Gain the expertise you need to contribute to cutting-edge practices in voice synthesis and speech recognition. Enroll in one of the few studies in Europe where you can study speech technology!
Leeuwarden is a vibrant, medium-sized student city and the capital of Fryslân, a region known for its innovation and multilingual character. The city is home to start-ups, established tech companies, game developers, research institutes, and language-focused NGOs. Speech technology is even recognised by the province as a key area of regional importance, meaning you will be studying in a place where your field is truly valued.
The curriculum is organised into four aligned blocks, each building on the previous one.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Introduction to Speech Technology (5 EC) | ||||
| Programming (5 EC) | ||||
| Speech Sounds (5 EC) | ||||
| Machine Learning (5 EC) | ||||
| Speech Recognition I (5 EC) | ||||
| Speech Synthesis I (5 EC) | ||||
| Speech Recognition II (5 EC) | ||||
| Speech Synthesis II (5 EC) | ||||
| Thesis Design (5 EC) | ||||
| Thesis Project (15 EC) | ||||
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
Students with a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, Artificial Intelligence or Computer/Computing Science will have direct access to the programme. Applicants with other degrees may qualify for admission through an eligibility assessment, which may require completion of a pre-master's programme. |
| language test |
Sufficient English language proficiency is required, except for native speakers of the English language from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom. To prove your English language proficiency, you can provide one of the following documents:
An exemption can be given by the Admission Board. |
The MSc Speech Technology allows direct entry for anyone with a bachelor's degree from a recognized university and a sincere interest in the topic. That said, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Artificial intelligence and Applied Linguistics (and familiarity with Python) would be an asset.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 July 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
Students with a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, Artificial Intelligence or Computer/Computing Science will have direct access to the programme. Applicants with other degrees may qualify for admission through an eligibility assessment, which may require completion of a pre-master's programme. |
| language test |
Sufficient English language proficiency is required, except for native speakers of the English language from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom. To prove your English language proficiency, you can provide one of the following documents:
An exemption can be given by the Admission Board. |
| Exam | Minimum score |
|---|---|
| C1 Advanced (formerly CAE) | C1 |
| C2 Proficiency (formerly CPE) | C2 |
| IELTS overall band | 6.5 |
| IELTS listening | 6 |
| IELTS reading | 6 |
| IELTS writing | 6 |
| IELTS speaking | 6 |
| TOEFL internet based | 90 |
The MSc Speech Technology allows direct entry for anyone with a bachelor's degree from a recognized university and a sincere interest in the topic. That said, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Artificial intelligence and Applied Linguistics (and familiarity with Python) would be an asset.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 July 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
The MSc. in Speech Technology prepares you for a meaningful career in the industry of speech technology. The combination of programming and machine learning skills with linguistics knowledge is a very attractive feature for the labor market. The skills you acquire throughout this master's will enable to work in speech labs of the bigger tech companies, both in Europe and beyond. If you wish, you can also choose for an academic career.
Throughout the programme we invite several guest speakers from industry. That way students will get a good impression of the various possibilities ranging from developing speech recognizer, synthetic voices, automatic detection of pathologies from speech, the use of voice technology in robotica and/or dialogue systems, etc. The voice technology industry is a fast-growing market which provides lots of opportunities for graduates.
The MSc Speech Technology is housed within the “Language, Technology and Culture” research department, an international, multidisciplinary team of PhD and postdoctoral researchers tackling cutting-edge topics like voice-based disease recognition, multilingualism and the brain, voice synthesis for under-resourced languages, and more.
You will have the chance to learn from these emerging
experts through guest lectures and connect with exciting
opportunities such as doctoral research projects, co-authored
publications, and EU-funded research grants.
