Double Degree Mathematics-Physics

For dedicated and highly motivated students, we offer the opportunity to study both Mathematics and Physics. This means that you follow two degree programmes at the same time, which would typically result in two times 180 EC’s.*

However, our double degree programme is structured in such a way that the overlap between the two degree programmes is taken into account resulting in a programme of 250 EC’s. In the final year, you conduct one Bachelor’s research project that is relevant to both programmes, worth 20 EC’s as opposed to conducting two regular projects worth 15 EC’s.

* 1 EC is the equivalent of 28 hours of study (preparing for and attending classes, tutorials, self study etc). A 180 EC programme is structured in three years of 60 ECs.

For whom?

• You are dedicated and highly motivated
• You are theoretically inclined and have a passion for both mathematics and physics
• You can manage a heavy workload
• You are prepared to spend extra time on your studies and realize that you sometimes might have to sacrifice other activities
• You are independent and have outstanding studying and planning skills
• You can handle suboptimal and/or conflicting schedules

Two Bachelor’s degree programmes

The entire programme per year can be found on Ocasys, the online course catalog of the university.

This schedule shows you the planning to finish the double degree within 3 years. However, due to the high workload, we recommend making your own planning spread out over 4 years, as we rarely see the full programme finished in 3 years. Please be aware that a 4th year means you will have to pay an additional year's tuition fee.

Please note that this programme combines Mathematics and Physics, not Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics. Combining the latter two programmes will result in a much higher workload in EC’s and is therefore not offered as a double degree structured programme. Our advice is to start with Mathematics and Physics, and if it turns out that you like Applied Mathematics or Applied Physics more, make an appointment with the academic advisor and discuss your planning.

Time table

During the programme, you will experience overlap between lectures, tutorials and sometimes even exams or resits, or multiple exams or resits on one day. We try to avoid overlap in exams as much as possible, but it is impossible to completely avoid this situation. Overlap between lectures and tutorials are the students own responsibility and they are expected to prioritize and plan accordingly. This means that you cannot follow all lectures and tutorials, resulting in more self study.

BSA

You will be issued a binding study advice at the end of your first academic year. You will receive a positive study advice if you have earned at least 45 EC’s for one of the two Bachelor’s degree programmes.

Therefore, we recommend you to focus on one of the programmes in the first year, to make sure that you earn enough EC’s for at least one of them. If you obtain more than 45 ECTS overall, but do not meet the BSA criteria for either of the two programmes, you will receive a negative binding study advice for both programmes.

Admission

To be registered for the double degree means that you have to be registered for the two programmes separately. This means that you need to enter the admission process for both programmes separately. Be aware that different requirements apply for Physics and Mathematics. You have to meet the admission requirements for both degree programmes.

You can find the requirements on the regular programme pages:

• Physics
• Mathematics

Application

You need to apply online in Studielink for both degree programmes. You do not need to ask for permission from the academic advisor in advance. Before you start a Bachelor’s degree programme, you need to make sure that you choose the programme that suits you best in terms of difficulty and content.

Are you already following either the Mathematics or Physics programme, and would you like to add another degree programme? In this case, contact your academic advisor, as it is not possible to start a second programme in the middle of the academic year. It is possible to discuss whether you could already join some course units, and together you can set up a good plan.

Tuition fees

Please be aware that, depending on your situation, the tuition fee can be different for two registrations compared to one registration.

Inés Desojo Garcia & Maria Diaz Marrero - following the double degree programme in four years.

Inés: In secondary school, I already knew that I wanted to study maths, but I was afraid that I would miss physics a lot. So I hesitated for a long time, and came to the conclusion that I actually wanted to study both. I couldn't find an appealing way of combining the two in Spain, so I looked further afield and settled on Groningen.

Maria: I also wanted to study mathematics, and a friend who was already living in the Netherlands told me that Groningen was a really nice university city. I saw that you could combine maths with physics, and I wanted to try that. At the start it was a lot of pressure. But what is really nice about following both programmes is that the physics adds to your maths knowledge and vice versa.

Inés: The amount of time you spend studying varies per block. But if you follow four course units per block, both lectures and tutorials, you will already have 32 contact hours per week. Then there is self-study on top of that. We both keep track of that. At school, I could sometimes do all my work at the last minute, but that is no longer possible.

Maria: You obviously have more exams as well. You are always the first to have exams in the exam period, you are the last to finish, and you have less time to prepare in between than the students who only study mathematics or physics. You also need to be good at organizing your work: for example, if you have overlapping tutorials and you need to cover one by getting someone else’s notes. It is important to be able to prioritize well.

But it’s doable, we have time left for holidays and a social life. Things can also work out conveniently: sometimes we study together in a group in the library and do something fun together after, once we’re done.

Inés: It can be quite overwhelming when you start. But don’t lose heart; sometimes it just takes a while to figure out how to manage this combination successfully. And you won’t understand some course units at first, but in the end it all comes together.

Maria: Exactly, don’t feel stupid. Give yourself time, be patient. If you work hard, you’ll make it.

FAQ