How can we develop secure and robust software? How can we teach computers to see? How can we make our software easily adaptable to new tasks? How do we improve learning by computers? If these questions fascinate you, you should choose the Master's degree programme in Computing Science at Groningen, which deals with both the theoretical and practical aspects of computing.
You will develop and expand your in-depth knowledge within the areas of AI Engineering, Machine Learning and Visual Computing (MLVC), or Software Engineering and Distributed Systems. All our courses offer insightful lectures covering both theory and practice. As well as the acquisition of core computing science skills, the programme also focuses on mathematics and research methodology, while research and presentation skills are developed in student colloquia. Project management and related topics are offered for those aiming to go into business rather than academia. You will make active use of all the skills you acquire in research projects, either within the university or during business and industrial internships.
Because computing science is pivotal in many areas of research, students can easily participate in one of many research collaborations with other fields, such as bioinformatics, medicine and astronomy. In addition, contacts with many businesses facilitate internships in a variety of fields, matching the interests of most students.
| CoursesCourse Catalog > |
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Two year programme, 120 credits in total (60 ECTS per year). Most courses are 5 ECTS.
In each track there is a mandatory programme of 50 ECTS consisting of a Student Colloquium (in year 1), Research or In-Company Internship (year 1) and the Master Thesis (year 2). Additionally 40 ECTS of courses need to be selected out of the offered course packages and 30 ECTS are electives chosen form Master level courses.
| Programme options |
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| Machine Learning and Visual Computing (MLVC) (track) The MLVC track focuses on research areas such as image processing and analysis, computer vision, pattern recognition, machine learning and brain-like computing. But also scientific visualization, information visualization, software visualization, illustrative computer graphics, and innovative interfaces using large displays, with fundamental and practical problems from the life sciences (functional brain imaging, bioinformatics), health care and astronomy. You will participate in the grand challenge of giving computers the abilities to perceive (e.g. see), analyse, learn and enhance human creativity. The track Intelligent Systems and Visual Computing will be renamed Machine Learning and Visual Computing (MLVC) in the academic year 2025/2026. Specialized course packages within MLVC:
For the complete curriculum, please see: https://ocasys.rug.nl/current/catalog/programme/60364-5545 |
| AI Engineering (track) In the AI Engineering track there is a strong interaction of computer science with engineering and practical applications sciences, industry and government. Many of the greatest mathematical and computational challenges faced in almost any science today stem from the combination of large amounts of data and the complexity of the systems under study. You will learn advanced methods of machine learning, pattern recognition, information visualization, and distributed information systems. You will work on developing new methods that help solve these challenges. The track Data Sciences and Systems Complexity will be renamed to AI Engineering in the academic year 25-26 Specialized course packages within AI Engineering:
For the complete curriculum, please see: https://ocasys.rug.nl/current/catalog/programme/60364-5544 |
| Software Engineering and Distributed Systems (track) The SEDS specialisation focuses on research in the areas of architectural knowledge, architecture reasoning process, technical debt, architecting critical embedded systems and object-oriented design. As well as all aspects of distributed information systems with particular emphasis on service-oriented computing, pervasive middleware and energy distribution infrastructures. You will contribute to architecting industrial software-intensive systems that meet quality standards by carrying out joint research projects with industrial partners and other research institutes, thus combining academic know-how with industrial practice. Specialized course packages within:
For the complete curriculum, please see: https://ocasys.rug.nl/current/catalog/programme/60364-5547 |
| Science Business and Policy (track) The SBP track focuses on the business and policy side of science. During this track, you will be offered all the right tools to function as a professional in business or policy organisations, including a six-month internship as a scientific advisor. For the complete curriculum, please see: https://ocasys.rug.nl/current/catalog/programme/60364-5546 |
Exchange: All our science and engineering programmes offer study abroad possibilities at a number of partner institutions. Our partners include top-100 universities in Europe (for example in Germany, UK, and Sweden) and in the USA, China, South-East Asia, and South America. Our exchange programmes have a typical duration of one semester and count toward your final degree.
