Computer Science: Foundations of Computing

Core component Foundations of Computing (36 EC)

Important notes:

As of 1 September 2020, the following course name change came into effect, the course with the old name is considered equivalent to the new one:

• Advances in Model Checking was renamed to Software Verification.

• Students who have successfully followed the course Concurrency and Causality before September 2021, do not need to follow Modern Game AI Algorithms.

Specialisation courses and seminars (42 EC)

A choice can be made from the Specialisation courses and seminars below during the first and second year of the programme for at least 42 EC.

Important notes:

Below is a list of course list name changes, per academic year. In all cases, the course with the old name is considered equivalent to the new one.

As of 1 September 2022, the following course name changes came into effect:

• Advances in Deep Learning was renamed to Seminar Advances in Deep Learning; and

• Computational Molecular Biology was renamed to Biological and Biomedical Informatics.

As of 1 September 2021, the following course name changes came into effect:

• Information Retrieval and Text Analytics was renamed to Information Retrieval.

As of 1 September 2020, the following course name changes came into effect:

• Deep Learning and Neural Networks was renamed to Introduction to Deep Learning.

• Seminar Swarm-based Computation with Applications in Bioinformatics is available in the Spring of odd years only (2023, 2025, …)

• The following courses have limited availability. Details on the admission procedure can be found in the course descriptions:

  • Cloud Computing
  • Computational Imaging and Tomography
  • Information Theoretic Data Mining
  • Seminar Advanced Deep Reinforcement Learning
  • Seminar Advances in Deep Learning
  • Seminar Multimedia and Deep Learning
  • Seminar Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence
  • Sports Data Science

• Students who started before 1 September 2020 may choose to replace 18 EC of elective courses and seminars with an Introductory Research Project (18 EC).

Research components

Course levels

• Level 100
  Introductory course, builds upon the level of the final pre-university education examination.
  Characteristics: teaching based on material in textbook or syllabus, pedagogically structured, with
  practice material and mock examinations; supervised workgroups; emphasis on study material and
  examples in lectures.

• Level 200
  Course of an introductory nature, no specific prior knowledge but experience of independent
  study expected.
  Characteristics: textbooks or other study material of a more or less introductory nature; lectures, e.g. in
  the form of capita selecta; independent study of the material is expected.

• Level 300
  Advanced course (entry requirement level 100 or 200).
  Characteristics: textbooks that have not necessarily been written for educational purposes; independent
  study of the examination material; in examinations independent application of the study material to
  new problems.

• Level 400
  Specialised course (entry requirement level 200 or 300).
  Characteristics: alongside a textbook, use of specialist literature (scientific articles); assessment in the
  form of limited research, a lecture or a written paper. Courses at this level can, to a certain extent, also
  be on the master’s curriculum.

• Level 500 Course with an academic focus (entry requirement: the student has been admitted to a
  master’s programme; preparatory course at level 300 or 400 has been followed).
  Characteristics: study of advanced specialised scientific literature intended for researchers; focus of the
  examination is solving a problem in a lecture and/or paper or own research, following independent
  critical assessment of the material.

• Level 600
  Very specialised course (entry requirement level 400 or 500)
  Characteristics: current scientific articles; latest scientific developments; independent contribution (dissertation research) dealing with an as yet unsolved problem, with verbal presentation.

The classification is based on the Framework Document Leiden Register of Study Programmes.

Career Orientation

During the Master Computer Science we want to provide you with the best possible preparation for the job market. In addition to knowledge, it is important that you develop skills, gain practical experience, orientate on positions & careers, and reflect on your own profile and development. In addition to substantive knowledge, it is also important to be aware of the so-called transferable skills that you develop outside and during your education. These are, for example, your cognitive skills such as critical thinking and communication. Altogether, this contributes to your development as a professional and offers good preparation for the labour market.

The MSc Computer Science in Leiden is a two-year program that cover Computer Science from its foundations to its most recent developments. Taught by leading researchers in their fields, the program is strongly research-driven. By learning the scientific state of the art, however, you are also prepared for a career outside science. You can choose from a wide range of course topics and electives to fit your own specific interests. Also, our close international collaborations with industry and other scientific disciplines enable you to conduct research inspired by applications of Computer Science. You gain academic skills by conducting small projects for individual courses, and ultimately combine everything you’ve learned in a large (42 EC) Master’s Thesis Research Project.

Our program offers seven challenging specialisations, so that you can experience the scientific and societal impact of Computer Science in areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Bioinformatics, Computing and Systems, Data Science, and Foundations of Computing.

At various times during your studies, questions about this subject may arise, such as: How can you use the knowledge and skills you gain within and outside your study program in the labor market? Which direction do you choose within your study and why? What are you already able to do, and what skills do you still want to learn? How do you translate the courses you choose into something you would like to do later?

You may have already discussed this with the study advisor, mentor, tutor, the Science Career Service, fellow students or made use of the Leiden University Career Zone. All kinds of activities are organized where you get the chance to orientate yourself on the job market and gives opportunities to reflect on your own development, possibilities and (study) career profile as well. Central to this are the questions: "What are my capabilities?", "What do I want?" and "How do I achieve my goals?".
In the prospectus, learning objectives have been formulated for each subject, the purpose of which is to inform you which components are covered in the development of your (study) career profile and preparation for the labour market. Various activities are also organized that help you in making all kinds of career choices and to develop skills. An overview of activities is shown below.

Activities

First and/or second year

• Mentorship and tutoring

• Company visits as part of courses

• ‘Inhousedays’ at companies via study association De Leidsche Flesch

• Workshops and Career Colleges Science Career Service

• Leiden University Mentor Network

Second year

• Research skills as part of the Master’s Thesis Research Project

• Career Orientation as part of the Master Class

• Alumni lectures as part of the Master Class

• The possibility to submit a scientific paper to a subject-specific conference, attend the conference, and present there

Science Career Service

Science Career Service, one of the utilities of the Science faculty, offers information and advice on study (re)orientation, career planning and personal professional profile as well as preparation for the job market, such as job applications. Facilities provided to students include online information, walk-in consultations, workshops and individual counselling sessions. In addition, Science Career Service offers expertise and support to programmes that want to strengthen the connection between their curriculum and the job market. This can vary from providing specific guest lectures/workshops to advising on integrating career orientation programmes into the curriculum.

LU Career Zone

The Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career planning. You will find advice, information, video recordings of webinars and tools such as professional tests to get an idea of your personal profile. You can also explore positions and sectors, you will find tips about CV, job application, LinkedIn and there is a vacancy platform that you can make use of.

Mentornetwerk

Leiden University likes to prepare students and young alumni well for the job market. For this we use the knowledge and experience of Leiden alumni. To bring students and young alumni with questions about their careers into contact with experienced alumni, Leiden University has established the Mentor Network. Students and young alumni can register for free.

Contact

Do you have questions about your (study) career choices and has the above information not been able to help you further? Your study adviser mastercs@liacs.leidenuniv.nl is always available to discuss your plans and concerns.