Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

First Year

Changes per 2025-26

As of 2025-2026, the prevouly taught 6 EC course “Introduction to Programming” is replaced by the 6 EC course “Fundamentals of Programming”.

As of 2025-2026, the previously taught 6 EC course “Essentials of Computer Systems” is replaced by two courses, being the 3 EC course “Essentials of Computer Systems 1” and the 3 EC course “Essentials of Computer Systems 2”.

Students who started in 2024-25 or earlier and still have to complete “Linear Algebra for Computer Scientists 2”, a “wrap up class” will be organized.

Second Year

Changes per 2025-26

As of 2025-2026 the previously taught 6 EC course “Automata Theory” is replaced by the 6 EC course “Languages and Computation”.

Extra-curricular courses

In the 2nd year, highly motivated students may choose to take extra-curricular courses, which can be found under Year 3. It should be noted that these should be taken out of interest; the actual load might be higher than 2 EC.

Third Year

Free choice space

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 or the LDE minors at Delft University of Technology, or Erasmus University Rotterdam. Students wanting to do a minor are required to consult the LIACS Minor Matrix, as due to content overlap, certain minors cannot be chosen or require students to replace overlapping courses with regular third year electives. An overview of these courses Is listed in the LIACS Minor Matrix, which can be found here.

• 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 2025-26

As of 2025-2026, the previously taught 6 EC course “Data Science” is replaced by the 6 EC course “Data Science and Explainable AI”.

About the third year

• The Bachelor Thesis Project is a mandatory course of the Bachelor. Please check the specific page for this course in the e-prospectus

Minor specific restrictions

There are various courses within minor programmes that evidently for the overlap too much with already completed courses within the bachelor Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

An overview of these courses Is listed in the LIACS Minor Matrix, which can be found here.

The overlapping course(s) specified therein should be replaced by one or more third year electives, such that the number of EC obtained at least equal to that of the replaced course(s).

Career preparation

Career preparation at Leiden University

In addition to offering you a solid university education, Leiden University aims to prepare you as well as possible for the labour market, and in doing so contribute to the development of your employability. In this way, it will become easier for you to make the transition to the labour market, to remain employable in a dynamic labour market, in a (career) job that suits your own personal values, preferences and development.

'Employability' consists of the following aspects that you will develop within your study programme, among others:

1. Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
Knowledge and skills specific to your study programme.

2. Transferable skills
These are skills that are relevant to every student and that you can use in all kinds of jobs irrespective of your study programme, for example: researching, analysing, project-based working, generating solutions, digital skills, collaborating, oral communication, written communication, presenting, societal awareness, independent learning, resilience.

3. Self-reflection
This concerns self-reflection in the context of your (study) career, including reflecting on the choices you make as a student during your studies, what can you do with your knowledge and skills on the labour market?

In addition, reflecting on your own profile and your personal and professional development. Who are you, what can you do well, what do you find interesting, what suits you, what do you find important, what do you want to do?

4. Practical experience
Gaining practical experience through internships, work placements, projects, practical (social) assignments, which are integrated into an elective, minor or graduation assignment.

5. Labour market orientation
Gaining insight into the labour market, fields of work, jobs and career paths through, for example, guest speakers and alumni experiences from the work field, career events within the study programme, the use of the alumni mentor network, interviewing people from the work field, and shadowing/visiting companies in the context of a particular subject.

Employability in the curriculum of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

• Study Career Meetings in orientation courses, such as Studying & Presenting (first year)

• Information Session with Student Dean

• Mentorship

• Workshops and Career Colleges from Science Career Service

• Alumni and company lectures as part of various bachelor’s courses (Databases, Machine Learning, Data Science, Software Engineering, etc.)

• Science Job Market

• Master’s Day (Leiden University)

• Minor Market (Leiden University)

• Research skills as part of the second-year course Research Methods in Computer Science and the third-year Bachelor Thesis Project

• Bachelor Career Orientation Day via De Leidsche Flesch

• Institute-organized lectures (Ada Lovelace Lecture, LIAXX events)

• Workshops and Career Colleges from Science Career Service

• Study Career Meetings

Activities to prepare for the labour market co-curricular or outside the curriculum of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

Every year, various activities take place, within, alongside and outside of your study programme, which contribute to your preparation for the labour market, especially where it concerns orientation towards the work field/the labour market, (career) skills and self-reflection. These may be information meetings on decision moments within your programme, but also career workshops and events organised by your own programme, the faculty Career Service or your study association.

• Leiden University Study Abroad Festival

• Annual Leiden University Diversity Symposium

• Conferences, e.g.

• Minor Information Session and Minor Market

• Master's Information Session on Master’s Day (Leiden University)

• Study Abroad Festival

• Lunch Lectures by Companies and Alumni

• Workshops and Career Colleges from Science Career Service

• Science Job Market and BioScience Park Excursion

• Networking Event with Companies, Alumni, PhD Candidates, and Researchers

• Career Activities by De Leidsche Fles

• BioScience Park Excursion

• Bachelor Career Orientation Day via De Leidsche Flesch

• Workshop Leiden University Mentor Network

• Workshops and Career Colleges Science Career Service

Career Service, LU Career Zone and career workshops calendar

Faculty Career Service
The Career Service of your faculty offers information and advice on study (re)orientation and master's choice, (study) career planning, orientation on the labour market and job applications.

Leiden University Career Zone Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career. You can find advice, information, (career) tests and tools in the area of (study) career planning, career possibilities with your study, job market orientation, job applications, the Alumni Mentor network, job portal, workshops and events and career services.

Workshops and events
On the course calendar you will find an overview of career and application workshops, organised by the Career services.