Media are at the heart of contemporary life. From social media to print, from websites to television, from search engines to apps: our understanding of the world is shaped by media.
Media have a major impact not only on how we communicate with one another, but also on how societies are organised: culturally, politically and economically. This academic programme therefore studies the informative and social function of media and conceives 'culture' in its anthropological definition: as the ideas, customs and social behaviour of particular (groups in) societies.
You will acquire knowledge and a variety of theoretical perspectives on the way different media platforms are structured, how they operate and how they relate to each other; how media systems are underpinned politically and economically; and how patterns of media use, production and content develop and change. You will learn to apply and critically reflect on different types of academic research methods on a variety of topics. In addition, you will also get acquainted to the professional fields related to media, develop your professional skills to help you perform in media-related internships and jobs.
The programme's distinctive features are:
NB. On the Dutch language website of Studielink choose "BA Media en Cultuur" when registering. On the English and German Studielink site select: "BA Media Studies".
Hi! My name is Melissa Jongman, I am a third-year student of the BA Media Studies programme. I really enjoy politics and all sorts of music and film. Besides this I like reading books, painting, dancing and playing volleyball. I am an active member at a student association, where I made a lot of friends. In addition to studying, I work multiple jobs at the University, which I really enjoy.
At first, I had some doubts about what to study. I knew I wanted something modern, close to my interests and related to society. When I went to the Open Day for Media Studies everything clicked. The study is very up-to-date and keeps on renewing itself in topics that are relevant in the time we live, making it way more interesting to write about the topics for assignments. The classes are very interactive and make it easy to make friends. The study is about everything that can be considered media, from books, to films, from music, to photos. In the first year you go over every different facet of media and in the second year you can choose what you find most interesting about media. This is what makes the study so much fun, you get an understanding about everything related to media and the connection to society. It is so interesting to see how society is impacted by everything happening online and how that changes the way we look at the world. For me it was most interesting to learn about feminism, the way scenes are staged and learning how to write both academically as professionally.
Read more about Melissa and why she chose to study Media Studies in Groningen!
Hi everyone! My name is Veronika, I am a 21-year-old 3rd year student of Media Studies. I am originally from Prague, Czech Republic. Last year I was on the board of MESA, which led to me wanting to become the Student Ambassador of my programme as I really enjoyed representing what is important to me. Therefore, I wanted to continue doing that even after my Board year was over.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, creating digital art, and going on trips–no matter where to or for how long. I am currently the servant of one cat, but I plan to add at least one more to that count in the near future.
I chose Media Studies because it offers a great foundation for any other subject of study related to media. In this programme, you get to try out different aspects of working with media including the academic but also professional aspects of it. You are encouraged to find your own place in the world of media, which was a great help for me as I learnt that there are plenty of career paths that do not lead to simply working for a newspaper or becoming a researcher. It is a fun programme that prepares you for a future within the field of media and opens your eye to all the different possibilities.
Hi, my name is Marlies Hogeveen, I'm 19 years old and a second-year student of the bachelor Media Studies. I'm a big lover of both analogue and digital media. I love to read and write, but I'm also an enthusiastic producer of my own videos for my YouTube channel, where I document my life as a university student and talk about my other interests. I have a fascination for all things British and I would love to live there someday.
I eventually decided to study Media Studies because I noticed that all of my interests were combined in this programme. Not only was I eager to learn about the different creative industries in the media field and its the social approach towards media. Every time I’m doing my readings or assignments, I’m reminded of the topicality and social importance of the topics I learn about. I would never want to miss out on all of the things I’ve learned about for instance power structures in society, race theory and feminism in relation to media. Media have such a powerful role in the way we understand our world, and now more than ever, people have a say in how media are produced as well. This makes Media Studies a highly relevant field of study if you are interested in the dynamics of representation of society.
Hello, I am Anne! I am 20 years old and currently in my third year of the Bachelor Media Studies. In my spare time I work as a freelance filmmaker and music producer. I also work several jobs for the university, and I volunteer in organizations such as GroenLinks Groningen, USVA, Sandaya and GoodPM. I sing and play guitar and produce my own songs for Spotify and iTunes. I enjoy traveling a lot and have lived abroad on six different occasions. Finally, I love learning languages and I speak Dutch, English, Swedish, and French fluently.
