Maastricht University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Bachelor in Arts and Culture

Why this programme?

In the bachelor's programme in Arts and Culture, you will study culture from a variety of perspectives. To understand the complexity of current society, you will integrate insights from philosophy, history, science and technology studies, art and literature studies. This will help you to:

• Develop an understanding of the historical roots of modern culture;
• Reflect philosophically on societal issues of today;
• Develop the analytical capacity to connect diverse scholarly perspectives;
• Gain in-depth knowledge of the role of the arts, science, technology, media, and politics in our culture.

Which qualities will help you achieve this?

• Broad interests and an inquisitive mind;
• A love of reading and writing;
• Ambition to study both independently and in collaboration with peers.

The Elementary Phase

The bachelor's programme in Arts and Culture is characterized by strong logic and courses systematically build upon one another. It is divided into an elementary phase and a graduation phase, which each takes one and a half years. The elementary phase has a chronological setup, starting from Antiquity and ending in the early 21st century. In this phase, you'll gain a profound knowledge of the historical roots of modern society and culture.

The programme has a strong emphasis on helping you develop research and writing skills. An important element of the programme is a learning trajectory in which you write increasingly longer and more complex papers. This culminates in writing your bachelor's thesis in your third year.

The Graduation Phase

The graduation phase begins in the 2nd semester of the second year. During this semester, the programme offers six electives that address contemporary challenges from an Arts and Culture perspective. These electives build on the knowledge acquired during the elementary phase and focus on the connections of two of the four domains of culture central to the programme:

• Media
• Art & Literature
• Politics
• Science & Technology

The Arts and Culture programme gives you the chance to broaden and deepen your knowledge by choosing two out of six electives*:

• Othering Europe focuses on the voices of migrants and other marginalized groups in Europe, acknowledging how Western voices have shaped discourses of colonial history and approaching European Others through the lens of representation and the decolonization of knowledge.
• Art, Literature, and Technoscience explores how art and literature engage with societal challenges related to the impact of science and technology, from climate change to robotics.
• Living in a Digital Age takes a historical and philosophical view on current debates around the digitalization of society, from automation of labor to surveillance.
• Power & Democracy looks at democracy as something people do, and considers the contexts of democratic actions.
• Vulnerable Bodies focuses on the corporeality of human existence and is most interested in bodies that depart from the norm, particularly norms of ability and youth, with perspectives from gender, disabilities, and aging studies.
• Authority, Expertise, and Environmental Change considers the particular challenges of our age brought about by human impact on the planet: Global warming, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss, and the way societies respond to these challenges.

* These electives are planned for the academic year 2023/2024. Please note that these electives, including their titles, may change.

Start of year 3: studying abroad, minor or internship

At the beginning of the third year, you can do an internship or study abroad. You can also follow a minor or choose to take courses at another faculty, another university, or the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design.

Skills trajectory

The Arts and Culture skills trajectory consists of courses that familiarise you with key research methodologies in both academic and professional settings. You will progressively learn relevant academic research and writing competencies, apply various methods, and practice strategies for selecting and eliciting relevant material. You will tackle important issues like how to formulate a good research question and how to apply theories and use methodology. This training programme helps you develop not just academic research and writing skills but also trains you for future job-related competencies, such as using concepts, applying research methods, analyzing sources, thinking critically, and presenting. You will become familiar with several different methodological approaches and with more general practical and ethical choices, as well as with challenges you will encounter when doing research.

Problem-Based Learning

At Maastricht University, you'll be taught using Problem-Based Learning (PBL). In small tutorial groups with a maximum of 15 students, you will analyze challenging questions and cases. This will bring you into close interaction with our tutors and your fellow students. In this programme, you'll explore questions like 'Are reason and faith absolute opposites, or is that a European idea?'. Together with your group, you'll seek further knowledge and formulate your answers. Instructors only give help as it’s needed, allowing you to develop the independence and problem-solving skills you'll need in your career. You'll not only gain factual knowledge but will also learn how to work in international teams, present a convincing argument, and carry out academic research.

International classroom

From day one, you will be challenged with differing viewpoints and experiences as you interact with staff and students from all over the world. Your worldview will be enhanced by this interaction. Such diversity creates an international atmosphere that is strengthened by the international orientation of the program.

You will closely interact with people from different cultures in your classroom, as 81% of your classmates in the first year come from abroad, representing 23 nationalities, and 42% of your teachers are international. Next to this, you will have the opportunity to spend a full semester abroad at one of our +/- 100 partner universities worldwide, do an internship at an international organization, or a minor at another faculty.

