Are you a current student? For the programme of this academic year, check the .
Curriculum of Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science
This study programme intends to provide broad knowledge and understanding over a wide range of material in mathematics and theoretical computer science, bringing students in contact with the research frontier of the field. The curriculum consists of both lectures (with exercise classes) and of research projects, which are organised in the MFoCS Research Seminar and a Master's thesis project. There is a possibility to spend part of the master programme abroad.
About this study curriculum
The course overview is an indication of the study programme of the academic year 2025-2026. If you are a current student, please consult the for your course overview.
Course overview
The list below illustrates the basic organisation of the Master's specialisation MFoCS, which consists of the following elements:
- Compulsory courses (21 EC)
- Electives:
- Specialisation electives (24 EC)
- Master electives (24 EC)
- Free electives (6 EC) - Research internship (15 EC)
- Master's thesis (30 EC)
- P1
- P2
- P1
- P2
- P2
- P3
- P4
- P1
- P2
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
- P3
- P4
- P3
- P4
- P3
- P4
Your core curriculum is supplemented by electives. The elective programme consists of Natural Science electives, a Philosophy elective and Free electives. You’re free to compose this programme as you wish, provided that the level and coherence is sufficient for the Examination Board.
Specialisation electives (24 EC)
You need to pick at least 24 EC worth of Specialisation electives (see the list above) within the field of MFoCS. Please note: some courses are taught in alternating years; please check the course guide for detailed information.
Master electives (24 EC)
These can be any courses offered by Master's programmes of the Faculty of Science.
Free electives (6 EC)
6 EC of the total electives can be used to take any course taught at uu77, another Dutch university or abroad.
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
For the MFoCS research internship, you may choose to do your research internship at:
- A company, which can be either a SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) or a multinational, or a governmental institute.
- Any department at uu77 or another university with MFoCS related research questions. You can think of mathematics at the RU, the ILLC in Amsterdam, or Computer Science departments at other universities in the Netherlands or abroad.
- iCIS, with a researcher that has an MFoCS related research question.
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
In your Master's thesis, you will prove that you are able to analyse a problem in Computing or Information Science at master level and design a solution for this problem using scientific methods and techniques. Your Master's thesis consists of an individual research project, which allows you to investigate a topic of your choice. You can do your own Master’s research with either research institute or with an external organisation. A few examples of themes in which you could choose your own research topic:
- Types
- Automata
- Proofs
- Algebra
- Categories
- Logic
- Complexity