Artificial Intelligence

The Master’s programme Artificial Intelligence (AI) focuses on the development of intelligent systems, like robots and perceptive systems. The Master’s programme concentrates on autonomous perceptive systems, cognitive robotics and multi-agent systems.

Autonomous systems are systems that can operate and carry out missions independently. Think for example of robots driving around on the moon taking samples and collecting information. Even in unpredictable surroundings these robots respond with a certain intelligence and take decisions about what to do. At the University of Groningen we concentrate on autonomous perceptive systems. These are for example robots that can find and read a sign in an unknown environment or systems that detect verbal aggression from the complex sounds of busy streets.

Cognitive robotics is also an important part of this Master’s programme. The courses taught in this area are connected to research in social robotics, the origin of communication and recognizing movements of other robots. Research is conducted at the ALICE institute (Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Engineering). A possible research topic is how to get one AIBO (robot dog) to recognize another AIBO.

An example of a multi-agent system is a team of robots playing football. These robots have to communicate and cooperate with each other. When designing these types of systems, knowledge of thinking and acting of humans and animals is necessary. This is combined with techniques from computing science and logic. The student RoboCup team is among the best in the world and has beaten many other teams consisting of PhD students. 

The University of Groningen student RoboCup team is among the best in the world and has beaten many other teams consisting of PhD students.

Career prospects

Once you have obtained your Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, you can apply your skills in

• an Industrial research & development, for instance air traffic and space labs, where you make sure that intelligent and innovative technologies are used during the design process
• work as a researcher at a university (PhD) or a private research institute like TNO. About 50% of our students choose a career as a scientist, mostly as PhD student.

Admission

• A Bachelor’s degree in the field of Artificial Intelligence providing you have completed certain specific courses such as Variance Analysis during your Bachelor’s programme
• If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a different field the Admissions Board will decide whether you can be admitted to the Master’s degree programme. In the admission procedure we will check if your Bachelor’s degree gives you sufficient foreknowledge to get to the level of a Bachelor’s degree Artificial Intelligence within six months