Why this programme

"After my graduation I started my own business: Montgó Kunstmanagement, for fundraising, organizing, text and advice in the arts and culture sector.

Management talent that can handle changes in the cultural sector, and is able to apply an innovative approach is scarce in the cultural sector. This is exactly why Arts and Culture Studies, where you learn to look at the complete picture of the business of arts, is so important. IBACS unites people who contribute to the professionalization of the sector as fundraiser, marketer or business manager.

My company is doing very well. I work for interesting music venues, festivals and museums and hence contribute to many fun events. I was able to turn my hobby into my job!"

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.

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!

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! 

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.

The International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies is a very broad course that gives you a general view of all aspects of arts and culture from sociology to economics, art history and even philosophy.

Fun, engaging and open-minded

As a Romanian student, coming from a very rigid, maths and science-based education, I was very positively surprised by the fun, engaging and open-minded manner of teaching at Erasmus University Rotterdam. I particularly enjoy the courses on sociology, which have changed the way I look at the world and the interesting discussions that such courses bring up during tutorials. While the courses are definitely relevant and thought-provoking, they are explained in an easy-going, exciting way, often with examples from popular culture which bring a fresh feeling to any lecture.

Dual Degree in Arts and Sciences

I first applied to do a bachelor in Product Design at Willem de Kooning Academy and later discovered the possibility of doing a dual degree with IBACS. This option seemed a great addition to my art bachelor as way to expand my knowledge in the field and not completely loose the theoretical aspect of my education, while still studying something I cared about. However, after 2 years I have come to consider IBACS as my main bachelor and to strive for a career in the “backstage” of art creation, and not at the core of it, making me realise how important such roles are within the cultural and creative industries.

Safe environment

The students and teachers are very open-minded and friendly and manage to create a safe environment for learning and developing a critical perspective on the world. I love everything about this course and highly recommend it.

I found the International Bachelor Arts and Culture Studies by coincidence. I was about to start a different bachelor here at Erasmus University Rotterdam, but when I read through the IBACS study schedule I was hooked.

I always wanted to study something connected to the arts, but I never felt talented enough to go to arts academy. This bachelor offered me the opportunity to find my way into the arts world through the theoretical and academic route. Finally, I was about to start studying what I’m really interested in and what I believe to be one of the most meaningful and fascinating fields.

Career perspectives

I put aside the purely practical considerations which had earlier led me to study Business Administration. Sometimes it is questioned whether an Arts and Culture bachelor will land you a good job. However, there are many talented, intelligent, and enthusiastic students in my year, who will certainly be valued on the job market.

As a society we are moving away from seeing success solely measured by economic parameters. If you go into the creative fields because that is where your intrinsic motivation and interest lie and you’re in it with your heart, you’ll inevitably be successful. That is not to say that it is not possible to also just earn good salaries in these areas.

Great fundament

Studying IBACS also inspires you to get into practicing art. You can go with the Dual Degree in Arts and Sciences (RASL), but in the era of the internet you can also just teach yourself.
Lastly, I believe this bachelor to be a great fundament. You can go many different routes after obtaining your bachelor. You can become entrepreneurial, jump right into the job market, do a specialising master, or even try your luck as a practicing artist with broad background knowledge of the world of arts and culture.

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.”

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.