A successful party at Fontys ICT master

On 7 February 2023, the first students started the master's track within Fontys ICT. Coordinator Nico Kuijpers: ‘We launched the master's for two reasons: there was a call from the professional field for more IT professionals in the region, and at the same time there was a great need from students to go in-depth within their own expertise. We designed the master's to meet both demands.’

Still, not everything was immediately clear. Nico: ‘To be honest, for us it was also a bit of a search at times. Because what ís a Master of Applied IT anyway? What makes us different is that it is not a master that goes into depth on one profile. All five ICT profiles can start and broaden the programme. That is a special feature, not often seen in masters. But it is quite a puzzle at times. The nice thing about these five profiles is that students with different backgrounds can work together in the context of their own research.

Added value

The added value of a master's goes beyond just the piece of paper you get at the end. Nico: ‘After completing the Master of Applied IT, you are better prepared to undertake innovative, independent practice-oriented research. You can work in departments where applied research is done, such as the R&D department of a company like ASML or Philips Research. That is really the big difference from the hbo track: where there you learn to get the job done, here you learn to look for new opportunities and apply them in new innovations.’

Because the master's programme covers two semesters in full-time (and three in part-time), a careful selection procedure is essential. Nico: ‘We also do this to avoid disappointment. After all, students have to work fairly independently. In the master's, the conceptual level is higher and research projects more complex. In both semesters, they have to conduct research, write research papers and, during semester 2, also create a portfolio. That does require a certain level of commitment. We also hear this from students: they really like the master's, but it is harder than they thought.’

Diploma ceremony

And so last Tuesday was the very first graduation ceremony. Nico: ‘It was a wonderfully successful event. The graduates, their partners and families, as well as colleagues and some of our current students were there. Together, we really made it a party.’

At the graduation ceremony, Nico also got good signals from the graduates about the format of the course: ‘We had two sessions during the year, to sound out how they experienced the course and what we could do better. That was really appreciated, I heard on Tuesday. Also because they noticed that we made adjustments immediately, which also benefited them. In turn, we thanked them for making the programme better for the next generation. And that is immediately a great example of education: it is never quite ‘finished’.’

More information about the master's programme can be found on the Master of Applied IT website.

Source: fontys.nl