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Bachelor
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Media and Culture

Study programme

The Bachelor's Media and Culture provides you with the necessary skills to critically examine contemporary themes such as the mediatisation of everyday life, the digitisation of film and television, the evolution of screens across different platforms, the globalisation of media production and consumption, media and affect, media and representation, media in relation to memory and politics, and many more. The programme also invites you to develop a more critical engagement with media by teaching you about the history and theory of film, television and cross-media culture.

Programme structure

In this programme you are introduced to a wide range of basic concepts in Media Studies and become acquainted with the most important features of contemporary media. You will gain a broad overview of all cultural aspects of media and further specialise in film, television or new media. You can either choose to follow a trajectory that focuses on a particular type of media and a specific methodological approach (either television, cross-media, or film studies) or make your own programme that combines a selection of these courses. Alongside the core programme, you specialise by choosing courses from a range of electives, and/or pursue a minor. The programme also allows (and encourages) you to study abroad for a semester, or to do an internship.

  • The first year

    The first year of the programme will give you a broad, general overview of the entire discipline of Media Studies.

    • You will learn how our everyday lives are shaped by, with and through media.
    • You will take courses that cover a broad range of topics and that introduce you to the most important features of contemporary media and concepts in Media Studies and media analysis.
    • Right from the start, you will have the opportunity to choose specific topics that interest you in many of the courses.
    • During the Media Research course, you will learn how to use the appropriate methods to conduct your own research on a topic of your choice that you select from a range of research themes on offer.
    • You will explore and analyse contemporary issues in media studies in small-scale, research-oriented seminars.
    • You will conclude the first year with a portfolio containing your own creative, self-made media products – essays, videos and/or media collections – in order to demonstrate that you are able to apply academic concepts and analytical skills through practice (the making of media) as well as in exams and through writing. 
  • The second year

    In the second year of the Media and Culture programme, you decide whether you would like to focus on the in-depth study of either film, or television and cross-media culture. You can also opt for a combination and take on a broader approach to contemporary media culture, by selecting courses from the different tracks.

    • You engage and analyse the various movements, methodologies, and the most important innovations in the history and future of film or television studies, and explore the implications of digitisation.
    • You study the social and cultural role of media and learn how to critically analyse and assess films, television programmes and cross-media culture.
    • You acquire (theoretical and practical) knowledge about the ways in which different media shape our experience of space, time, reality and virtuality, and even our interaction with other people. You will take an additional course in the philosophy of the humanities to help you think through the construction and mediation of reality.
    • You work with a small group of fellow students to create a short film, documentary or a television programme in a practise-based course. In this course, you will learn to apply your research skills, conduct research, learn to work with equipment and work in a studio.
    • You will explore the role of media in and across different cultural and global contexts.
  • The third year

    In the third year of the programme, you work on your specialisation and tailor the programme to your own interests. You also write the final Bachelor’s thesis.

    • You will have the opportunity to use your elective credits to pursue your research interests, or to complement your degree with a semester of studying abroad, or taking on an internship for a semester.
    • You can choose to specialise in a second major, opt for a minor in a related field or an altogether different discipline or take electives in a wide range of subjects, both within the department of Media Studies, within the Faculty of Humanities, or other faculties at the University of Amsterdam. You can also take electives at other Universities in the Netherlands or abroad.
    • You conclude the degree with a graduation programme that counts for 18 ECTS and includes writing a Bachelor’s thesis.
COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Media and Information: Living Information
    6

    We digitally record, store, edit, and forward almost every aspect of our lives – whether we want to or not. This course provides a review of all the key definitions, themes and concepts regarding the role media and information play in everyday life.

  • Media Aesthetics
    12

    We discuss how different media shape our experience and create cultural meaning. In addition, we investigate how film, television and digital media use their specific forms, techniques, and technologies to tell stories, to create fictional worlds, and to report on reality.

  • Media and Culture: Media and Culture in Transformation
    6

    The course aims to understand the ongoing transformation of the media landscape and its entanglement with broader cultural dynamics: What drives media change? What are consequences of media change? What are characteristic patterns of media change?

  • Doing Media Studies 1
    6

    Whoever works within the specialisations of Media Studies needs to have command of certain skills in order to solve problems correctly. This course will teach you a few of these skills. This prepares you for your further studies and later professional life.

  • Media Theory
    6

    This course focuses on the theoretical investigation of media cultures and their material practices. We introduce and contextualize important media theoretical ideas and concepts in order to illuminate the conditions and characteristics of media cultures.

  • Media Research
    12

    Students are introduced to the basic principles of academic research. We work on a specific case within a particular topic pertaining to film studies, television and cross-media culture, new media and digital culture, or cultural information studies.

  • Current Themes in Media Studies
    6

    During this course, you are given the opportunity to delve deeper in a specific theme of Media Studies. In order to guarantee the specialized character of the course, the programmes will each offer their own topics. These topics can vary per year.

  • Doing Media Studies 2
    6

    You will independently carry out assignments in this course in order to acquire skills. You learn to apply skills that are useful in one or more fields of Media Studies and to use the terminology used in these fields.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Global Media Culture
    6

    This course provides a broad introduction to studying media and culture in relation to globalization. Students analyze media forms and key globalization concepts, including cultural difference, hybridization, media activism, nationalism, and technological change. Particular attention is given to the increasing centrality of media to global systems of power and meaning.

