This chapter describes the MSc Grid Computing. This master takes two academic years (120 EC), which awards a Master of Science degree in Grid Computing. Students can start in September (semester 1) or in February (semester 2).

The master programme Grid Computing offers two tracks:

• Computational Science (information: dr.ir. A.G. Hoekstra -tel.+31 20 5257543; email A.G.Hoekstra@uva.nl)
• Computer Science (information: dr. C.U. Grelck -tel.+31 20 5258683; email C.Grelck@uva.nl)

The website of the MSc Grid Computing: http://www.student.uva.nl/grid
for all announcements and contact information on the MSc Grid Computing.

Programme Director Grid Computing   Track coordinators  dr. A.Ponse,  A.Ponse@uva.nl  Computational Science   dr. A.G. Hoekstra,   A.G.Hoekstra@uva.nl  Computer Science  dr. C.U. Grelck,   C.Grelck@uva.nl

The programme follows the ECTS, the European Credit Transfer System. 60 credits (EC) per year is considered to be a normal course load. This is equivalent to about 40 hours (28 hours per EC) per week and includes lectures, reading, assignments, library queries, and discussions. An academic year is divided in two semesters. Each semester is being divided in three periods of respectively 8, 8, and 4 weeks (semester 1a/2a, 1b/2b and 1c/2c).

The Education and Examination Regulations (in Dutch: Onderwijs- en Examenregeling -OER), ratified by the dean of the faculty, contain the official description of the programme. The student handbook and the Regulations are the documents by which students are granted their rights and duties. This study guide contains all kind of information regarding programmes and teaching matters, part of it being derived from the Regulations. Although this study guide has been compiled with great care no rights can be derived from it.
This guide does not contain timetables or the data for tests. A separate list is available at the Education Office.

The programme Grid Computing (R-Variant) consists of the following elements:

• Obligatory Courses
• Constrained Choice (track related courses)
• Free Choice
• Graduation Research (48 EC)

Free choice
Courses taken outside the programme have to be pre-emptively ratified by the Examination Board.

Variants
Students may choose from three specialisation variants:

• The R esearch Variant (R-Variant), the S ocial Variant (S-Variant) and the C ommunication and Education variant (CE-Variant).
• Students have to contact the Programme Director in order to set up a study programme.
• The Social Variant and the CE Variant have a study load of 60 EC (preceding the programme of the variant)
• Students have to go through a separate intake procedure for admission to the S variant. In the case of the CE variant, students must have followed the study programme of the first disciplinary year of the disciplinary Master’s programme.