Mathematics

During the Master’s in Mathematics, building and expanding on a strong mathematical foundation, you will gain the skills to tackle real-world problems in industry, society, and science. The Master’s in Mathematics is a two-year programme consisting of compulsory courses, seminars, elective courses, and concluding with the Master’s project.

During the first year, you will meet all fellow students in the course "Current Issues in Mathematics", where you will explore hot topics like the use of LLMs for mathematical proofs, the ethics of AI, or sustainability and mathematics. You will further interact with fellow students and our research groups in the seminars, where you will practice giving mathematical presentations and reading research papers in your field.

You will acquire a comprehensive mathematical approach to problems by choosing your own blend of pure and applied electives from a wide spectrum of local and Mastermath courses. To assist you in your selections, we have designed two study paths,

• Mathematics and Data is for students interested in data science, statistics, probability and optimisation grounded in a strong mathematical foundation,
• Mathematics and Computation is for students who wish to use their fundamental mathematical skills to solve problems in domains our department is strong at, such as dynamical systems, topology, biomedical applications and discrete structures.

These study paths are meant as non-binding guidance: you can fully embrace one of the study paths or mix and match between them. The academic advisor is available to help you select elective courses that best suit your interests and goals.

Additionally, you can opt for the Education specialisation, where the teaching qualification part is taught in Dutch and you obtain the qualification to teach all levels of high school ('eerstegraads lesbevoegdheid wiskunde').

The last semester of the programme is dedicated to the Master’s project. This is either a research thesis under the supervision of a staff member, or an external internship at a company or research facility. If you choose an internship, you will have an on-location advisor as well as a supervisor from the Department of Mathematics.