master’s degree
Computer Science
Welcome to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science! For us the world is flat. Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science have created a level playing field for science and innovation where national boundaries and time zones are irrelevant. Mathematics is at the heart of this; without optimization algorithms and simulation of processes with many variables, the internet would still be a pipe dream. Without the cost-effective and time-effective protocols developed by computer science engineers, computers would not be connected and without electrical engineering, electrical or optical signals would not process our information. That much is obvious... Prof.dr.ir. Ton Mouthaan, dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science What’s not so obvious is the next phase: truly seamless integration of technology with human behaviour... cost-effective health support at home... optimization of systems with ‘embedded’ intelligence... real cyber security... exploring novel electronic concepts... developing sensing techniques at living cell level... medical robotics... The limits are only set by the boundaries of our imagination. Join our international group of scientists who supervise over 250 research projects in these areas. Master’s students always play an active part in this research. Our two-year Master’s programmes offer coursework
and substantial research experience, all with a dose of design and an emphasis on the societal implications of our work. Nerds? We are happy to be the most human-friendly, enthusiastic, out-of-the-box-thinking and serious group of nerds around!
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programme ICT is omnipresent in modern society. The latest hardware and software developments are crucial in domains such as social media, security, health, energy, information systems and telecom. coverage of broad areas of computer science such as software engineering and information systems. Lectures are provided by researchers who are active in these areas, and cover their latest projects and developments. Examples of these latest projects are techniques of hacking and self-organizing sensor networks.
The Master’s programme in Computer Science at the University of Twente provides you with the necessary tools to contribute to this fascinating and challenging field. It combines education in several highly specialized areas such as wireless and sensor systems, computer security, and formal methods for reliability, with in-depth
SPECIALIZATIONS Computer Security ICT is playing an ever more important role in our society. However, as a side effect, our society is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the misuse of such systems. A large number of Windows computers are infected with viruses, privacy-leaks are commonplace on the internet, and highly sophisticated malware like Stuxnet is targeting industrial installations. This explains the growing interest in, and importance of computer security. The Kerckhoffs’s Computer Security specialization is designed to educate those who will take up leading positions in this field.
Joint programme: RU, TU/e and UT This is a joint specialization offered by three Dutch universities: Radboud University Nijmegen (RU), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the University of Twente (UT). Students will have to travel to Eindhoven or Nijmegen for lectures at most one day per week. Tele-lectures also feature in the programme. In addition to basic subjects, there is a wide selection of advanced courses in cryptography, law in cyberspace, cybercrime and others. For more information please go to the Kerckhoffs
If you are a professional with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related area, then this Master’s programme is the ideal opportunity to specialize in one or more areas of your choice. You’ll be part of a research group, and you’ll also be able to gain practical experience in industry, in addition to further developing your academic and organizational skills.
The latest projects of our researchers are techniques of hacking and selforganizing sensor networks Institute web site or contact the UT programme mentor, Prof. Pieter Hartel through our dedicated web form for Dutch students and international students.
Information Software Engineering Today’s organizations are vitally dependent on their information systems. Just think about a famous furniture and decoration retailer from Sweden or an online bookstore that sells its products worldwide. Customers can approach these organizations through their websites for querying their product catalogue and even to order merchandise. But these are only the information systems that customers see; internally there are more information systems that support administrative and logistics tasks, like managing customer relations and personnel, and controlling warehouse stock levels. The importance of these information systems and the high demands placed on them require skilled information system and software engineering specialists. Graduates of the Information and Software Engineering specialization are experts with the knowledge and skills it takes to address issues at all stages of an information system’s lifecycle (requirement
Computer Science
analysis, architecture design, realization and maintenance). The information systems of today’s organizations manage large volumes of internal information, including structured and sensor data, multimedia data or geographic information. These systems encompass workflow, groupware, data warehouses and e-business processes, are often distributed across organizational units and physical locations, and need to be adaptive, configurable and evolvable in order to cope with the dynamic context of their users. Software engineers for today’s dynamic, distributed and decentralized information systems are able to combine and configure basic software components, such as database management systems, transaction processing monitors, workflow management systems and middleware. In short, they know how to define a system on which an organization can truly depend without giving rise to vulnerabilities. Students in the Information and Software Engineering specialization can participate in the Twente Graduate School programme on Services Science once they are admitted and meet the additional requirements for this programme as described on the Services Science website.
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targeted at ambitious Computer Science students who want to become validation engineers, researchers or tool builders. The Formal Methods and Tools (FMT) group is responsible for the Methods and Tools for Verification specialization. It is closely related to the CTIT research theme Dependable Systems and Networks (DSN), and to the Twente Graduate School programme Dependable and Secure Computing. The Methods and Tools for Verification specialization is targeted towards ambitious computer science students, who want to become - validation engineering: who know a broad range of validation techniques and tools, and know when and how to apply these techniques and tools within a system’s life cycle, and/or - researchers: who want to do theoretical and foundational research in the realm of formal methods, and/or - tool builders: who are able to implement formal theories into working tools, which then can assist system and validation engineering in developing correct systems.
