B.Sc. in Mathematics
Amsterdam, Netherlands
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
EUR 2 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* non-EU/EEA students: April 1 | Dutch and EU students: May 1
** EU students: €2,314 per year | non-EU students: €13 510 per year
Introduction
How can we spread covid patients across hospitals, with a mathematical model? How do prime numbers help to encrypt chat messages? And how does math contribute to intelligent software?
During this challenging program, you will receive an excellent foundation in pure and applied mathematics, but you will also have the chance to stake out your own focus. In the international classroom, you will be surrounded by other math fanatics.
Discover your Mathematics study program
During your mathematics studies at school, you undoubtedly learned about calculus, derivatives, algebra, and more – but did you learn how these theories work or why they are true? At the bachelor level, you are on cue to acquire new insights into these mathematical phenomena and discover the buttressing logic. You will also be diving into other branches of mathematics, deviating thoroughly from those you were taught at high school.
Discover the beauty of mathematics
How do population dynamics work in a predator-prey system? How are the prime numbers distributed among the natural numbers? How do you model – and therefore prevent – the spread of infectious diseases?
These questions can only be answered by using mathematics. During this Bachelor’s program, you will have the chance to work on assignments about topics like these from your first year onwards. Whether that's pure mathematical structures or their application in modern society, this program has it covered.
Uniquely, at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam you'll study all the core disciplines within both pure and applied mathematics, as well as have the option to specialize later on. With interactive lectures to learn the theories, tutorial groups to work on assignments in small groups, and study sessions to present challenges and solutions to your classmates, VU Amsterdam's varied teaching methods ensure plenty of personal contact between staff and students. Plus, many of your teachers are top researchers themselves, with their research relating not only to the mathematics department but also to other disciplines like computer science or econometrics. Our professors have an open-door policy, which means you have many opportunities to drop in and ask questions. VU Amsterdam's Mathematics program is fully taught in English and attracts a wide variety of international students from different cultures all over the world.
You can also study Mathematics part-time. You will follow the same classes as the full-time students, but fewer classes per year. The lectures are not on fixed days and no lectures are given on weekends or evenings. If you assume 20 study hours per week, you will study for about 6 years. You can make a personal study plan with the study advisor.
Do you want to learn more about the programme, the admission and application procedure and student life at VU Amsterdam? Then watch the recording of the International Bachelor's webinar that took place on 19 October! Watch the recording here.
Admissions
Curriculum
Choose a specialization
Pure Mathematics
You're driven by a pure curiosity about mathematical structures? Then take the Pure Mathematics major and dive into a track of your choice.
Applied Mathematics
You're passionate about putting mathematics into practice in the real world? Then take the Applied Mathematics major and dive into a track of your choice.
1st year
In your first year, you'll take several core courses that will give you a solid grounding in all types of mathematics - whether pure or applied. You will learn the theory behind differentiation and integration, how to write mathematical arguments, and translate real-life problems into mathematical language. You'll also study group theory, which is central to abstract algebra. And you'll learn broader, transferable skills like programming.
Subjects
- Basic Concepts in Mathematics
- English Language Test
- Linear Algebra
- Single Variable Calculus
- Discrete Mathematics
- Introduction to Mathematical Modelling, Latex, and Mathematica
- Introduction to Programming (PYTHON)
- Group Theory
- Mathematical Analysis
- Multivariable Calculus
- Probability Theory
- Mathematical Modelling of Dynamical Systems
2nd year
In your second year, you'll specialize in your Pure Mathematics major. You'll choose one of three tracks: Algebra & Geometry, Analysis & Dynamics, or Probability & Statistics. Study counselors are on hand to help you make an informed choice, and there's also room to choose additional optional courses from other tracks. Either way, you have the flexibility to pursue the topics that are of most interest to you.
Subjects
- Fourier Analysis
- Mathematical Statistics
- Numerical Methods
- Mathematical Modelling of Stochastic Systems
- Dynamical Systems
- Project Mathematics
- Rings and Fields
- Complex Analysis
- Topology
3rd year
In your third year, you'll gain an even deeper knowledge of your chosen track. In the first semester, you'll take a minor that could be within the mathematics department or could be in a related field. You'll also have the opportunity to take your minor abroad, studying at another university. Or you can take the Education track, which enables you to teach in Dutch high schools. In the second semester, you'll take advanced courses relating to your chosen track, as well as write your Bachelor's thesis on an individual research topic, combining (almost) everything you've learned before.
Subjects
- History of Science
- Bachelor Project Mathematics
- Philosophy and Ethics
Career Opportunities
Change your future with the Mathematics program
After the Bachelor’s program, you can specialize by following a Master’s program. When you graduate as a mathematician, you could work as a data scientist, analyst, consultant, ICT specialist, teacher, or researcher in banks, insurance firms, consultancies, R&D companies, academic institutions, and more.
The majority of graduates from the Bachelor's program in Mathematics go on to do a Master's - whether at VU Amsterdam, elsewhere in the Netherlands, or abroad.
While a Master's in Mathematics may be the obvious choice, other popular choices include business analytics, computer science, or econometrics.
Having completed your Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, you'll be well equipped for the future - not just in terms of quantitative and critical thinking data-analysis skills, but also in problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Historically, all of our graduates have found work extremely quickly - proving just how employable the VU's mathematicians are.
What can you do after your Bachelor’s degree?
Further your education
A Master's in a specialization that relates to your chosen track is a logical next step for anyone graduating from the Mathematics Bachelor's program. You could choose from Master's programs in:
- Mathematics
- Business Analytics
- Econometrics and Operations Research
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Computer Science
- Mathematics Education (in Dutch)
- Physics & Astronomy
- Quantitative Risk Management
- Computational Science
- Quantitative Economics
You can choose a Master’s program at other universities as well:
- Actuarial Science
- Statistical Science
- Applied Mathematics
Start your career
With a degree in Mathematics, there are many different directions your career could take you. Your problem-solving and analytical skills will make you an asset in almost any commercial company, government organization, or consultancy. You would be well prepared to work in a diverse range of fields, including financial modeling, option pricing, statistics, IT, data analysis, research, and teaching.
Alumni from the program have landed jobs at consultancies, banks, academic institutions, R&D companies, insurance firms, the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS), and data-science companies like Google, Yahoo, or Booking.com. Whatever you choose, we can guarantee it won't take you long to find a job.
Student Testimonials
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Program Tuition Fee
Program Admission Requirements
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