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Advanced Informatics

Explore advanced topics in informatics, choosing from specializations like Business Informatics, Software Engineering, and Cyber Security. This programme combines specialized courses with a practical project, allowing you to apply what you've learned.

About the exchange programme

With a foundation in software development, the next question is: “And in which areas can I apply my knowledge now?” There are plenty of those. At Fontys Venlo, you can dive into one of the following tracks:

  • Business Informatics for understanding the business perspective and requirements onto software,
  • Data Science/AI to learn how to understand data, to visualize data and to analyze them with methods of AI,
  • Software Engineering for further deepening into concepts of software engineering,
  • Embedded Systems to understand how software can help to get data from sensors for measurement and to push data to sensors for making things move or do something.


All tracks have a project, with its main goal being that students apply the concepts of their chosen track. For every track, we offer a standard project case. But much more intriguing is to have an idea of your own (whether in connection with a company or not). Learning how to come up with a project plan and to pitch is part of the project in the beginning. Students work in small groups and relatively on their own.

 
 
 

 

 

Content of the programme

In this programme we offer four different specialisations: Business Informatics, Software Engineering, Data Science/AI and Embedded Systems. Students choose one specialisation and each specialisation has 2 or 3 courses of 5 ECTS and a associated project of 10 ECTS. Additional, students can choose courses from one of the other specialisations or the course Introduction to Cyber Security.

  • Data Warehouses - 5 ECTS
  • Business Processes - 5 ECTS
  • IT Service Management - 5 ECTS
  • Project applied concepts of this semester - 10 ECTS
  • Elective or Intro to Cyber Security - 5 ECTS

  • Advanced Database Concepts - 5 ECTS
  • Operating Systems and Concurrency - 5 ECTS
  • Front End Development.- 5 ECTS
  • Project applied concepts of this semester - 10 ECTS
  • Elective or Intro to Cyber Security - 5 ECTS
  • Data Warehouses - 5 ECTS
  • Advanced Database Concepts - 5 ECTS
  • Data Mining - 5 ECTS
  • Project applied concepts of this semester - 10 ECTS
  • Elective or Intro to Cyber Security

  • Introduction to Embedded Systems - 5 ECTS
  • Operating Systems and Currency - 5 ECTS
  • Introduction to Cyber Security - 5 ECTS
  • Project applied concepts of this semester - 10 ECTS
  • Elective - 5 ECTS

This is an overview of all courses (electives) offered within the programma Advanced Informatics. The courses, including the project, belonging to the specialisation are mandatory. Decide for yourself which course(s) you would like to take to obtain your desired number of ECTS. Under the condition that not all combinations are possible because of time table clashes.

Specialisation Project (PRJ4)

The main goal of this project is that students apply concepts of their chosen specialization in a project setting. For every specialisation, there will be a project case offered. But in case students have an idea of their own (whether in connection with a company or not), they may pitch to do their project instead. Learning how to come up with a project plan and to pitch is part of the project in the beginning. Students work in duo’s and relatively on their own.
(Entry requirement: project and programming experience of at least 1 – 1,5 years)


Intro to Cyber Security (INCS) 5 ECTS

This module, being an introduction, is about Cyber Security in a broad sense. Since information security is much more than analyzing attacks and code, this module will not focus solely on the software (code) part but also on legal and organizational and business-related issues surrounding security. The practical part is related to the more technical part, so e.g. encryption topics or monitoring/analyzing network traffic. It is obvious nowadays and learned the hard way that Cyber Security is quite important in the IT world. This module offers an overview over the legal context and means of attack and defense in both technological and organisational/process perspective. A practical part will focus on some area of attack/defense.

(Entry requirement: programming experience)


Data Warehouses (DAWA) 5 ECTS
For the decision process in companies it is of essential importance to have an integrated view on all data which are relevant for the decisions. Classical database systems cannot deliver this information, or only with high effort. A data warehouse system offers company wide integration and possibilities for data analysis. In DAWA, the architecture of data warehouses, relevant technologies and tools for design and development of a data warehouse and the analysis of data are studied.
(Entry requirement: programming experience)


Business Processes (BUPR) 5 ECTS
Students will learn the basic concepts, languages and architectures for modelling business processes and understand the task and relevance of business process management. They will gain insight into key business processes within organizations and the complexity of ERP systems. Students will have to model a business process themselves, using the tools/techniques ARIS/EPC and BPMN.
(No entry requirement, except experience in writing)

IT Service Management (ITSM) 5 ECTS
The life-cycle of an IT system does not stop when its development is finished. It needs to be deployed as a service, must be maintained, updated etc. And before it is developed, there is a decision for the overal IT architecture, for make-or-buy, for investing money into security etc. So, many decisions around. The area of IT Service Management tackles all activities around the “pure” development of software systems. This module wants to give students an introduction into this important but often underestimated area in the IT.
(Entry requirement: some experience in the IT)

