University of Amsterdam, Masters in Computer Science - Big Data Engineering
Reviewed on Apr 17, 2025(Enrolled 2022)What Students Say
Likes
- Teaching Methodology - Assignment heavy
- Focus on research
- Upto date curriculum
Dislikes
- The university is scattered in two different campuses, which sometimes makes it inconvenient from a travelling perspective.
- The tuition fee is high, especially this year it has risen even further.
- The course duration is short (2 months or 1 month), which makes it a little rushed at times.
Course Curriculum
10
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Some courses were easy, and some were tough. For all courses, there was enough material and guidance available at all times.
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The only negative aspect was that for some courses, 2 months felt rushed as they were more complex.
Admission Experience
- I just applied to this university. Universiteit van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit (Joint Degree) and got accepted. I did not apply to any other university as I was certain I wanted to be here. The university did not require GRE, which I could not appear for due to my work commitments in India. Hence, I was certain to not apply elsewhere and just apply for this university.
- I learned about the curriculum through friends (seniors), and I was aware that in the year 2021, the university was focusing on advancements from as recent as 2020, which is what I was looking for. As in India, during bachelor's, we were being taught outdated and obsolete technology every now and then.
- The admission process is simple. I required IELTS/TOEFL scores, bachelor's transcripts and a Letter of Intent. The entire VISA process was done by the university, I just had to submit documents on the portal and book myself an appointment in India.
- Housing is a big challenge in the Netherlands, so it is essential that the students start early; the later they get admitted to the university, the more challenging it will get to find housing. Student housing is available only for the first year of the study, which is also limited; hence start early to have more options open.
- I applied for the September intake, the reason being the job market. Most companies come out with job openings around the same time.
- The admission process started in December of the previous year when I took the IELTS, and applied for the course. I got admitted in February. I applied for housing in around April, received housing in June. And then applied for the visa.
Class Schedule
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- The number of classes in a week depends on the number of courses the student enrolls for in a year. Typically, most students enroll for 2 classes each period, and that means 2 to 3 days on an average is when the classes are held. The timings could vary based on the course, it could be anywhere between 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening.
- The average number of students again varies based on the course. In some courses, the number is as low as 15, and in some, it is as high as 300.
- There is a good diversity in the university in terms of nationality. There are quite a lot of indian students as well, my guess would be somewhere around 20% of the students are Indian.
Faculty
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- There are usually 1-4 professors/ assistant professors in each course. If the number of students is high, there are multiple Teaching Assistants (students who took this course in past) to guide us throughout the period.
- The teaching methodology is research-oriented and uses practical assignment-based learning in most courses. There are weekly deadlines in most courses to submit the assignments, the theory of which is taught in the class. In some courses, there are tutorials to solve mathematic/ logic problems.
- The faculty assists students in finding jobs, but that is up to the specific faculty and the networking that the student does. It is not an official process. There are job and internship fairs held at the university frequently.
Campus Life
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- There are 2 campuses; one is small, and one is big. There are frequent festivals and events that take place on the campus. There are sports events and festivals like Diwali that are celebrated to promote inclusivity.
- Moreover, there are academic clubs and cultural clubs where the students can participate based on their interests and preferences. There is a library, football fields etc.
Part Time Jobs
- TAs in a course vary depending on the course. The starting salary is around 600 and it increases upto 1200 approx as and when you gain experience.
- There are cafeteria jobs, however, in the Netherlands a student can work outside the campus as well, hence it is not tough to secure a job and even better an internship in the field of study. Internships pay are usually lesser than that of any other part time jobs. The hourly wage is around 12-14 euros an hour.
- 12-14 euros an hour from a part time job. It is easy for a student to get a part time job, Indian student typically get an internship or work as a TA in the university or some Indian restaurant or a supermarket based on individual needs and requirement. The openings of bigger companies can be found on their website, but for smaller shops and restaurants, it is typically displayed in their shops that they require part time workers and accordingly the student can talk to them and get started with the process.
Placement
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- The country is coming out of recession and hence the job turn out is lower this time. Around 30-40% have secured a full time job with an average annual salary of around 50000 euros. Banks like ABN AMRO, Rabobank, ING hire from the university.
- The common ways to secure a job is through job fairs, internships, and networking. Learning Dutch opens doors with lesser competition for the students. Hence it is highly recommended to learn dutch while studying.
Accommodation
Off Campus
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- For the first year, there is an option to register with student housing, where the houses are released in batches and given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. That is how I secured my housing too, a fully private studio at 650 euros a month with 210 housing allowance from the government, which made my effective rent 440 euros a month.
- In this rent, I got a cycle parking space included.
- Future students should apply to the university as soon as possible to be ahead on the list.
- My accommodation was 45 minutes away from the university. I travelled using public transport. There are no specific places where the Indian students stay; in each of the housing options, there were several Indian students.
Exams
- One of the IELTS/TOEFL is required. A statement of purpose, transcripts, and a document that shows what courses you undertook during your bachelor's were needed.
- No, there was no interview conducted in the entire process. Except the VISA interview conducted in India to understand the purpose of my visit and how I will survive in the country.
Fees
- 15290 euros was the annual tuition fee. (Which has gone upto around 23000 euros this year, if I am not mistaken)
- I paid around 650 euros in rent monthly for a private studio. I received around 210 euros worth of housing allowance from the government which brought my effective rent down to 440 euros. (Please note: Housing allowance is not applicable to all houses, there are several criteria in which the house needs to fall under to be applicable)
- Transportation and groceries would cost additional 500 euros approx.
Scholarship
- I did not have any scholarship, hence, I am unaware.
