Teaching method

• Fostering interdisciplinarity

The master's programme in computer science is inherently interdisciplinary.

Students have the possibility of opening up their training to non-technical disciplines through elective courses, and thus establish a coherent personal learning project.

Finally, a computer scientist will have to manage projects during his career, lead a team and focus on the complex socio-economic context in which the computing systems he develops will be deployed. The master's programme in computer science therefore offers options in management and creation of small and medium-sized enterprises.

• Variety of learning strategies

The pedagogical approach involves : active learning, a balanced mix of teamwork and individual work and attention to the development of non-technical skills.

In particular, by putting an emphasis on project activities (including a large-scale project putting the students in a semi-professional situation), the pedagogical approach develops in the students a critical mind capable of designing, modelling, implementing, maintaining and validating complex computing systems.

The graduation project represents half of the workload of the last year; it offers the possibility to cover a given subject in depth and constitutes, by its size and the context in which it takes place, a true introduction to the professional life of an engineer or a researcher.

• Diversity of learning situations

Students will be exposed to various pedagogical devices adapted to the different disciplines: lectures, projects, exercise sessions, problem-based learning sessions, case studies, laboratory experiments, industrial or research internships, group and individual assignments, seminars. In certain courses, e-learning allows the students to assimilate the subject matter at their own pace and to perform virtual experiments.

This variety of situations helps the student to shape his knowledge in an iterative and progressive way, while developing his autonomy, his organisational skills, his management of time, his ability to communicate in different modes, etc. State-of-the-art computer facilities (hardware, software, networks) are at the disposal of the students for their work.

• Use of foreign languages

Globalisation imposes on any society to open its doors towards foreign markets. Moreover, English is by far the most commonly used language in computer science. The use of English during the entire curriculum allows students to develop their mastery of the English language, which will ease their integration in foreign universities and companies. All course material and supervision are in English but the student can always ask questions or answer his exams in French if desired.

Moreover, the programme allows for attending language courses at the university's Language Institute (ILV) and for taking part in foreign exchange programmes.

The entire programme is offered in English, except for the external options in management and creation of small and medium-sized enterprises. For non-French-speaking students, alternatives to the compulsory courses in French will be proposed by the programme commission on a case-by-case basis, according to the student's curriculum. In particular, for students who did not obtain their bachelor degree at Université catholique de Louvain, the course in religious sciences may be replaced by a supplementary activity to the master thesis, with course code FSA2993.