  • Restricted-choice electives: Analysis
    12

    You may choose between Television and Film. Television: This course explores television as a cultural artifact, analyzing its role in shaping public discourse, social change, and emotional release. Students examine TV's ideological and technological aspects, audience reception, and media consumption, using theoretical concepts to analyze content and impact. Film: This course develops film analysis skills through three frameworks (auteur, genre, spectator). Students explore narrative, style, and context across a wide range of films, learning to understand cultural meanings and the functions of film in society.

  • Restricted-choice electives: Practices
    12

    You may choose between Television and Film. Television: In this course, students work in small groups to develop and produce a TV or cross-media format. They learn all stages of production, from research to scripting, sound, and editing. Students create a pilot and produce a studio programme discussing its development. Film: This course involves group work to produce a documentary and fiction film. Students engage in all stages of production—pre-production, production, and post-production—while learning tasks like scripting, cinematography, sound, and editing. Guest lectures from film professionals enrich the experience.

  • Advanced Topics in Media and Culture
    12

    You may choose between Television and Film. Television: This course focuses on tensions and transitions in media, examining technological, historical, and cultural changes. Students analyze how these shifts affect media practices and concepts. Special attention is given to close-reading articles and analyzing their argumentative structure. Film: This course provides a detailed understanding of key concepts in media studies, focusing on ongoing debates, transitions, and transformations in media and audiovisual culture, in the context of media content, presentation, circulation, production, and aesthetics.

  • Media, Time and Space
    6

    This course explores how media shape our experience of time, space, and power, focusing on the evolution of media technologies and their infrastructure. It examines how changes in media have influenced and transformed foundational concepts over time.

  • Philosophy of the Humanities 1 (Media Studies)
    6

    This course invites students to tackle timeless philosophical questions and explore their relevance in today’s intellectual landscape, while integrating historical perspectives and addressing media theory. It builds on Media Theory and prepares for Philosophy of the Humanities 2.

  • Philosophy of the Humanities 2 (Media and Culture)
    6

    This course explores the production of knowledge within Media and Culture, encouraging students to apply theoretical and philosophical concepts to relevant objects of study. It addresses the field’s development, its role within the Humanities, and the political aspects of research paradigms.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Free-choice electives
    42
  • Research Seminar and Bachelor's Thesis Media and Culture
    18
Compulsory course
Elective
Uva Course Catalogue: Media and Culture
Webinar Media Studies

What does the field of Media Studies entail? How is the programme structured? What are the differences and similarities between Media and Culture and Media and Information? What sort of workload should I expect? Questions such as these will be answered during this in-depth webinar.

  • Minor and electives

    Next to your regular courses and your specialisation, you will also have 42 ECTS worth of space to fill by doing electives, a minor, an internship or by studying abroad.

    Electives

    In theory, any course can be taken as an elective, from courses offered by the Faculty of Humanities to those offered by other faculties or even other universities. Most programmes offer separate electives.

    Minor

    A minor is a cohesive teaching programme that consists of 30 ECTS. Doing a minor is not mandatory. However, it may be a good way to prepare for a Master’s programme or for a certain profession.

  • Internship and studying abroad

    The programme allows for you to do an internship and/or to study abroad for a period of time.

    Internship

    You can enrich your study programme as well as your CV by doing an internship. This will allow you to gain experience at an organisation in the field of Ancient Studies and gives you an impression of the job opportunities they offer.

    Studying abroad

    The UvA is closely involved with international programmes involved with cooperation and exchange within Europe, the United States and Canada. This gives you the opportunity to study abroad for a period of time.

  • Double Bachelor's and Honours programme

    Would you like to be challenged even more? You can choose to do two Bachelor’s degrees or follow the Honours programme.

    Double Bachelor’s in Humanities

    The Faculty of Humanities offers the possibility to obtain a degree from two different Bachelor's programmes. By means of exemptions you can obtain two degrees with a reduced effective workload. The double Bachelor's is intended for motivated students who are looking for an extra challenge and/or a broader perspective during their studies.

    Read more about the Double Bachelor's

    Honours programme

    Highly-motivated students may qualify to take part in a selective Honours programme. This programme accounts for an additional 30 ECTS and will help familiarise you with various other aspects of academic research and prepare you for a subsequent Research Master's degree.

    Read more about the Honours programme
  • Learning and assessment

    Media and Culture is a three-year Bachelor’s degree that consists of 180 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits. Each academic year accounts for 60 ECTS spread across two semesters, with each semester comprising two 8-week blocks and one 4-week block of classes. As a Bachelor’s student, you are expected to spend an average of 42 hours a week on your studies.

    • In your first year, 12 to 15 of those hours will be spent attending lectures, while in your second and third years you will have approximately 8 to 10 hours of class. The remaining time will be spent on self-study, preparing for lectures and seminars, completing coursework and assignments, as well as exams.
    • You will attend both lectures and small group seminars. Lectures generally introduce the main topics of the course, discussing and explaining course readings and literature. In the seminars, you will work closely with your fellow students, collaborating on assignments, presentations and talks.
    • You will be tested by means of written and oral exams, presentations, essays, reports and assignments. Your final grade for a course is determined by the results you receive for each of these.

Accreditation and academic title

The Bachelor's programme Media and Culture forms part of the broad label Media Studies. The quality of this programme has been positively accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that after successful completion of the programme you will receive a recognised Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and the title Bachelor of Arts (BA).