MaRBLe excellence programme

Through the Maastricht Research-Based Learning programme, MaRBLe for short, we offer talented third-year bachelor’s students the opportunity to conduct their own research projects. You will be guided by experienced academic staff who will help you further develop your critical thinking and research skills. This will help prepare you for a career in scientific research or research positions in the business.

Honours+ programme

University-wide Honours+ component

The Honours+ Program consists of three types of activities. Students attend workshops to develop professional skills; help organize a series of DIY lectures; and co-author contributions to the digital magazine Excellium.

If you complete the Honours Programme successfully you will receive a special Honours Programme Certificate, in addition to your diploma, when you graduate. ECTS credits are not awarded.

FASoS Honours component

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) offers its most ambitious bachelor’s students the opportunity to take part in the Honours Programme.

You do not need to contact the Faculty if you belong to the top 4 to 5 percent of students of the first year (based on average grade) who passed all their first-year courses and skills training on the first attempt: you will be invited to apply.

Honors programme students are given the freedom to study academic topics in depth. The programme consists of various components, from which you choose two. For example, you could undertake a small-scale, comprehensive six-week project under the guidance of a faculty professor. This could be a small research project or consist of reading and discussing several books. You could also participate in faculty research, choose an individual assignment such as writing a paper or take a second minor at the Faculty.

Courses & curriculum 2023 - 2024

After the first year and a half of the programme, you start customizing your program by choosing 2 out of 6 electives. In the third year, you can study abroad, do an internship, or take a minor or courses at another institution. You can find all of the many subjects below. Please be aware that the curriculum below is meant for current students and is subject to change. The curriculum is improved and updated on a yearly basis.

Maastricht University implements UM-wide minors that are open for (almost) all Maastricht University bachelor's students. These minors offer you the opportunity to get acquainted with a different field of study.

Binding Study Advice

This programme has a Binding Study Advice (BSA). This means that in your first year of the programme, you must obtain a minimum of 42 out of 60 ECTS credits. Students who fail to earn enough credits will receive a negative Binding Study Advice that leads to exclusion from the programme for a period of six years. All students who are at risk of receiving a negative Binding Study Advice will receive a warning after the first semester.

Courses

Year 1

• Mentor program

Year 2

• Mentor program

Year 3

• Mentor program, not compulsory

Arts and Culture is the #1 Arts and Culture bachelor’s programme in the Netherlands: Keuzegids 2022

The bachelor's programme Arts and Culture is ranked on the 1st place in the “Algemene Cultuurwetenschappen” category of the Dutch University Guide: Keuzegids 2022. Our students have rated the programme with an overall score of 71.

Learn more by visiting the Keuzegids website

Arts and Culture is the #1 Cultural Sciences bachelor's programme in the Netherlands: Elsevier 2022

This programme is the #1 Cultural Sciences programme in the Netherlands in overall student satisfaction, according to the Elsevier ‘Best Studies’ guide. Here are some of the highlights from the Arts and Culture programme:

• 73% of students recommend this programme
• 72% of the students are satisfied or very satisfied with the instructors
• 69% of the students are satisfied or very satisfied with the set-up of the programme

Learn more by visiting the Elsevier website

You will learn to understand Western culture by looking at how it shapes and is shaped by art, science, technology, media, and politics. You will explore the issues of modern society from a variety of perspectives. This interdisciplinary approach (based on philosophy, literature and art studies, history, and science and technology studies) will teach you to understand and frame complex social issues.

You will learn to think analytically, make connections across a variety of perspectives and develop strong argumentation skills. This will make you an attractive employee in a variety of jobs. Arts and Culture graduates work, for instance, as consultants for cultural institutions, policy advisors for governments, journalists, and researchers. However, most graduates will opt for a master's degree before they enter the job market.

As a graduate of the Arts and Culture programme, you will have many career opportunities. Your deep understanding of our current society and its historical roots, as well as your ability to approach complex problems from a variety of perspectives and practical skills such as discussion leadership and presentation skills, will allow you to work in a wide range of jobs, including:

• Policy advisor for governmental and non-governmental organisations
• Media personality, consultant or writer for radio, TV, newspapers, magazines
• Curator or cultural entrepreneur for cultural institutions such as museums, galleries or publishers
• Politics, consultancy, education or scientific research