International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies

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.

The International Bachelor of Arts & Culture Studies is a great degree to pursue if you are unsure how to navigate through the creative industry. It offers courses from every angle of the art world - history, economic, sociology, philosophy, and more. This is the main reason why I chose this bachelor. As a creative person, I didn't know which path was the right one for me. I knew I loved the creative industries and wanted to be involved, either as a creative myself or behind-the-scenes. I felt that this degree would give me a holistic foundation to work from.

Over the last two years, I can confidently say that what I love about this program (and Erasmus as a whole) is the degree of independence you are granted as a student. This was a struggle and gives you more room to procrastinate. However, once I overcame that, by creating to-do lists and holding myself accountable, I feel as though the skills of proactivity & organization are something, I will take with me for the rest of my life.

I have always had an interest in arts and culture. As a kid, I loved to visit museums with my mother. But I also loved to draw and craft. As I grew up, this interest did not change. While going to high school, I started thinking about working in the cultural field. However, I did not necessarily aspire to be an artist myself.

Consequently, I started to look for studies in line with this train of thought, which is when I ran into International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies. As I read about the study, it seemed to be what I was looking for. So, I visited an open day and signed up to be a ‘student for a day’. these activities ensured me that IBACS was, indeed, what I was looking for.

I am now in my second year of International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam. And I am thrilled that I choose to study IBACS. The first year was extensive and focused on all parts of the cultural field. From the second year on, you start specialising. Specialising means that I can start taking more courses in society and cultural heritage. Which I am rather excited about, because I aspire to work in the museum field.

My journey to IBACS has been a long one. But it all comes down to this – I have traveled from Canada to the Netherlands for this programme because I knew that it would give me precisely the thing I was searching for – the ability to express myself.

Freedom, creativity, passion
For me, IBACS is freedom, creativity and passion. Here, you never cease to dive into art in all its forms and manifestations. From art throughout the centuries to art in economics, each new course has something to surprise you with, and this is the best part of IBACS – it always keeps you striving for more knowledge.

Pursue your interests
I have welcomed IBACS into my life with an open mind and heart, so I didn’t encounter any struggles with it in my first year. However, the only thing I have to say is – be brave enough to pursue your interests. Arts and Culture programme gives you the means, you only have to use them. Communicate with your fellow students, strike up discussions with professors, choose essay topics that really speak out to you. Remember, you are the only person who decides what your university experience will be like!

When deciding on where to go after high school I looked at which experiences of high school I had enjoyed most. These were my art, art history, and Spanish classes, as well as the trips abroad. Slightly scared to admit it, I knew my future would lie in the art world. Creating, designing, and drawing had always been my passion, so initially I turned to the art academy. I was convinced that studying at a university was not for me. I was very wrong!

Dual Degree in Arts and Science (RASL)

As much as I loved to work with my hands, I was missing more of a challenge in the theoretical aspect. Through researching my options, I learned of the RASL dual degree, where I could combine both the practical and the theoretical aspect of studying art. IBACS turned out to be the perfect solution. As it teaches me about the whole world that exists around the production and the consumption of art. Studying art from the historical, economic and sociological perspective helps me understand the industry and teaches me how to find my own path in it.

An open community

What I enjoy most about IBACS is the great atmosphere between both students, tutors and lecturers. As it is an international course, I learn new perspectives on the world every day. In an open commu­nity where I get to enjoy the experience of studying abroad, while still studying in my home country. Additionally, Rotterdam offers a great amount of cultural activities and I have recognised many of the examples from class within one bike ride through the city.

Looking back on my final year of high school and reflecting on the tremendous amount of decisions that had to be made, I am extremely happy with where I ended up. I definitely dealt with a lot of struggles when choosing the path of my near future, especially as I studied natural sciences in high school. However, I’ve always had an interest in the arts and would love to learn about fashion at any time possible. As my graduation came closer and closer, and pressures were growing more and more, I concluded that the natural sciences are not an interest of mine strong enough to dedicate my future career to. As I was informing myself about different study programmes and browsing through the Internet for hours, I stumbled upon the IBACS programme. It instantly drew my attention with the wide coverage of courses, as my plan was not to become a specialized or professional artist. My preferences definitely lie in the background of the arts & culture sector and its functioning.

Overall self-development and discovering other interests in the arts

As the city of Rotterdam is known for being very international, it only added another favor to come to Erasmus University. The international atmosphere facilitates the adaptation process by a great amount and proves to be helpful when getting used to the city. Due to the fact that most people are coming from all around the world, there is no place for judgement and everyone is here with the right intentions.

Since one year has already passed, I must admit that it wasn’t easy in the beginning, strongly due to struggles of adjusting. Luckily, I found great friends who only enrich my journey here in Rotterdam. If I had to conclude one thing from the past year is that it’s been extremely beneficial to my overall self-development and helped me to discover other interests in the arts even more.

Throughout the International Bachelor of Arts and Culture Studies, your panoramic understanding of the arts and culture will expand in various dimensions. In this voyage, you will venture into different areas from a critical standpoint.

A healthy balance

“In the first year, you get a taste of the whole spectrum. In the second and third year, you are able to focus on your own area of interest. I deliberately oriented my elective courses in two directions: cultural marketing and sociology of arts and culture. The course ‘Cultural Marketing’ equipped me with tangible skills for the labour market, while courses about the sociology of arts and culture fulfilled my personal interests. This was not just a healthy balance, but also a convenient path to keep me motivated and overlap diverse realms of my academic interests.”

Critical thinking

“In retrospect, all the courses from this bachelor's degree nurture one skill in particular, probably the most valuable asset that I still put into practice on a daily basis at my work: critical thinking. The curriculum of this programme involves a lot of theory. Nevertheless, in every course, you are required to dissect the theories in various ways. Therefore, you might say that in Erasmus more than learning what to think, you master the skill of how to think – that being critical thinking.”

Experiment

“The journey to become Head of Digital Marketing at the Cobra Museum began the first day as a student. During my studies, I worked in two galleries in Rotterdam and volunteered in Amnesty International. Erasmus University is located in one of the most dynamic melting pots of culture in the Netherlands. This offers plenty of grounds to experiment, learn what you want and tackle the cultural challenges you learned in the classroom while working.”

Cobra Museum voor Moderne Kunst

“In my current position at the Cobra Museum my responsibilities include the development of the digital marketing plans and social media strategies of the museum’s brand, exhibitions and other services. To set up a marketing plan one must put together a refined combination of skills from diverse areas of knowledge, including analytics, market research, historical research, copyrighting, copyright law, design and – my favourite – production. The production phase of a campaign, for instance the creation of a video campaign, is where creativity bridges theory and art direction.

I can recommend all students interested in marketing to pay well attention to the course ‘Marketing Arts and Culture’. It will teach you how to navigate the marketing ocean of terms and concepts by effectuating a marketing plan of your own. At the end of this course, you will know how to structure, prioritise and reach the marketing goals of a given cultural or creative organisation.”

Theory as a compass

“In Erasmus University you will gain a profound and critical understanding of the cultural arena. This will be your compass. To make sense of it, you have to envision how this theory (the compass) could be applied to a real context. That is why I would recommend looking for an internship or volunteer job in a place where you can directly apply the knowledge learned in your studies to real life, while also polishing soft and practical skills. That way you will nurture a full package of skills you will need to succeed in the creative industries.”