Amsterdam, Netherlands

Introduction to Programming

This course is structured to guide students without any programming experience through the basics of programming.
All you need to bring is the motivation to actively engage in the course and a laptop.

During the first week, we will cover the basic concepts of programming that are applicable across all programming languages. While we use the Python language we will not go into depth in Python specifics.

In the second week, we will focus on one of several small projects to create a usable stand-alone program. We will offer several projects matched to several different interests or hobbies with the goal of offering something interesting for everyone while keeping the scope of the assignment constrained.

The core topics we will cover in the first week include:

Background information on programming languages
Algorithms
Data types
Operators and built-in functions
Variables
Keyboard Input and Output
If-statements and logic
While- and for-loops
User-defined function and variable scope
File Input and Output

In the second week we will also look at Python's package system and imports.

Course leader

Glenn Visser is currently active in the Computer Science department at Vrije Universiteit and has been involved in teaching programming courses for around 6 years. He is specialized in the security of embedded systems.

Target group

This course is suitable for anyone with a beta/sciences, economics/statistics, or a languages background.

Course aim

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Set up an integrated development environment.
Write computer programs in the Python language.
Understand inter-language programming concepts.

Fee info

EUR 750: Tuition fees one-week course

VU Students/PhD candidates and employees of VU Amsterdam* or an Aurora Network Partner €500
Students at Partner Universities of VU Amsterdam €650
Students and PhD candidates at non-partner universities of VU Amsterdam €750
Professionals €950

Early Bird offer
Applications received before 15 March (14 March CET 23:59) receive €50 Early Bird discount!

Scholarships

VU Amsterdam Summer School offers two kinds of scholarships: the Equal Access Scholarship and the Photographer Scholarship. More information can be found on the VU Amsterdam Summer School website.