TU / e introduces master's degree program that combines data science and AI

As of September of this year, TU / e will start a new master's program focused on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. The new DS & AI training has been formally recognized by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization NVAO. The new master is offered by the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science and is the first and only engineering program in the Netherlands in which advanced techniques and methods in the field of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence are combined.

Associate professor Dirk Fahland, who is closely involved in the creation of the program, explains: "The combination of Data Science with AI makes sense, because both disciplines are now closely intertwined." In addition, the program ties in well with the ambitions of the university, in which artificial intelligence occupies a prominent place, as is also apparent from the launch of the Eindhoven AI Systems Institute (EAISI) in 2019.

The main goal of the DS&AI course is to train "AI engineers" who are able to build reliable systems with an eye for the people who will use them, Fahland said. “This is important, for example, for the high-tech systems that are being developed here in the region, where high demands are placed on reliability.”

CURRICULUM

The students must be able to view problems from different sides and therefore receive a broad basis, including courses on the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, data visualization, ethics, algorithms, data mining and management, and machine learning.

The DS & AI program is structured in six tracks, each representing an area of ​​expertise of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence. Most courses within these tracks are new or redesigned for the new Master DS&AI.

• Data Engineering and Management
• Algorithmic Data Analysis
• Explainable Data Analytics
• Statistics
• Data Mining and Machine Learning
• AI and Machine Learning

In addition, the following two compulsory courses connect the different areas of expertise with each other and provide context:

• Ethics in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence
• Data Intelligence Challenge (challenge-based group project)

The new program will soon be registered in the official education register of the Netherlands (CROHO). From that moment on, students can enroll via Studielink. The closing date for entries is May 1, 2021.