Overview
The world we live in is profoundly mediated. Many aspects of our daily lives are now fundamentally structured and informed by media, such as television, film, and new media – from the arts, politics, economics, to our collective memories. This has changed significantly in recent years because of our constant engagement with media through the use of smartphones, apps, and social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Netflix, WeChat, Whatsapp and Snapchat. We are constantly consuming and engaging with feature films, television programmes, documentaries, and many other types of audiovisual “texts”.
The need to understand and analyse audiovisual discourse is therefore more urgent than ever - across all media platforms.
As a Media and Culture student you will explore how and why particular media have certain roles in different cultural contexts. You will examine how they attract and direct our attention, and shape our experiences of the world. The programme invites you to develop a more critical engagement with media by teaching you about the history and theory of film, television and cross-media culture. Studying how certain stories or facts are presented and disseminated by media, whose interests they serve, and what worlds they create, is central to this programme. You will also learn how media objects are created, positioned and used in the world, as well as begin to create and use them yourself.
Why study Media and Culture at the UvA?
- It provides a world-class education: the UvA ranked 1st in the world for Media Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2018, 2019 and 2020.
- You want to take part in a programme that offers the most recent, cutting-edge developments in the field, yet also allows you to pursue your own areas of specialisation and academic interests.
- You want to gain a broad overview of all cultural aspects of media and – starting in the first year – further specialise in film, television or new media.
- You want to study the broad, fast-growing field of media from a cultural and interdisciplinary, cross-media perspective, and from a wide set of media research methodologies; including cognitive analysis, political and philosophical analysis.
- You see yourself as belonging to an ambitious, international intellectual environment: in groups and independently you will discuss the global media landscape with leading experts from all over the world, as well as an international student community.
- The Media and Culture programme of the University of Amsterdam offers many connections with the city of Amsterdam, which is a hub for cinemas, television studios, new media, museums, festivals and cultural institutions.
- The programme offers inspiring career prospects: aside from careers in the academic field, graduates go on to work at production companies for film, television, new media, in advertising and in the creative industries, as researchers, producers, directors, creative editors, and journalists. They may also hold positions as project managers, advisors, curators and programmers at distributors, broadcasting networks, festivals, museums, libraries, archives and other cultural institutions, or commercial companies.
- The Media and Culture programme often cooperates with leading media institutions in the Netherlands, such as the EYE Film Museum, the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, the Stedelijk Museum, and television broadcasters and production companies.
- The programme also promotes intensive contact with new media institutions like the Waag Society, the Netherlands Media Art Institute Montevideo, Mediamatic, the Virtueel Platform E-culture Knowledge Institute, and other cultural institutions working with (new) media, such as Paradiso, De Balie and De Melkweg.
- After completing your Bachelor’s, you can apply to one of UvA’s many Master’s programmes, including their range of programmes in advanced Media and Culture studies.
Programme Structure
Courses include:
- Media and Information: Living Information
- Media Aesthetics
- Media and Culture: Media Culture in Transformation
- Doing Media Studies
- Media Theory
- Media Research
Key information
Duration
- Full-time
- 36 months
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting
- Apply before , National
- Apply before , International
- Apply before , EEA/EU
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Language
Credits
Delivered
Disciplines
Area & Cultural Studies Media Studies & Mass Media View 14 other Bachelors in Media Studies & Mass Media in NetherlandsWhat students do after studying
Academic requirements
We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.
English requirements
Student insurance
Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:
- Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
- Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
- Liability
- Home contents and baggage
- Accidents
- Legal aid
We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.
Get your student insurance nowStarting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.
Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Amsterdam and/or in Netherlands, please visit Student Insurance Portal.
Other requirements
General requirements
- Students applying to one of our Bachelor’s programmes should hold a Dutch VWO diploma, a HBO propedeuse or a foreign diploma that is equivalent to one of these diplomas. If you have foreign credentials, mathematics and English should be included in your final examination or attended until the last year of your secondary education.
- The starting level of a regular study programme at Dutch universities is comparable to that of other Western European countries, but it is generally higher than in most countries outside Western Europe.
- Proof of sufficient proficiency in English.
Tuition Fee
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International
12900 EUR/yearTuition FeeBased on the tuition of 12900 EUR per year during 36 months. -
EU/EEA
2601 EUR/yearTuition FeeBased on the tuition of 2601 EUR per year during 36 months.
Living costs for Amsterdam
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
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Scholarships Information
Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Media and Culture.
Available Scholarships
You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.
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