International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies

The management of culture

When I chose the International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies (IBACS) programme at Erasmus University, I was looking for a way to connect my creative background with a deeper understanding of how culture is organized and managed. Having studied at the Royal Academy of Arts and Cibap Vakschool voor Vormgeving, my focus was initially on the artistic side of the creative industry. Over the past four years, my interest shifted toward cultural management and the strategies that drive the creative industries. IBACS provided the perfect environment to explore these intersections, equipping me with valuable skills for navigating the international cultural sector.

Societal challenges

What I love most about this programme is how we explore cultural institutions from economic, sociological, communication, and policy perspectives. We discuss how these institutions shape creative expression globally and connect these ideas to broader societal challenges. This has helped me view the cultural sector as a dynamic space where strategy and creativity work together to create meaningful change.

A new cultural mindset

Transitioning from a hands-on design education to a more analytical, management-focused programme wasn’t always easy. I had to adapt and develop a new mindset, learning to critically analyze the structures that support or limit artistic production. These challenges helped me grow, teaching me to approach problems in the cultural sector from a strategic and analytical perspective.

IBACS has shown me that cultural management is not just about running institutions—it’s about creating opportunities and ensuring that art and culture remain relevant and accessible. The programme has given me the tools to combine creativity with strategic insight, preparing me for a role in the world of arts and culture. 

Changing directions 

Studying Arts and Culture was not my original plan, however, now, two years into IBACS, I couldn’t be more fulfilled. After a year studying to become an artist, I felt confused and lost. I wanted to be close to the art world, but no longer as a creator. When I discovered IBACS, it became immediately clear that this programme would be a perfect fit. 

Navigating the creative industry

I have not found any other academic programme that offers such a multi-faceted perspective on the cultural sector, integrating sociology, economics, politics and media into one cohesive experience. Studying the arts can feel daunting – there’s no easy way around that. But the IBACS programme equips students with a broad skill set, applicable to a variety of contexts, which is essential to navigate the creative industry’s inherent instability. 

Gaining new international ‘art’ perspectives

The international environment was another important selling point. If you’re studying culture, it is certainly a privilege to collaborate with and learn from people from all over the world. Beyond the engaging curriculum, it’s been extremely valuable to observe how people from different backgrounds even define ‘art’ and ‘culture.’ Studying at Erasmus University Rotterdam has broadened my perspective and expanded my worldview. It is with great confidence and pride that I state that my university years have shaped who I am today and who I will grow into in the future

Is studying Arts and Culture for everyone? No, I wouldn't say so. But if your heart races at the thought of helping bring exhibitions, films, concerts, festivals or any other creative practice to life, IBACS is the perfect programme for you.

The perfect combination 

When looking for universities to apply to, I only knew two things: I want to study art but I do not want to be an artist myself. So when I found IBACS, it felt like a perfect programme to me. Broad theoretical background, insight into the art market from the other side of things, and, perhaps my favourite, multiple sociology-focused courses indulging into how art is produced and consumed. Adding to that studying based on academic literature poses a great academic potential of given education, which opens many possibilities for a person like me, who wants to work in academics.

Adjusting to a new lifestyle 

Nonetheless, switching to an English-based lifestyle, when it is not my first language, created some difficulties and frustrations, especially in the beginning, when course literature still seemed like some foreign magical spells. With time, however, reading them started feeling like any other daily task, all it needed was practice, repetition, and not being afraid to use a dictionary for every tenth word within the first few weeks. 

International character 

The thing I found most exciting about studying IBACS is the international character of the course. Taking aside any statistics the university websites can tell you, you can really see the diversity of students by simply going to class. And studying a course that is all about culture could not be better than when you are able to compare traditions and ways of life. It is a great opportunity to open your mind for new mindsets and perspectives and gain not only a broad background to work in the artistic world, but also learn how to communicate and work with people of different cultures.

A career in arts & culture 

Choosing a degree can be a tough decision, but what is even tougher is having your parents’ approval on that decision. Especially, when it comes to degrees related to arts and the cultural industry, there is the misconception that the only possible career after your studies is becoming an artist. This, however, is far from the truth. The reason why I choose this programme is the variety of topics and fields it covers in relation to arts and culture. When I saw the programme overview before applying, I was fascinated by the amount of opportunities it creates and by the amount of directions you can go into during and after your studies. 

Interactive environment 

What I enjoy the most in my courses is the interactive environment. Since, the programme is very closely related to sociology and philosophy, discussion is very important because they introduce many different perspectives to the course material. The best part is that there is no right or wrong, everyone is allowed to express themselves freely. 

A broadened horizon

At first, when I saw that I am going to have a Economics course, I got a bit scared, I had never had any experience with this subject and it sounded so complicated. However, the material was very manageable and there was always room for questions or additional explanation for anyone having a hard time with the assignments or material of the course. Overall, this programme has immensely broadened my horizons and the international environment of the university has made me feel more than comfortable and accepted. It has helped me have a more clear idea about what career path I want to take in the future all thanks to the variety of subjects I had the chance to tackle. 

Exploring society and the arts 

I have always been passionate about art, especially when it came to the behind-the-scenes of the art world. I wanted to find a university programme that combined my passion for art, as well as my curiosity for how society works and for how it is intertwined with all forms of art – music, film, literature, fine arts, and so on. I was certain that I wanted to study abroad, The Netherlands being one of my first choices country-wise. Therefore, in my very thorough search for a bachelor programme that would fulfil my desires, I came across the IBACS programme from Erasmus University Rotterdam. When I read the description of the programme, I completely fell in love with it and I decided that this is what I wanted to study. 

