Science

Science Major

The requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Science appear in section 3 of the Academic Rules and Regulations. 

Fields

Science majors must take 12 courses in the Science department to fulfill the major requirements. This includes any methodology courses coded 'UCSCI...'. Students may currently complete requirements with tracks in the following academic disciplines:

Methodology Requirements

Students must take all methodology courses required for their courses, thesis, and major. The courses coded "UCSCI..." count towards the 90 credits (12 courses of 7,5 EC) required for the BSc degree.

Major
  • For students starting in Fall 2026 or after: UCSCIMET11
  • For students who started before Fall 2026: UCSCIMET11 or one Mathematics course: UCACCMAT01, UCSCIMAT11 or UCSCIMAT14. Only UCACCMAT01 does not count towards the 12 courses for the major.
  • 7.5 ECTS credits of science laboratory modules (level 2)
Courses

If applicable, methods requirements are stated in individual course outlines under the heading ‘prerequisites’.

Thesis
  • 7.5 ECTS credits of science laboratory courses; only UCACCMET2J does not count towards the 12 courses for the major.
  • A level 3 science course in the field of study.
  • UCACCSTA21 Biostatistics is required for a thesis in COG and MED. For a thesis in BIO and EES, discuss the UCACCSTA21 relevance to your specific topic with the thesis coordinator. It does not count towards the 12 courses for the major.
  • UCSCIMAT11 Calculus is required for a thesis in CHE.
UCSCIMET11 How to Practice Science

UCSCIMET11 How to Practice Science counts as a science course for all students (including breadth requirement). Is targeted at first and second year students to better prepare for level 2 science lab courses. 
For students who started before Fall 2026: Even if you have already finished (some) lab courses, this general course is not required but still useful. It may replace the Math course requirement for the major.

For students starting in Fall 2026 or after, this course is a requirement for the Science major. 

Fellows and (Track) Coordinators

Kees van Walree

Chemistry

Gabriël Beckers

Cognitive Neuroscience

Kees Klein Goldewijk

Earth, Environment and Sustainability Science

Maarten van Emst (Physiology) & Patrick Wijchers (Molecular Cell Biology)

Biology

Viktor Blasjo

Mathematics

Rahul Pandit

Medical Science

Peter van der Straten (Fellow), Filipe Freire (Coordinator)

Physics