Advanced Database Concepts (DBS2) 5 ECTS
A DBMS supports the creation, usage, and maintenance of a database. It consists of several modules, e.g. transaction management or query optimiation. In module DBS2, we focus on this internal architecture of relational DBMSs and on a classification of DBMSs along different dimensions. In addition, students are introduced to several modern DBMSs.
(Entry requirement: programming in SQL, knowledge about relational databases)

Operating Systems and Concurrency (OSCO) 5 ECTS
Operating Systems are a fundamental building block in any serious computer system. The architecture of an OS and the services provided, e.g. memory management and CPU management, influence the way applications can / should be programmed. Working with ‘low level’ API calls in the context of process control on at least one platform will give the student an understanding of and experience with applying such an API. For modern machines, one may expect some kind of parallelism to be supported in hardware. Even mobile platforms typically have multi-core CPUs, making addressing the advantages on the one hand and the complexity of concurrent operations on the other a mandatory part of a state of the art software development.
(Entry requirement: programming experience)


Front-End Development (FRED) 5 ECTS
Many software systems not only have a backend but a frontend as well. If frontends are designed badly, the software they should give access to will not be used well/at all. In this module, students will learn and apply concepts and principles of frontend development and understand the psychology behind UI/UX and human-centralized design.
(Entry requirement: programming experience)


Data Mining (DAMI) 5 ECTS
Data mining is based on statistics and machine learning. Both are heavily used in modern Data Science / Big Data / AI applications. This course offers a solid introduction in Statistics and Data Science in the first part and machine learning approaches in the second part. The module has a practical approach and uses Python.
(Entry requirement: some programming experience, not necessarily Python)


Introduction to Embedded Systems (INES) 5 ECTS
In an embedded system, hardware and software work together. Embedded systems exist within millions of products – simple and complex, e.g. as cell phone charger telling when the phone has a full charge, or modern automobiles and robots. Many of these systems are implemented using unmanaged languages C and C++. The main goal of the course is to introduce students to the field of embedded systems and to get students familiar with the programming language C as well as learning performance aspects (many core, real time).
(Entry requirement: programming experience)

 

 

Admission requirements

For this exchange programme we have the following admission requirements:

  • English level: equivalent to IELTS 6.0;
  • Intermediate level of IT knowledge is required. The level of this programme is advanced.
 

How will your course programme be recognised by your home university?

Fontys will provide you with a so-called ‘Transcript of Records’, which will clarify the results that you have achieved. Depending on your results, you will receive a maximum of 30 ECTS credits. ECTS credits are recognised throughout Europe. The agreement between your home university and Fontys University of Applied Sciences will usually include a condition whereby the credits that you obtain will be recognised and transferred into the records kept by your home university.

 

Practical information

Start moment(s)
February
Location
Venlo
ECTs
30
Language
English
Duration:
1 semester, 20 weeks
Contact hours
15-20 hours per week

Applications should always be submitted via the International Exchange (or Erasmus) Officer at the home university. This officer will send your application request (nomination) to Fontys. Once Fontys has received the nomination, your Fontys study department will send you a link to a web application called Mobility Online. Please take a look here to see how it works.

If you want to come as a freemover, we also need your university to send us a nomination e-mail. Once we have received this we will send you our application information.
As a freemover the fees are €75 per ECTS. If you are not sure if your university is a partner of Fontys Venlo University of Applied Sciences, the international office of your home university can tell you more about this.

Deadlines

Spring semester:

Nomination deadline November 1st

Application deadline November 15th


Fall semester:

Nomination deadline May 1st

Application deadline May 15th


For more information concerning the start date, please get in touch with the contact person of the study department of the concerned exchange programme.

English language requirements

For most English taught exchange programmes a minimum level of English language proficiency of CEFR* B2 or an equivalent of IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 is required. However there might be programmes where a higher level is required and submitting evidence might be necessary.

Ambience photo Fontys

For more detailed information about practical matters, such as financial matters, residence permit, health insurance and accommodation, please click on the button below.

More information on practical matters

Doing a study abroad most certainly means a lot of excitement and perhaps also a bit of anxiety. Getting used to everything may be a challenge at times. You may have language difficulties or be unfamiliar with certain aspects of life in the Netherlands and at the university.

We receive around 100 international exchange students each semester. To give them a warm welcome into Dutch culture and at our campus, the International Office has set up a buddy programme. A buddy is a Fontys bachelor student who is familiar with the campus and who can give practical help with administrative systems, timetables etc. They know their way around the city of Venlo and can also help students to better understand Dutch traditions and habits and feel at home real soon!

What else can students expect from a buddy? A buddy will:

- meet you at the Venlo train station and accompany you to your room.

- help you get settled during the first weeks by answering practical questions related to living in Venlo and by showing you around town.

- help you with questions about campus life, teaching styles, campus set-up, how to prepare for exams, etc.

- help you with practical questions such as how to print documents, how to get connected to Wi-Fi, get acquainted with the Fontys portal, etc.

- introduce you to Dutch culture.

- be able to join you during social activities.

The programme seeks to give students the best possible start to their study abroad in Venlo and at our campus!

 

Location and contact