M.A. in Arts and Culture: Contemporary Art History

The programme has five specialisations. Some specialisations place current affairs in a historical perspective, while others deal with the contemporary context of art, culture and media.

Three of the specialisations are taught entirely in English. The other two are taught in Dutch, with some lectures given in English.

Each specialisation is 60 EC, of which you have room to customise 6 to 12 EC. A number of courses are compulsory, but you will be given the opportunity to develop your own specialisation. You will do this through your choice of electives, the topics of your papers and, of course, the topic of your master’s thesis.

You will follow the course 'Trending Topics' together with the students of the other specialisations.

The start date of this programme is September 1st.

Find out what the different possibilities are within the master's programme.

Comparative Arts and Media Studies

Focus on intermediality in contemporary media and visual culture

As part of the master's programme in Arts and Culture, the Comparative Arts and Media Studies specialisation focuses on the interrelations within and between various old and new media, as well as between media and visual arts. These interconnections have intensified with the arrival of digital media. And a 'hypermedium' has developed from the on-screen interplay of words, images and sounds, as well as through the technological convergences of cinema, television, radio and digital media.

In this specialisation, you will explore historical and theoretical perspectives on these phenomena while also taking into account real-life developments in the area of museum practices. Our graduates have had careers in education, research, media and the visual arts.

Amsterdam

Studying in the city of Amsterdam is a unique experience. The urban setting and the multicultural mindset of the people of Amsterdam, combined with the energy of a thriving cultural city life give your education a special dimension.

Unique programme

This programme is unique in the Netherlands because it gives you the opportunity to focus on comparisons between various media and art forms or to study intermedialities in relation to a specific dominant medium.

Cultural collaboration

There are many opportunities for collaboration with the cultural institutions in Amsterdam. Our wide-ranging academic courses allow you to explore the collaborative possibilities to their fullest extent and to put your knowledge into practice in unique and exciting ways.

Professional skills

During the Comparative Arts and Media Studies specialisation, you will gain a sharp eye (and ear) for all kinds of media and art products, and you will also learn to analyse these and place them in their various contexts. Moreover, you will develop professional skills such as critical thinking, presentation and writing skills. You will also learn to conduct research on a variety of topics, both in academia and in the world at large. In addition to developing a solid grasp of the cultural landscape, you will learn to think, speak and write about relevant topics at a highly advanced level.

The programme is built around five core courses (30EC) and a master’s thesis (18EC). You will also choose to take elective courses or conduct an internship (12EC).

The first semester consists of three courses with historiographical, aesthetic and narratological perspectives on intermedialities in audiovisual culture, plus a department-wide lecture series on current issues in Arts & Culture.

In the second semester, you will get acquainted with intermedialities at work in current crossmedial exhibitions while also writing your master’s thesis.

Design Cultures

The critical study of design and fashion

As part of the master's programme in Arts and Culture, the specialisation in Design Cultures focuses on how our world has been designed. Interiors, fashion, artefacts, graphics and digital design coexist in our society. They affect nearly every area of our lives and therefore require adequate analysis. Design Cultures takes a humanities perspective and explores design history and theory in connection with contemporary issues such as identity, sustainability and multiculturalism.

Amsterdam

Studying in the city of Amsterdam is a unique experience. The urban setting and the multicultural mindset of the people of Amsterdam, combined with the energy of a thriving cultural city life give your education a special dimension.

Cultural collaboration

The opportunities for collaboration between the design sector and cultural institutions in Amsterdam are endless. In our wide-ranging academic courses, you can explore the dimensions of these contexts and combine them in unique and exciting ways.

Alternative approaches

You will have plenty of opportunities to develop your own personal interests, for example, in fashion, industrial design or graphic design. The specialisation in Design Cultures will deepen your insights into 20th- and 21st-century developments in design as a practice, a product, a discourse and a cultural environment. You will learn to identify and analyse crossovers within and between the different design disciplines in a wider social context. You will also learn to put theory into practice as a writer and researcher, as well as during your internship at a cultural institution.

Taught by experts

Our academic staff are actively involved in numerous local, national and international networks. Their knowledge and expertise stretch across the entire spectrum, from the theory and history of design and fashion to art and architecture, from culture and media to material studies, and from film and television to digital media and a host of crossovers along the way.

Professional skills

During the Design Cultures specialisation, you will not only develop an eye for all kinds of design, but you will also learn to analyse design and place it in the proper context. Moreover, you will develop professional skills such as critical thinking, research, presentation and writing skills. When you graduate, you will be well-qualified to work in the fields of media editing, teaching, academic research, brand development and many more.

The programme is built around five core courses (30EC) and a master’s thesis (18EC). You will also choose to take elective courses or conduct an internship (12EC).

Contemporary Art History

Study the art of the present

As part of the master's programme in Arts and Culture, the specialisation in Contemporary Art History focuses on visual, process-based and digital art from the 1960s until today. This specialisation trains you as an art historian who is equipped to tackle this complex but fascinating field. Not only will you develop thorough knowledge of today’s visual, process-based, and digital art, but you will also develop the skills to research, present and write about today's art. You will be well-equipped for a career in the cultural sector (museums, festivals, art galleries, archives), as an art critic or as a freelance cultural entrepreneur.

Today’s art includes installation art and site-specific projects, digital or new media art (interactive installations, locative media works, software art, networked art, electronic art and video art), and performative and activist projects.

What unites these art forms is that they directly address the complexity of today’s society, in which information technologies and globalisation play an ever-increasing role, leading to networked forms of artistic practice that transgress national and cultural borders. At the same time, artists are very aware of the heritage they build upon, deconstruct, commenting on, or appropriating art history, leading to various attempts to describe contemporary art with terms such as post-modern, post-conceptual, post-medium, and more recently even post-internet and post-digital – and post-contemporary.

The programme is built around five core courses (30EC), a study trip (6 EC) and a master’s thesis (18EC). You will also choose two elective courses (12 EC).