# Courses & research
**Source**: https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/master/programmes/applied-mathematics/specialisation/mathematics-data-science/courses-and-research/
**Parent**: https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/master/programmes/applied-mathematics/specialisation/mathematics-data-science/
During your Master’s in Applied Mathematics, you will collect a total of 120 EC within two years. In addition to the three compulsory courses that form the core of this Master's, you will follow additional courses within the specialisation in Mathematics of Data Science (MDS). The second year consists of an internship and your master’s thesis.
#### Please note:
*If you follow the **AI4Health track**,the internship and master’s thesis are replaced by a practical assignment (10 EC) on a research topic and a 30 EC final project, which is always conducted at an external institution. Please visit the*[*web page of AI4Health*](https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/master/programmes/applied-mathematics/specialisation/mathematics-data-science/artificial-intelligence-for-health/)*for more information about the curriculum.*
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.
## Contents of year 1
| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First year | | |
| **Compulsory courses for the Master's in AM** | 17 EC | - [Continuous Optimization](x-ut-courselink:191581200) (mastermath course) - [Scientific Computing](x-ut-courselink:191551200) - [Pioneers of Applied Mathematics](x-ut-courselink:202400799) |
| **Specialisation courses** *You choose at least four out of eight advanced courses of the specialisation in Mathematics of Data Science. At least one of your chosen courses must be marked with an asterisk (\*).* | 20 EC | - [Complex Networks](x-ut-courselink:201800222) - [Deep Learning: from Theory to Practice](x-ut-courselink:201800177)\* - [Graphical Models and Causality](x-ut-courselink:202100112) - [Markov Decision Theory and Algorithmic Methods\*](x-ut-courselink:202300220) - [Measure and Probability](x-ut-courselink:201800321)\* - [Statistical Learning](x-ut-courselink:202400606)\* - [Spatial Statistics](x-ut-courselink:201700364) - [Uncertainty Quantification and Data-driven Modeling](x-ut-courselink:202100108) |
| **Elective courses** *You will fill up the rest of your first year with elective courses. In addition to courses offered at UT, mastermath courses, can be chosen as electives.* | 23 EC | *Examples of elective courses offered at UT:* - [Time Series Analysis](x-ut-courselink:191571090) - [Reinforcement Learning](x-ut-courselink:202100109) - [Uncertainty Quantification & Data-driven Modeling](x-ut-courselink:202100108) - [Measure and Probability](x-ut-courselink:201800321) *Examples of Mastermath courses taught at other universities in the Netherlands:* - [Inverse Problems in Imaging](x-ut-courselink:201900209) - [Optimal Transport](x-ut-courselink:202001411) - Machine Learning Theory |
| **Total EC first year** | 60 EC | |
Do
you want **more information about these courses**?
[Get in touch with us](https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/master/programmes/applied-mathematics/contact/)
or [meet online with a student](https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/study-choice-calendar/meet-up-with-a-student/) and gain first-hand experience!
## Contents of year 2
| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Second year | | |
| **Internship** | 20 EC | In the second year, you will do an internship preparing you for the professional field. |
| **Master's thesis** | 40 EC | In the final three quarters, you will join a research group to complete your master’s thesis. |
| **Total EC of second year** | 60 EC | |
### Internship
In the second year of your Master’s in Applied Mathematics, you will do an internship. That way, you can apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired during your studies at a company that profits from a structured look into data science. The EEMCS faculty at the University of Twente has connections with numerous research institutes and organisations, including tech companies, consulting agencies, banks, insurance companies, the finance and energy industries, and the IT sector, where you can complete your internship.
Previous students have done internships at:
- companies that are centred around the use of data, like **Booking.com**, **Uber**, or **Google**.
- tech companies like **Philips** or **Thales** that are using new developments in data science to improve their products
- consulting companies, like **Witteveen+Bos**, or **PWC**
- government and research organisations, like **Kadaster**, the **Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute**, and **Deltares**
Apart from the above, an internship with a foreign university is also a possibility. Based on what you wish to learn and how you see your future, you and your coordinator together will determine the choice that best suits your situation and preferences.
### Master's thesis
You will complete your Master’s by writing your master’s thesis. The choice of your thesis topic is largely up to you. You will have the opportunity to contribute to high-end research at UT. Your article might even get published, as proven by the numerous publications of our former students.
As part of your master’s thesis, you can undertake a research project such as:
- Can you use graph neural networks to estimate blood flow parameters such as wall shear stress and blood pressure more quickly in bifurcating coronary arteries?
- Can you develop a rigorous theory to make statistical statements about the existence of exoplanets? And, based on this can you derive optimal data-driven methods to search suitable databases for exoplanets?
- Can deep neural networks beat time series analysis at identifying structural changes in temporal data?
[Career perspectives](https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/master/programmes/applied-mathematics/specialisation/mathematics-data-science/career-perspectives/)