Academic & Career Guide

The first semester of Year 3 (30 EC) is your elective space. You have several options:

1. Minor Program (30 EC)

A minor is a pre-packaged set of courses totalling 30 EC. You can follow a minor:

• Within your own faculty (Science)
• In another VU faculty
• At a different Dutch university (watch out for calendar differences, lecture and exam periods may not align)

How to find a minor:

• Check the Year 3 study guide — select BSc AI and look at the pre-approved minor overview (no exam board approval needed)
• Visit minor.vu.nl for a broader list (approval may be needed)

2. Free Minor (Custom Course Package)

You can create your own combination of courses (30 EC total) at VU or another university. Requirements:

• Courses must be at university level
• Maximum 6 EC at level 100, minimum 12 EC at level 300
• Submit your complete package (course names, codes, credits, levels, and study guide links) to the Examination Board for approval
• The package does not need to be coherent, you can mix and match
• Approval can take up to 30 days, so plan ahead

3. Studying Abroad

You can study abroad during your elective space. Deadlines are early:

• Attend an info session in November (if you're in Year 2) or June (if you're in Year 1)
• Learn more: Studying abroad at VU
• Check the VU study abroad map for partner universities

4. Internship

Unfortunately, the BSc AI and CS programmes do not offer an internship instead of a minor. However, you might be able to do a research internship as part of your Bachelor Project (thesis). In that case:

• You must find the project yourself
• You need approval from your thesis supervisor

Registration Tips

• Some minors have limited spots and early deadlines, start planning early
• If studying at another university, begin the process well in advance
• You should generally have at least 90 EC from Year 1 and 2 before starting a minor

Questions? Contact your Academic Advisors: academicadvice.cs.beta@vu.nl