Programme
When deciding what to study you undoubtedly read a lot of information about your study programme. Leiden University employs various systems to provide information about programmes and courses and to facilitate communication between lecturers and students.
The Prospectus contains information about all the courses within your study programme. Here you can find all you need to know about your programme. Via the online learning environment Brightspace you can communicate with your lecturers and submit assignments.
The Course and Examination Regulations (OER in Dutch) and the Rules and Regulations set by the Boards of Examiners (R&R) can be found on the page Faculty and study programme regulations.
Programme
The BSc programme Data Science and Artificial Intelligence is a 180 ECTS 3 year programme hosted at the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS). For non-computer science students, LIACS offers a Minor in Data Science.
The first year (propaedeutic)
The first year, the so-called propaedeutic year, consists of 8 subjects of 3 ECTS each and 6 subjects of 6 ECTS each (total 60 ECTS). As part of the Leiden Study System and the associated Binding Study Advice (BSA), you are required to obtain at least 45 ECTS in the first year, barring special circumstances.
The second year
The second year consists of 9 subjects of 6 ECTS and 2 subjects of 3 ECTS each (total 60 ECTS). If you have not yet completed the propaedeutic year (but a positive advice), you can still continue with the subjects from the second year.
As of 2024-2025, the previously taught 6 EC course "Human-Robot Interaction" is replaced by the 6 EC course "Human-Agent Interaction".
In the 2nd year, highly motivated students may choose to take extra-curricular courses. It should be noted that these should be taken out of interest; the actual load might be higher than 2 EC.
The third year
Free choice space
In the third year you must take 3 compulsory computer science courses (total of 24 ECTS) and a free choice space of 36 ECTS.
The "free choice space" of 36 ECTS can be filled:
- With either 1 course from the DSAI electives and one of the 30 ECTS minors offered by Leiden University, Delft University of Technology, or Erasmus University Rotterdam
- or with a free choice of 6 courses from the DSAI electives (see table below)
If the free choice space is filled in a different way, permission must be requested in advance from the Board of Examiners. The self-composed package of courses must comprise at least 15 EC of courses in the fields of data science and artificial intelligence, and the Board of Examiners will assess for coherence and level.
Changes per 2024-25
As of 2024-2025, the previously taught 6 EC course "Creative AI" is replaced by the 6 EC course "Generative AI".
About the third year
- The Bachelor Thesis Project is a mandatory course of the Bachelor.
As of 2024-2025, the entry requirements for the Bachelor Thesis Project are as follows:
on Febr 1st students must:
1) have completed all courses from their first year
2) have completed at least 66 ECs from second and third year courses.
3) miss at most 27 ECs from second and third year spring courses (apart from the Bachelor Thesis Project).
4) have completed the course "Research Methods in AI".
Requirement 1 must always be met, in exceptional cases the study advisor can give permission to start when rule 2 or 3 is not met. In case of any questions, please contact the study advisor.
For the most complete details, see the study guide page of the Bachelor Thesis Project.
More challenge: Honours
For students who need more of a challenge than is offered in the regular program, it is possible to participate in the Honours College. This program is particularly suitable for motivated, ambitious students with a broad academic interest, who want to get more out of their studies by taking a package of extras.