Business Mathematics and Informatics: VU University Amsterdam

Course Description

The Master’s in Business Mathematics and Informatics (BMI) is a multidisciplinary programme, aimed at improving business processes by applying a combination of methods based on mathematics, computer science and business management. BMI is a hands-on programme: you will use your knowledge in the different fields of expertise to improve business practices by means of real company situations.

Theories from Business Mathematics and Informatics are applied to areas such as supply chain planning, data mining, call centre management, revenue management, and risk management. The Master’s programme will give you the opportunity to specialize in:

• Business process optimization; you will tackle quantitative business problems with the aid of mathematical algorithms which are then implemented in decision support systems.
• Computational intelligence; you simulate the human brain in a computer program to make decisions with optimization and data mining techniques.
• Financial risk management; you learn to price derivatives, such as share options, and strategies for risk management. You will deal with both practical and theoretical aspects of the discipline.

Admission requirements

The Master’s programme in Business Mathematics and Informatics is open to those with a Bachelor’s degree in the same or an equivalent field and who are in possession of sufficient mathematical and computer skills. Those who have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Mathematics, Mathematics or Econometrics from a university or an institute of higher education will be admitted with some additional requirements. Holders of an HBO diploma in Business Mathematics are admitted first to the one-year pre-Master’s programme, and are advised first to contact the master’s coordinator before applying. Either way, an individual programme will be designed for the student in consultation with the coordinator.

Language requirements

Foreign students for whom English is not the first language are required to have adequate results in an English language proficiency test: a TOEFL score of 580 (237 in the TOEFL computer-based test) or an IELTS score of 6.5, or they must obtain one of these qualifications upon applying to VU University Amsterdam. If you have another English qualification, please enclose relevant information and, if possible, a photocopy of the diploma, so that the Examination Board can take these factors into consideration.

Please note that photocopies of diplomas, transcripts etc. must be certified and, if not in English, French, Spanish, German or Dutch, should be translated into one of these languages by a certified translator.