Admission to the master specialisation Arts, Culture and Society is based on academic merit and relevant experience. We seek to attract highly qualified candidates. Please take care with your application, so as not to compromise your chances of admission.
- At least a bachelor's degree from a recognised Dutch university programme with a good overall result, or an equivalent qualification from an international institution.
- Training in arts and culture studies, combined with sociology or another relevant social science background such as political or organisational science, marketing, or didactics, at university level.
- Academic training in empirical research methods.
- We are also looking for a sustained and well-documented interest in the cultural sector, as evidenced by academic training or practical experience.
Students who have not yet obtained their degree may already apply if they expect to graduate before starting with this specialisation.
We ask you to provide evidence of your command of English. You should include your test scores, if available, in the relevant section of the application form.
You meet the English proficiency requirement if:
- you have a Dutch ‘vwo’ diploma and grade of 7 or higher in English;
- you hold an International Baccalaureate diploma including English Standard Level (A) or English Higher Level (A or B);
- you hold a European Baccalaureate diploma including English as 1st or 2nd language;
- you are a native speaker of English (i.e. a national of one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States of America) and you have obtained a diploma of secondary education in English for at least 2,5 years in one of the above countries; or
- you have obtained your diploma of higher education in English (the entire programme) in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South-Africa, the UK or the USA.
- We usually deem the level of English (the entire programme) Bachelor programmes at West European or Scandinavian universities sufficient for exemption as well.
If you do not meet one of the above requirements, you may demonstrate proof of proficiency in English through any of the following tests (online IELTS and TOEFL tests are not allowed):
- IELTS Academic with a minimum score of 7.0 overall. All sub scores should at least be 6.5.
- TOEFL iBT Internet based with a minimum score of 100. All sub scores should at least be 23.
- Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency with a minimum score of at least 185.
Please note that the test may not be older than two years at the time of application. Also note that it takes several weeks before the results of the tests are known. Take this into consideration when you think of applying. Without the results, we will not be able to assess your application.
Deadlines for submitting proof of English proficiency:
- Non-EEA students: no later than 1 May .
- EEA students: no later than 1 August.
We would like to point out that having a solid command of the English language will greatly benefit the applicant’s study success. We expect students contribute to our lectures and group discussions, as well as being able to speak, read and write in English. An insufficient command of the English language will affect their study success negatively.
The following criteria will also be taken into account during the admission process:
- connection between previous studies and the Arts, Culture and Society specialisation,
- GPA (average grade bachelor),
- a clear and relevant letter of motivation, explaining why you want to participate in this programme,
- international background and orientation,
- academic writing and analytical skills.
The assessment will be based upon your motivation letter, bachelor list of grades, curriculum vitae and a (previously written) paper.
Promising candidates who do not meet all entry requirements, can apply for the one-year pre-master's programme.
If you will complete the pre-master Arts, Culture and Society before 1 September, please consult this page to learn more about the application procedure for the subsequent Master’s degree specialisation.