What should I check to confirm a Dutch data science master's includes a real company internship?

Yes, the Netherlands has data science programmes with industry links, but the word placement can mean a compulsory internship, an optional thesis project or only career services. For an Indian student, the safest approach is to read the official curriculum of each programme and treat anything not written there as unconfirmed.

Which Dutch routes offer company experience in data science

How to confirm a placement is real before you pay a deposit

1. Read the curriculum page and note whether the internship carries credits and whether it is compulsory.
2. Ask the university how the internship agreement works for students from outside the EU.
3. Check the immigration pages of the Dutch authorities for your residence permit conditions, since permit rules decide what work you may do.
4. Look up the tuition fee page for non-EU students, then compare it with the programme length, because longer programmes with internships cost more overall.
5. Ask whether the thesis can be written inside a company, and who supervises it at the university.

My Advice

Do not rely on a list of famous companies printed on a webpage. Ask the programme office for the names of employers that took students in the last two years and whether international students were placed. If they cannot answer, treat the internship as something you will need to find yourself.

This information is available on: uu.nl