Internship: This programme offers you the opportunity to carry out a research project of a variable number of months at a company in the Netherlands or abroad, as part of your thesis. Our choice of industry partners ranges from large multinationals (such as Shell, Philips, Unilever) to dynamic small and medium enterprises in the Groningen area.
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Information Technology | Hanze University Groningen, University of Applied Sciences |
Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of
Access to be decided by admissions board |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Computing Science | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Computing Science | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:You might have to follow additional courses (via a pre-master of maximum 30 ECTS) if you have a Bachelor degree in computing science from a different university. Which modules depends on the courses you already completed in your bachelor. Access to be decided by admissions board. |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
A universitary Bachelor's degree in Computing Science. Information about admission possibilities and requirements for students from a Dutch HBO institute is published on: https://www.rug.nl/fse/msc-admission |
| other admission requirements |
BEFORE YOU APPLY Make sure to visit 'MSc Application Procedure' at https://www.rug.nl/fse/msc-admission for all the necessary information about the procedure and admission requirements. SCHOLARSHIPS In cooperation with major Dutch companies we welcome students with several scholarships. ASML Scholarship: ASML is one of the world's leading manufacturers of chip-making equipment. The €5000 p/y scholarship is awarded every year to 25 exceptional students, who additionally will get the chance to become a Technology Ambassador within their scholarship period. More information can be found here: https://www.asml.com/en/careers/students-graduates/asml-scholarship/netherlands |
The Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be admitted to the Master's degree programme. The Board may decide that you have to take supplementary courses or follow a bridging programme before being admitted. For information on a bridging programme (pre-master), please contact the academic advisor.
If you want to start the master at another point than September then please also contact the academic advisor! The programme is generally tailored towards a start in September and a good study planning is needed when starting at any other point of the year.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
A Bachelor's degree in Computing Science. This is merely an indication of required background knowledge. The admissions board determines whether the specific contents of this/these course(s) meet the admission requirements of the master programme for which you applied. |
| additional subject |
The Admissions Office will advise the Board of Admissions on your application, after which the Board will decide whether you meet the admission requirements in terms of general level of previous education and specific background knowledge. |
| knowledge minimum |
BEFORE YOU APPLY Make sure to visit 'MSc Application Procedure' at: http://www.rug.nl/fwn/fmns-programme/admissions/msc/ for all the necessary information about the procedure and admission requirements. |
| language test |
MAKE SURE TO VISIT http://www.rug.nl/fwn/fmns-programme/admissions/msc/language-requirements for all the necessary information about required language tests and minimum scores. |
| other admission requirements |
BEFORE YOU APPLY Make sure to visit 'MSc Application Procedure' at www.rug.nl/fse/msc-admission for all the necessary information about the procedure and admission requirements. SCHOLARSHIPS In cooperation with major Dutch companies we welcome students with several scholarships. ASML Scholarship: ASML is one of the world's leading manufacturers of chip-making equipment. The €5000 p/y scholarship is awarded every year to 25 exceptional students, who additionally will get the chance to become a Technology Ambassador within their scholarship period. More information can be found here: https://www.asml.com/en/careers/students-graduates/asml-scholarship/netherlands |
The Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be admitted to the Master's degree programme. Applications are evaluated on a continuous basis. You do not have to wait until the application deadline to apply.
If you want to start this Master's programme at another point than September then please contact the academic advisor! The programme is generally tailored towards a start in September and a good study planning is needed when starting at any other point during the year.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| Nationality | Year | Fee | Programme form |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA | 2024-2025 | € 2530 | full-time |
| non-EU/EEA | 2024-2025 | € 24200 | full-time |
Practical information for:
Once you have completed the Master's degree programme in Computing Science, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to future employment. There are almost no areas of business or research that do not require computer scientists, either software engineers and architects, or researchers. Our students usually secure suitable jobs within one month of graduation (or even before they graduate).
After graduating, most of our alumni go to work in software companies (or they found their own) or academia, usually by entering a PhD programme.
Those in industry are generally promoted to managerial roles after a few years and, for example, become project managers. In academia the usual path is from PhD via post-doctoral researcher to university staff member, though quite a few of our successful PhD students have moved on to industry as well. Many MSc and PhD students have gone into the field of medical imaging, either at various universities or in the research labs of large companies. More and more are moving into bioinformatics.
