Art and Media Studies

Program and courses Art and Media Studies

Study the effects of digitalization on contemporary cultural and artistic phenomena in the public sphere, contemporary media culture, arts, literature and aesthetic philosophy. You will learn how to analyze, understand, evaluate and communicate about artistic and cultural practices in online and offline contexts.

Program structure

This one-year hybrid master’s track in Art and Media Studies consists of 60 ECTS:

  • 5 core courses (30 ECTS)
  • 1 elective course (6 ECTS)
  • 2 research skills courses (6 ECTS)
  • A Master's thesis (18 ECTS)

Most courses link to Diggit Magazine: papers and assignments written, commented and edited in courses will be published on this online news platform.

This program starts at the end of August.

Hybrid education 

In the academic year 2024/2025, this Master's program offers hybrid education.

What does hybrid education mean?

  • Students can choose to attend the classes either online or on-campus. After the start of the program, you cannot switch between online and on-campus education anymore.
  • All elective, compulsory and research courses are offered simultaneously online and on campus.
  • Classes will be scheduled according to the Central European Time zone. 
  • All courses will be graded on the basis of papers, assignments and participation.
  • Note that the hybrid version is a pilot, and as such not guaranteed for future intakes. In case of a study delay of someone who started the program in September 2024, there will be a guaranteed online option to finish the program after the pilot has ended in August 2025.
  • Note that the pre-Master’s program is only offered on campus. 

For students who choose the online mode of education, the following requirements are relevant: 

  • We expect you to actively participate in the courses. This means you turn on your camera so you are visible and can participate in class discussions. 
  • You have access to the right equipment. A good laptop or desktop PC are indispensable. We recommend a laptop with the following specifiactions:
    • A PC or notebook. Our IT services are mainly based on Microsoft technology, therefore we recommend a laptop running on Windows 10. 
    • Webcam and microphone (built-in or seperate). 
    • Preferably an Ethernet port is recommended to work with a wired network. 

Program content

Core courses
  • New Private and Public Spheres (6 ECTS)
  • Intimacy, Privacy and Authenticity (6 ECTS)
  • Sublime: Art and Ecology (6 ECTS)
  • Authorship and Persona (6 ECTS)
  • Attention Economies (6 ECTS)
Elective courses

Choose one elective course from the following options:

  • Performance: Ritual, Art, Body in Digital Culture (6 ECTS)
  • Digital industries and infrastructures (6 ECTS)
  • Media Provocateurs (6 ECTS)
  • Intercultural Communication Online and Offline (6 ECTS)
Research skills courses

Choose two of these research skills courses:

  • Using digital literacies (3 ECTS) 
  • Ethnomining (3 ECTS) 
  • Ethnography and Interview (3 ECTS) 
  • Narratology and Discursive Analytical Strategies (3 ECTS) 
  • Interaction in Digital Culture (3 ECTS) 
  • Anthropology and Fieldwork (3 ECTS) 
  • Survey Design (3 ECTS) 
Master's thesis

In your Master's thesis you report on an independent research project you have carried out. For your research you choose a topic related to Art and Media Studies. Examples of research methods you can apply are: hermeneutical analysis, visual and semiotic rhetorical analysis, and narrative analysis.

Examples of previous Master's thesis topics:

  • Digital games and museums
  • Digital (participatory) Art
  • Illness on Tik Tok
  • Metamorphosis in Barbie movies
  • Racism in Film narratives

This year (2023), students wrote theses on: 

  • Cosy games; how these games are both therapeutic and subversive
  • Disaster movies in Russia and the US; how these movies fit in a certain film genre. 
  • Artworks in the public space; criticizing societal and political issues as well as everyday attitudes.
  • Feminist movies on desire and violence.
  • The consumer art of Yayoi Kusama, the princess of the polka dots, designing bags for Vuitton. 

Watch a trial lecture

You will find a detailed description of the courses and required literature in our course catalog.

Go to the course descriptions

Please note: programs are subject to change. We advise you to look up the current program in OSIRIS Student at the start of the year.

Do you want to know more about this Master’s program?

Find out more during one of our events

Check out our events calendar

Short overview of Art and Media Studies

  • Study how artistic and cultural expressions develop under the influence of digitalization, mediatization, and privatization of public space and what the implications are for society.
  • Develop communicative skills such as writing, analyzing and interpreting texts and images, critical reflection on societal issues, and participating in public debates.
  • Turn academic content into publications that are accessible to a wider public through Diggit Magazine, both a learning instrument and an online news platform focusing on arts, digital culture, and globalization.
  • In September 2023, students have the opportunity to study the program hybrid, without having to travel to the Netherlands. 

Interested in the Art and Media Studies track?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application.

Application and admission

Related Master’s programs: