunities for interaction with students of other institutes of mathematics. In our master's you will take two or more courses that are offered by Mastermath.

More about Mastermath on the website.

How to compose your Master’s

Master’s structure

First year

Second year

Mastermath