Methods And Tools For Verification “Why is this happening? This is impossible!” Anyone who has ever programmed a non-trivial system has reached the point where he was shouting at his computer like this. There are in fact a number of methods to discover why a system behaves as it does, and most of these methods are topics of ongoing research. If you want to learn more about these methods, then the Master’s specialization in Methods and Tools for Verification (MTV) is the programme for you. You will become acquainted with a broad range of formal verification and validation techniques and tools, and their underlying theory. This is a truly unique programme thanks to a combined approach encompassing a broad view of formal methods and an in-depth investigation of how they work. The programme is ideal for anyone who wishes to understand how to develop reliable software. MTV is
Wireless And Sensor Systems This specialization addresses a new paradigm for bringing the flexibility of information technology to bear in every aspect of daily life. It foresees that people will be surrounded by embedded and flexible (wireless) networked systems that provide easily accessible yet unobtrusive support for an open-ended range of activities, to enrich daily life and to increase productivity at work. These systems contain a mixture of hardware and software: their scope may be as simple as a sensor, or as complex as a portable device. Cooperation is a necessity for performing their tasks with sufficient quality or efficiency, and for achieving the required functionality and support for real-time interactions. The specific nature of these systems require them to be open, scalable, adaptable and dependable, while integrating heterogeneous devices ranging from tiny actuators to large computers. This specialization focuses not only on the fundamentals of wireless and sensor systems, but also on the context of sensor
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systems. To this end, WiSe is a multidisciplinary and application-oriented programme where you come into contact with various technical as well as non-technical disciplines, thereby encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration.
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The WiSe Master’s programme can also be taken as a Twente Graduate School programme. WiSe is an excellent and natural follow-up for graduates of the Creative Technology Bachelor’s programme who have taken the New Media or Smart Technology specialization.
Admission requirements University of Twente students Students holding a BSc degree in Computer Science & Engineering or Business & IT from the University of Twente qualify for direct admission, conditions may apply.
Dutch university students Students with other relevant Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Twente or another Dutch University will be considered for admission.
International students
Dutch HBO students Graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study of a Dutch HBO may be considered for admission. In most cases HBO students will first need to complete a pre-Master’s programme.
International graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Business Information Technology or an equivalent qualification and have a CGPA of at least 70% of the maximum score are invited to apply for admission. In addition international students need to pass an English language test. More detailed admission requirements are available at www.utwente.nl/master/csc
Career OPPORTUNITIES The job market for Computer Science graduates remains vibrant. Programme graduates find employment in ICT Research & Development, IT Management and IT Consulting. Hiring companies range from small, specialized IT organizations to large multinationals. Many of our graduates also start their own businesses. The choice is yours: services, industry, commerce, communications, IT, or a career in research. Employment prospects in the field of IT are excellent and the job possibilities are endless.
Computer Security career opportunities Students typically find a job even before graduation. Most graduates work in the cyber security industry, often as consultants, but others find employment at the High Tech Crime Unit of the national police, or with research institutes such as TNO. The demand for Kerckhoffs graduates is expected to remain high for many years to come.
Information Software Engineering career opportunities A Master’s degree with the Information and Software Engineering specialization offers employment opportunities in research, development and operations in organizations that use information and technologyenabled business processes to improve their organizational performance. Such organizations can be found in all sectors, particularly in finance, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, construction, transportation, logistics, and public administration.
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Student’s Touch ‘I do like the challenges I have faced during my graduation and I hope to find the same appealing challenges in my future job’ NAME Paul Stapersma
Although this leaflet was compiled with the utmost care, no rights can be derived from its contents.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN the Netherlands
Paul received his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the University of Twente. He’s now studying for his Master’s degree Computer Science. When he finishes his studies, he would like to find a job in the databases field . “I do not see myself as a future researcher since I lack writing talent. However, I do like the challenges I have faced during my graduation and I hope to find the same appealing challenges in my future job.” “When I was studying for my Bachelor’s, I was introduced to the field of databases. I find this field to be very interesting, mainly because you learn techniques which allow you to manage many data in a consistent matter. I believe that a successful computer scientist has to be able to use a large amount of techniques to solve complex problems. Therefore, I think I could not have chosen a more suitable Master’s programme. I chose the University of Twente because of the mentality of the students here, the study topics and the way the university functions as a whole. Moreover, teachers respond quickly, there are clear timetables and there is always someone who can help you with a specific question.
CONTACT For general information about the Master’s programme or the University of Twente, as well as for questions about the application form of your enrolment status, please contact:
University of Twente Study Information Desk Phone: +31 (0)53 489 5489 master@utwente.nl www.utwente.nl/master
Currently, I am graduating on the subject of mapping uncertain data from one uncertain database to another. Basically, an uncertain database is a data store with multiple possible representations of the data. If we would ask a database to answer a query or question, a traditional database would return one answer while an uncertain database would return a set of possible answers; one answer for each possible representation of the data.”