Utrecht University - UU Speciality : Artificial Intelligence
programme: Artificial Intelligence

Choosing to study Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Utrecht University, surrounded by an international community, has turned out to be a fantastic decision. My experience so far, from the unique student-professor interactions to navigating university life, has been just what I imagined. Utrecht renowned reputation continues to impress, providing a diverse and enriching environment.

What I especially liked about this program, was the fact that it is so broad. Although the term “Artificial Intelligence” reminds most people of Computer Science, it has its foundation in a lot of other disciplines as well. This program teaches the philosophical and ethical side, the cognitive and neuroscience side and also the classical computer science side. Although this latest was – in my personal opinion – a bit lacking, it could be made up for by the fact that there was only 1 mandatory class in the last year, and students were free to choose whatever other classes they were interested in. A huge plus was also that after the more orientational first year, we chose one of three tracks that focused on each of the disciplines. This allowed me to really explore what I was most interested in (something that came in handy in the 3rd year).
The teachers were pretty good, with some exceptions. I would not say that the professors were without flaws (they were definitely not) but they were really knowledgeable about their subject and always willing to help.
The student life (pre-covid) was really good. Before, during, and after lectures and seminars was a really good time to hang out with friends, joke around, and enjoy student life. Because the program was so broad, there were many different kinds of people around with different interests and perspectives. This is something that I value a lot.
I would definitely recommend this course if you are interested in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, or (cognitive) psychology.