teaching

The courses SOFT teaches in the VUB's bachelor and master programmes.

SOFT’s professors and researchers teach in two bachelor and two master programmes of the VUB. Their courses range from introductory programming to advanced topics in programming languages, software engineering, system software, and databases. Up-to-date information on the programmes and their courses is available in the VUB study programme guide.

Programmes

SOFT teaches in two bachelor and two master programmes of the VUB. Select a programme to see its courses taught or co-taught by SOFT’s professors. Courses taught by other labs are not listed; the complete study programme is linked at the end of each tab.

Bachelor of Computer Science

The three-year Bachelor of Computer Science (180 ECTS credits) trains students to design and build software-intensive systems. SOFT’s professors teach much of its programming backbone, from students’ very first programs in the first year to software engineering and parallel and distributed programming in the third.

Year 1: compulsory courses taught by SOFT

Year 2: compulsory courses taught by SOFT

Year 3: compulsory courses taught by SOFT

Year 3: electives taught by SOFT

The programme structure and the current list of courses of the Bachelor of Computer Science are available in the VUB course catalogue.

Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence

The three-year Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence (180 ECTS credits), which the VUB launched in 2022, studies intelligence from several angles and combines computer science, mathematics, linguistics, psychology, and the role of AI in society. In the second year, students choose one of four profiles: Computer Science, Linguistics, Cognition, or Intelligent Systems. SOFT teaches programming courses in the common part of the programme and most of the Computer Science profile.

Year 1: compulsory courses taught by SOFT

Year 2: compulsory courses taught by SOFT

Computer Science profile, year 2: courses taught by SOFT

Computer Science profile, year 3: courses taught by SOFT

The programme structure and the current list of courses of the Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence are available in the VUB course catalogue.

Master of Computer Science

Every student of the two-year Master of Applied Sciences and Engineering: Computer Science (120 ECTS credits) follows a common core and chooses one of four specialisations: Artificial Intelligence, Data Management and Analytics, Multimedia, or Software Systems. SOFT teaches three courses of the common core, runs the Software Systems specialisation, and is co-responsible, together with colleagues from the department’s other research labs, for the Data Management and Analytics specialisation.

120 ECTS credits
2 years
EN taught in English
2 of 4 specialisations with SOFT

Common core: compulsory courses taught by SOFT

Software Systems

The specialisation Software Systems trains students to build large, complex, and secure software systems with state-of-the-art programming languages and development tools. Students learn the scientific foundations of advanced programming languages, runtime environments, and frameworks, and gain hands-on experience with software technologies across the entire software stack.

The courses range from theoretical foundations, such as type theory in Haskell and formal proofs in Agda, through programming language paradigms, such as multicore and distributed programming in Clojure and Scala, and implementation techniques, such as compilers and virtual machines, to advanced software engineering topics, such as security, quality assurance, and meta programming. Lectures are complemented by group and individual projects, seminars, workshops, talks by invited experts, and research training.

Software Systems: compulsory courses taught by SOFT

Software Systems: electives taught by SOFT (a selection)

The programme structure and the current list of courses of the Software Systems specialisation are available on the VUB website.

Data Management and Analytics

The specialisation Data Management and Analytics (DAMA) is geared towards data science, where several fields of computer science come together to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data. It covers scalable and distributed data management systems, information retrieval and data mining algorithms, and information visualisation and human–data interaction. Students apply this knowledge in the design of applications that extract insights from data streams, such as those produced by Internet of Things devices. The specialisation prepares for a career as a data scientist or data engineer.

Data Management and Analytics: compulsory courses taught by SOFT

Data Management and Analytics: electives taught by SOFT

The programme structure and the current list of courses of the Data Management and Analytics specialisation are available on the VUB website.

Master of Applied Informatics

The one-year Master of Applied Informatics: Artificial Intelligence & Data Science (60 ECTS credits) is intended for students with a bachelor’s degree in informatics, or a solid background in computer science, who want to deepen their skills. It offers two profiles, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Technology, and can also be followed in evening classes by professionals who want to retrain or upskill. SOFT’s courses form a large part of the Big Data Technology profile.

Courses taught by SOFT Artificial Intelligence Big Data Technology
Security in Computing Jens Nicolay compulsory compulsory
Data and Information Management Bas Ketsman – compulsory
Big Data Processing Jens Nicolay elective compulsory
Programming Distributed and Replicated Systems Elisa Gonzalez Boix – compulsory
Scalable Data Management Systems Bas Ketsman elective elective
Software Architectures Coen De Roover – elective

The programme structure and the current list of courses of the Master of Applied Informatics are available on the VUB website.

Master theses and bachelor projects

Every year, SOFT’s research teams offer master thesis topics tied to their ongoing research. Students of the Software Systems specialisation do their master thesis at SOFT; students of the Data Management and Analytics specialisation can do so with the SOFT professors who teach in it, and students of the Master of Applied Informatics can do so too. The teams also propose bachelor projects in the Bachelor of Computer Science. All topics are announced at the start of each academic year through the programmes’ channels.

Postgraduate certificate

Together with UCLouvain and industrial partners, SOFT organises the inter-university postgraduate certificate in Critical Embedded Systems, which explicitly targets professionals from industry.