Broad approach towards the arts

Fast-forward to my second year of university, I can happily say that IBACS has met all my expectations so far. One of the things that I like the most about this programme is that it is very broad, thus giving me the opportunity to discover which area I like the most within the cultural and creative industries. This is how I discovered that I’m very interested in media, advertisement and audience studies. 

International, kind & open-hearted environment

Moreover, the environment at Erasmus University has made my experience even better. It is a very international, kind and open-hearted environment when it comes to the students, as well as the teachers, counsellors and the staff. I am very much looking forward to my next years of university! 

Ik vond de International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies toevallig. Ik stond op het punt om een andere bachelor te starten hier aan de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, maar toen ik het studieprogramma van IBACS doorlas, was ik verkocht.

Ik wilde altijd al iets studeren dat verbonden was met de kunst, maar ik voelde me nooit getalenteerd genoeg om naar de kunstacademie te gaan. Deze bachelor bood me de mogelijkheid om via de theoretische en academische route mijn weg te vinden in de kunstwereld. Eindelijk was ik van plan om te studeren waar ik echt in geïnteresseerd ben en wat ik beschouw als een van de meest betekenisvolle en fascinerende vakgebieden.

Carrièreperspectieven

Ik legde de puur praktische overwegingen die me eerder hadden geleid om Bedrijfskunde te studeren opzij. Soms wordt in twijfel getrokken of een Kunst & Cultuur bachelor je een goede baan zal opleveren. Echter, er zijn veel getalenteerde, intelligente en enthousiaste studenten in mijn jaar, die zeker gewaardeerd zullen worden op de arbeidsmarkt.

Als samenleving bewegen we weg van het zien van succes alleen gemeten aan economische parameters. Als je de creatieve richting ingaat omdat daar je intrinsieke motivatie en interesse liggen en je er met je hart in zit, zul je onvermijdelijk succesvol zijn. Dat wil niet zeggen dat het niet mogelijk is om ook goede salarissen te verdienen in deze gebieden.

Goed fundament

Het studeren van IBACS inspireert je ook om zelf aan de slag te gaan met kunst. Je kunt kiezen voor de Dual Degree in Arts and Sciences (RASL), maar in het tijdperk van internet kun je ook gewoon jezelf onderwijzen. Tot slot geloof ik dat deze bachelor een goed fundament is. Je kunt vele verschillende routes volgen na het behalen van je bachelor. Je kunt ondernemend worden, direct de arbeidsmarkt opgaan, een gespecialiseerde master doen, of zelfs je geluk beproeven als praktiserend kunstenaar met een brede achtergrondkennis van de wereld van kunst en cultuur.

Let op: deze testimonial is vanuit het engels vertaald. 

De International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies is een zeer brede opleiding die je een algemeen overzicht geeft van alle aspecten van kunst en cultuur, van sociologie tot economie, kunstgeschiedenis en zelfs filosofie.

Leuk, boeiend en ruimdenkend

Als Roemeense student, afkomstig uit een zeer rigide, op wiskunde en wetenschap gebaseerd onderwijssysteem, was ik zeer positief verrast door de leuke, boeiende en ruimdenkende manier van lesgeven aan de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. Ik geniet vooral van de vakken sociologie, die mijn kijk op de wereld hebben veranderd en interessante discussies tijdens de colleges hebben opgeleverd. Hoewel de vakken zeker relevant en prikkelend zijn, worden ze op een ontspannen, opwindende manier uitgelegd, vaak met voorbeelden uit de populaire cultuur die een fris gevoel aan elk college geven.

Dual Degree in Arts and Sciences

Ik heb me eerst aangemeld voor een bachelor in Product Design aan de Willem de Kooning Academy en ontdekte later de mogelijkheid om een dubbele graad te behalen met IBACS. Deze optie leek een geweldige toevoeging aan mijn kunstopleiding als manier om mijn kennis op het gebied uit te breiden en het theoretische aspect van mijn opleiding niet volledig te verliezen, terwijl ik toch iets bestudeerde waar ik om gaf. Na 2 jaar ben ik echter gaan overwegen IBACS als mijn hoofdstudie te beschouwen en te streven naar een carrière "achter de schermen" van kunstcreatie, en niet in de kern ervan, waardoor ik me realiseerde hoe belangrijk dergelijke rollen zijn binnen de culturele en creatieve industrieën.

Veilige omgeving

De studenten en docenten zijn zeer ruimdenkend en vriendelijk en slagen erin een veilige omgeving te creëren voor leren en het ontwikkelen van een kritische kijk op de wereld. Ik hou van alles aan deze opleiding en kan het ten zeerste aanbevelen.

Let op: deze testimonial is vanuit het engels vertaald.

I chose the International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies not only because of my great interest in the creative industries but also because of the broad nature of the bachelor and, its career opportunities.

The cultural and creative industries are important in our everyday life. That’s way this bachelor allows you to study in almost any industry at almost any position. Whether it is in government positions, modern art galleries, creative agencies or the fashion industry, the opportunities are endless. IBACS made me feel secure knowing I’d find the right career path regardless.

I’ve always wanted to be involved in some sort of creative process and the International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies has opened my eyes to the endless opportunities they are. From the 'Sociology of Arts and Culture' to 'Economy of the Art Market' and my personal favourite 'Arts, Culture and Media'.

This bachelor is by far one of the most interesting bachelors to study. It makes use of everyday practical examples and unpacks them thoroughly for us to see the versatile nature, not only of the creative industries but of society as a whole.