BA in Arts, Culture and Media
Groningen, Netherlands
BA
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 May 2027*
EARLIEST START DATE
01 Sep 2027
TUITION FEES
EUR 14,000 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Dutch I EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA students
** non-EU/EEA | EU/EEA: € 2695/year
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
Are you fascinated by films, music or theater? Do you love to discuss what art is, or how to interpret a particular movie, popular song or performance? Are you interested in studying the effects of arts and media on society?
In our Bachelor's program, students acquire a deepened analytical, historical and theoretical understanding of (a) two art forms chosen from film, music, theater/performance, visual arts or literature; and (b) specialized scholarly knowledge in one of two frameworks: ‘Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship' or ‘Analysis and Criticism.' This broad, multi- and interdisciplinary combination is unique to the program.
The program will train you to study artworks, from novels and music videos to films and computer games, in a scholarly way – examining how they are produced, distributed, used, perceived, appreciated and socially embedded. It thereby paves the way for a variety of professional avenues into the field of arts and media.
In our program, students enroll in one or two of the arts disciplines offered by our own department: Film, Theater, and Music. Literature and Visual Arts can be chosen as a secondary arts discipline only.
- Film
- Music
- Theatre
Research
Arts in Society
In recent decades, the arts have undergone radical transformations and rapidly adapted to late-capitalist phenomena such as globalisation, digitisation and the democratisation of creative channels. Due to the increasing influence of culture and the creative industry within the world's expanding urban metropolises, notions of artistic autonomy, forcefully promoted in the 19th century, have re-emerged in philosophical and ideological discourse.
In light of this, the position of the arts in society demands new form of conceptualisation, definition, and legitimisation.
The Research Centre Arts in Society examines these transformations as well as the emerging values surrounding the arts and their role in society. The Research Centre is divided into seven theme groups:
- Art History & Visual Material Culture
- Arts, Narrative and Cognition
- Cultural Studies in the Humanities
- Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media
- Music, Sound, and Culture
- Storytelling as Power - Identity Equity, Inclusion, Sustainability (SAPIENS)
The Arts, Culture and Media program is unique because it offers:
- An interdisciplinary study with various modules examining the mutual interdependence of the arts
- The possibility to study one art form (film, music, theatre) in-depth
- Socially relevant perspectives examining the social, ethical, and ideological dimensions of contemporary arts worlds in order to build bridges between academic institutions and living artists, communities, and arts organisations for their mutual and healthy
If you want to continue with a Master's degree program after your graduation, as most students do, you will have a wide range of programs to choose from. With a Bachelor's degree in Arts, Culture and Media, you have access to the following Master's tracks at the University of Groningen:
- Arts in Society
- Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media
- Popular Music and Sonic Cultures
- Digital Humanities
- Arts, Media and Literary Studies (research)
- Cultural Leadership (research)
- Euroculture (Erasmus Mundus)
- International Humanitarian Action (Erasmus Mundus)
Job prospects
Once you have graduated, you will be qualified to work within organizations related to the arts.
You can work within organizations such as theatres, arts companies, concert halls, popular music venues, orchestras and museums. You could also work for a publishing firm, within government institutions, for research companies, or within public media organizations (radio, TV or internet). Your employment tasks will range from arts curatorship and arts research and evaluation to management and policy consultation.
Job examples
- Research Positions
- Criticism and Analysis
- Arts Education (as MA specialisation)
- Arts Policy and Marketing
Year 1
The first semester surveys the history of the arts in society, from prehistoric times to today. You are introduced to the social function of the arts, while also developing your academic skills in writing and research.
In the second semester, you follow courses in two of the following art disciplines: film, music and theater/performance. In short, the first year offers a diverse and grounded foundation for the following two years of the program.
Courses
- Introduction to Audiovisual Arts A and B (10 EC)
- Life Imagined: The Arts in Culture A and B (10 EC)
- Sociology of Arts I and II (10 EC)
- Film I a/b (10 EC, optional)
- IMPACT course (2 options) (10 EC, optional)
- Literature I (10 EC, optional)
- Music I a/b (10 EC, optional)
- Theatre I a/b (10 EC, optional)
- Visual Arts I (10 EC, optional)
Year 2
The second year focuses intently upon your arts specialisation of film, music or theater. You study this discipline's history and theory while also choosing one of two frameworks related to contemporary professional arts worlds:
- Arts Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship (APCE)
- Analysis and Criticism (AC)
Both tracks offer art education as a focus. You also receive an introduction to the philosophical background of your specialisation, acquiring a more theoretical understanding of your chosen discipline.
Courses
- Culture and Literature Plus 1: Empirical Approaches (10 EC, optional)
- Empirical Methods: Arts Policy Education (Specialisation APCE) (10 EC, optional)
- Film II: Film History (10 EC, optional)
- Mediality to Intermediality (Specialisation AAC) (10 EC, optional)
- Modern East Asian Art & Visual Culture (10 EC, optional)
- Music II: History and Theory; Classics (10 EC, optional)
- Theatre II: History and Theory (10 EC, optional)
- Management and Entrepreneurship (Specialisation APCE) (5 EC, optional)
- Narrativity Across Media (Specialisation AAC) (5 EC, optional)
- Art & Architecture's Global Potentials (10 EC, optional)
- Culture and Literature 3: Racism, Discrimination, Inequality (10 EC, optional)
- Film III: Film Theory (10 EC, optional)
- IMPACT course (4 options) (10 EC, optional)
- Music III: Popular Music Theory and Analysis (10 EC, optional)
- Theatre III: Theory and Analysis (10 EC, optional)
Year 3
In the first semester of the third year you follow the Minor of your choice. There are several options for this Minor, for example, an exchange or a career Minor. In the second semester, you follow three courses in your arts specialisation and related to your framework. In this semester, you also write your Bachelor's thesis, combining a topic related to your chosen arts discipline and professional framework.
Courses
- Minor (30 EC)
- Evaluating the Arts (Specialisation AAC) (5 EC)
- Film/Music/Theatre Advanced Seminar (Specialisation AAC) (5 EC, optional)
- Organising and communicating in the Arts (Specialisation APCE) (10 EC)
- Arts in Practice: Film, Music, Theatre or Dutch Infrastructure (10 EC)
- Thesis (10 EC)
Study abroad
- Study abroad is optional
- Maximum of 40 EC
Please note that the above is the program for the current academic year (2025-2026). From 2026-2027, the courses of this program will change. More will be announced in Spring 2026.