M.Sc. in Business Data Science (Research)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,530 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* non-EU/EEA students: April 1 | EU/EAA students: June 1
** EU students: €2,530 per year | non-EU students: €17,000 per year
Introduction
The Research Master of Business Data Science is a multidisciplinary research program with a central focus on the performance of academic research.
The English-taught Research Master Business Data Science prepares talented and motivated students to enter high-quality Ph.D. programs in Business at one of the three partner universities. It is a joint initiative of the Erasmus School of Economics of the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), and the School of Business and Economics of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).
This program is looking for students with strong analytical and quantitative skills.
Unique features
The Business Data Science program distinguishes itself based on the following unique features:
- The program is a two-year research master (120 EC) aiming to train future Ph.D. students. Students who successfully complete the research master of Business Data Science are assisted in finding Ph.D. positions at one of the three partner universities or elsewhere.
- It has a strong focus on data science, presented to the students at a higher theoretical level than in a traditional master's program.
- It ties the foundations of data science directly to different business fields.
- It is a small-scale program, where students work in close collaboration with faculty. The class-size limit of 30 students guarantees a high level of interaction in the classroom, detailed feedback from faculty, and the support of a strong cohort. Individual field courses will generally have fewer students due to their concentration in the various tracks.
- It is embedded in the fervid research culture of three leading universities, benefitting from the expertise and research network of top-notch faculty. Not only are the rich variety of topics and methodological approaches covered in this program unique, the broad network employed/drawn on by participating faculty (with connections at MIT, NYU, LBS, and JADS, to name a few) is a valuable asset for future scholars. The cooperation between the three Schools guarantees first-rate education provided by highly qualified scholars, embedded in excellent infrastructure.
- Students are provided with excellent facilities. Most of the classes are organized in Amsterdam (Zuidas) with assigned classrooms, student workplaces, and IT facilities for Research Master students. Classes will also be offered at the Woudestein Campus at EUR in Rotterdam with good facilities for students. Teachers are ready to offer diverse learning paths aligned to the current context of Covid-19 to our students if needed (in-class, online, blended) while keeping a highly interactive environment.
- Students are assisted with immigration procedures and housing. Travel costs for coursework are reimbursed. Scholarships are available for selected students.
Admissions
Curriculum
The Research Master in Business Data Science is a two-year program consisting of 120 EC. It is tailored for recent Bachelor's degree graduates, or those currently still enrolled in an undergraduate degree program, who are looking to pursue a solid course of training leading to a doctoral degree.
Data Science Foundation - Acquiring skills. In year 1, the primary objective is to build a solid data science foundation and expose students to a variety of methodological approaches. These skills are applied to various business disciplines in the field courses.
Business Foundation - Building knowledge. In year 2, students focus on a given business subdiscipline, selecting from among:
- quantitative finance,
- management science, and
- supply chain analytics.
The courses assigned for each of these sub-disciplines have been carefully selected by a team of experts with the aim of ensuring the perfect learning trajectory that will lead to substantive contributions in the fields of each particular sub-discipline.
Research Practice - Aligning skills and knowledge. The program starts with an overview of the business problems that data science can address (in block 0), which also exposes students to fundamental components of the different business fields. This early exposure helps students to absorb and process materials presented later in courses on methodology, with respect to the various business perspectives. Students become further acquainted with the different business fields during seminars held throughout the first year, for which they will have to write a research proposal, as well as during the research hackathon. The research hackathon makes students think about how to approach the problems that arise in the various disciplines and puts their knowledge to the test. Finally, the research clinic and the Research Master thesis represent students' final moments of integrating business and data science and will showcase their ability to identify relevant problems and address them using cutting-edge techniques to make a substantive contribution to the field.
Next to taking courses, students are encouraged to select a research topic for the final thesis and to actively explore potential supervisors. The final thesis is a research project, set up by the student under experts’ supervision. The matching of students and supervisors, while largely the result of individual communication between the two parties, is supported by the DGS.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
The jumpstart for your Ph.D. trajectory
The program helps students to jumpstart their Ph.D. trajectory not only through solid training, but also with direct experience in research (provided during the seminars, research clinic, research hackathons, skill workshops, thesis, interaction with faculty, research assistantships opportunities), and teaching (e.g., teaching assistantships opportunities).
What can you do after your Master's degree?
Entering the job market
The program prepares students for a Ph.D. trajectory in Business departments at one of the partner schools in the program or at research universities elsewhere. Students are assisted in finding positions but the program cannot guarantee a position for all students. Students who manage to get a Ph.D. position at one of the partner schools are supported in entering the international academic job market through a job market preparation program.
Student Testimonials
Welcome to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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