Software plays a role in almost every aspect of our daily lives and in every organisation anywhere in the world. It can often be a crucial key to their success. Therefore, producing software is not merely a technological enterprise but a deeply scientific and creative one as well. This specialisation goes far beyond basic code writing. It’s about analysing and testing code in order to improve it as well as simplify it.
Master's in Software Science: something for you?
Students can branch out to other Computing Science domains such as security, machine learning or more in-depth mathematical foundations of computer science.
The Institute for Computing and Information Sciences (iCIS) has a strong international reputation in areas such as model based and virtual product development and advanced programming.
We collaborate closely with leading Dutch high-tech companies like Océ Technologies, Philips Healthcare, ASML, and Thales.
What will you learn?
Producing software is not merely a technological enterprise but a deeply scientific and creative one as well. In this specialisation, therefore, we don’t just expect you to understand and make use of the appropriate tools, but also to program and develop your own. Although this is not the only focus, our programme puts emphasis on embedded software and functional programming. Other topics that are covered are domain specific languages, model learning, model-based testing, task oriented and functional programming, model checking and cyber physical systems.
Career prospects
Master’s specialisation in Software Science
Writing good software is a highly creative process, which requires the ability to approach problems in entirely novel ways through computational thinking. Besides creativity, a professional software scientist also has fine problem-solving, analytical, programming, and communication skills. By combining software programming, model-checking techniques and human intellect, software scientists can make a real difference to help and improve the devices that govern such a large part of our lives.
In fact, well-structured software that is attuned to an organisation’s needs and future plans can be cost effective, improve efficiency, offer better services and be innovative. Many companies, in every branch out there, are therefore looking for highly skilled software specialists, which means that the job perspective for our graduates is excellent.
Industry desperately needs software science specialists at an academic level, and thus our graduates have no difficulty in find an interesting and challenging job. Several of our graduates decide to go for a PhD and stay at a university, but most of our students go for a career in industry. They then typically either find a job at a larger company as consultant or programmer, or they start up their own software company.
Examples of companies where our graduates end up include the big Dutch high-tech companies such as Océ, ASML, Vanderlande and Philips, ICT service providers such as Topicus and Info Support and companies started by Radboud graduates, like GX Software.