Your future:
- As a data engineer you will turn big data into value in a variety of sectors: banking, insurance, big corporations and small fast-growing start-ups, government
- Data scientists with computer science background is the type of specialist that is most sought after by businesses and government
- As a software architect and designer of cloud systems
- Typically our graduates find excellent jobs within one month and can choose from multiple job offers
The Master's programme in Computing Science is closely linked to the Bernoulli Institute. Its mission is to perform outstanding academic research and teaching in Mathematics, Computing Science, and Artificial Intelligence. Within the Master's degree programma of Computing Science you can use excellent computing facilities and conduct research in the following areas:
Computer Architecture , which addresses the areas of computer architecture and micro-architecture, custom computing, non-digital computing, data centric design and other closely related topics;
Distributed Systems , which are becoming the standard way to build information systems, in particular Web Services, Service-Oriented Architectures, eBusiness, and mobile computing;
Fundamental Computing , which aims to contribute to the understanding of the logical and mathematical foundations of computing science and to realize a two-way transfer between this fundamental research and more applied sub-disciplines of computing science;
Intelligent Systems , with projects on machine learning, computational intelligence, computational artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, computer vision, with applications in medicine, health care, finance, law enforcement, robotics, animal breeding, genetics, bioinformatics;
Scientific Visualization and Computer Graphics , in particular 3-D medical imaging, visualising large, multidimensional astronomical data sets, general data visualisation, visualising bioinformatics data (genomics and proteomics);
Software Engineering and Architecture , dealing with the process of creating programs from the requirement analysis all the way to its management, in particular software patterns, explicitly handing variability and managing architectural knowledge;
Data Science and Systems Complexity, with complex systems generating big data, and big data helping to identify, control, and analyse complex systems and apply data science methods in practical problems of companies and governments;
Information Systems, which are the backbone of any enterprise with special focus on cutting-edge concepts, architectures and technologies for EAI, business process management (BPM) and workflows, SOA and REST architectural styles, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, Blockchain platforms, Information Assurance and Security and in the fields of data-driven healthcare, logistics and SCM, advanced biometrics, manufacturing, eScience and scientific computing.
Read more on the website of the Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computing Science and Artificial Intelligence.
I started as a student, now I'm a project leader
'During my first year I got a job with Manter, a machinery automation company. I was involved in testing new applications. This helped me get a better grasp of the subject matter and gave me plenty of practical experience and self-assurance, resulting in a job as a project leader as soon as I completed my studies.
The projects I work on involve new software systems. Some days I’ll be training end-users, others I’ll design new features, while other days will be all meetings or we’ll spend the whole day testing and fixing bugs.
If I had to choose today, I would do Computing Science again. The demand for software developers continues to grow. I’d also choose to study in Groningen again. My friends studied in other cities, but we all agree: Groningen is the number 1 student city!’
There are various opportunities to work on larger projects during the programme, allowing you to work with cutting-edge technologies.
Niels Bügel - Student of the MSc Computing Science
One of the main reasons I chose this programme was the range of interesting courses that were offered in the field of visual computing. The atmosphere, teachers, teaching assistant jobs, and opportunities for extracurricular activities at this university are also absolutely amazing. So after doing my Bachelor’s in CS here at Groningen, it was the logical choice to do the CS Master’s here as well.
There are various opportunities to work on larger projects during the programme, allowing you to work with cutting-edge technologies. In my research internship, I worked on a novel method for subdividing 3D meshes. Developing this method, making improvements to it and, finally, getting promising results was highly rewarding. Another project allowed us to work on high-performance image processing techniques using multiple GPUs on the university's supercomputer, which is not something you get to do every day.
At present I am doing my thesis on the topic of image processing and computer graphics, and I am also doing a bunch of teaching assistant jobs on the side. My next step would be to get some industry experience. You learn a lot and obtain a bunch of skills in this programme, but now I am also eager to see, experience, and learn how this is applied within the industry.
