Admission requirements
Media Studies (Research MA)
The Research Master's programme Media Studies is open to all students with:
A university Bachelor’s diploma
The Research Master’s in Media Studies is open to all students with a Bachelor’s diploma from the UvA, or a recognised equivalent from another accredited university in:
- Media and Culture
- Cultural Information Science (previously known as Information Science)
- Another discipline if, however, you followed a substantial amount of Bachelor’s courses (minimum 60 ECTS credits) in the areas of Media and Culture, Information Science and/or Archival Science (to be judged by the Examinations Board)
The level of the Bachelor’s diploma from a foreign higher education institution must be equal to three years of Dutch university education (to be judged by the Examinations Board).
Other Bachelor’s diplomas
Prospective students with Bachelor’s degrees (university) other than those mentioned above can nonetheless apply for admission to the programme. The Examinations Board will in such cases take a look at the content of the prospective student’s Bachelor programme, his/her study results and general motivation.
Selection process
Media Studies is a research programme, which means that it is meant for students with strong academic interests. This is the principal reason why the UvA follows a selection process. During the process, the selections committee scrutinises the content of a student’s Bachelor’s programme, his/her study results (for research programmes an average grade of at least 7.5 is mandatory), his/her duration of study, motivation, and study plan. In a study plan the student describes which courses he/she would like to take as electives and in which field of research he/she would like to specialise.
Candidates are expected to have an open mind towards interdisciplinary work and to be capable of theoretical and methodological rigour. They must also be critically interested in both historical and contemporary developments in the media, have the ability to write in English at a high academic level, and be prepared to study hard (40 hours a week). Assessment primarily takes the form of written reports, papers and oral presentations. Successful students have a talent for independent research.
Related Master’s programmes
With a Bachelor’s diploma Media and Culture or Cultural Information Science, you also have access to the one year Master's programme New Media and Digital Culture, which links-up with the Bachelor's programme Media and Culture. No selection process hereby applies. Added to this, you can also enrol for other Master’s programmes.
English language requirements
All non-native English speakers applying for an English taught MA programme are required to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English before their admission and registration can be finalised.
Students with a BA degree completed in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are exempted from taking an English language test. UvA Bachelor's students who have completed the course Academic English with a grade of 7.0 or higher are also exempted from taking a language test. All other applicants must take an English language test.