I chose the Bachelor Media Studies since I wanted to study the media landscape on a theoretical level. I had already done a lot within the practical field, but I was even more interested in the underlying lines of thought behind those processes.
The study is incredibly broad in the first year, so you can find out what field and direction interests you most. You are going to take philosophical courses that really make you reflect about the role of the media, theoretical courses (which will teach you a lot), creative courses that teach you how to write and create, and practical courses, during which you work with regional companies. You then choose a profile in your second year, allowing you to delve even more into your favourite subjects.
I had a hard time finding the right study. Luckily for me, that year Media Studies was introduced in Groningen. What I really like about this study is that it is multidisciplinary. This means that you use different disciplines when studying media phenomena. Sometimes you use a cultural approach, sometimes more of a sociological approach, an economic approach etc. All these different angles and perspectives make the study very diverse and exciting.
Within this study, you are quite free to write essays and papers about subjects of your own interest. For instance, I was fascinated by the satirical news shows in the United States (like the Daily Show) which are able to inform and motivate (young) people to participate in politics and current news events. Due to their motivating abilities, these shows are able to influence the public agenda. In the Netherlands, the Dutch satirical news show Zondag met Lubach (ZML) is starting to become quite popular. Therefore, I investigated whether ZML has agenda setting abilities as well and really enjoyed doing research about this topic.
In short, media is becoming such a huge part of our daily lives and therefore it is relevant but also interesting to study these phenomena!
I chose the BA in Media Studies at the University of Groningen
as I’ve always been interested in working within creative
media industries. The degree program offers students the freedom to
express themselves through their research and project work.
Experimentation is encouraged by the lecturers throughout the
program, in this way you get to discover your likes and dislikes,
and choose elective classes based on your vision of your future. At
the beginning of the course, I thought that a degree in Media
Studies only qualified you to become a journalist, but I could not
have been more wrong! As the degree is a blend of theoretical,
methodological and skills classes, you are given a broad set of
tools with which you can become a media professional or scholar. At
the moment I’m interested in doing either an MA in
Journalism, or a ReMA in Arts, Culture, Media here at the
University of Groningen. In the Audiovisual Culture profile,
students engage with all forms of audiovisual texts such as film,
television, and music videos. I am particularly interested in the
intersection of media, art and performance studies. Research in
this area focusses on how the involvement of media technologies
changes our experience of art and the performance arts.
What I love the most about the media department is how youthful and
vibrant it is. The lecturers are enthusiastic and willing to help
you develop and pursue your interests. I chose to study
specifically in Groningen because of its cosmopolitan
atmosphere— I knew that the university would bring me into
contact with more international cultures than if I were to have
studied back home in Ireland. The BA Media Studies is an
internationally-oriented degree, for an international industry. I
hope to become a researcher in the future, or to work as a writer
in a publication house. Within this study, the possibilities are
endless!
Hi! My name is Patricia Zayan and I am half French and half Dutch. I grew up in many different countries across the world such as China, Cuba, Indonesia and Kenya amongst others. As I was exposed to many different cultures and people from an early age on, my interests mainly include the learning of languages, discovering new cultures and traditions and first and foremost food! I love cooking and eating and especially trying out new dishes and exploring new flavours.
I chose to do Media Studies for a variety of reasons. As most of us know, media is now-a-days everywhere; wherever you look and whatever you interact with, there will be a link with media. The interesting part about that is to see how much media influences our society and influences us as individuals. I am also really interested in the more business side of media; that is how media can increase the popularity of a business and increase revenues and sales profits.
I chose Media Studies because the media in the broadest sense of the word have an impact on our daily lives – it is something we are continually confronted by. This means that the lectures are dealing with subjects you can also discuss in the breaks. The material thus becomes much more concrete and ensures that you look differently at your own media use.
Media Studies looks at the social and informative role of media and the ways that media can influence society, and vice versa. The programme is mainly theoretical, but is also combined with a practical part. In the course unit Transmedia Production I am working with a few other students on a project where we use different media, for example cameras and a written piece, to tell a story about the homeless in Groningen. We ventured out into the city to interview homeless people and share their stories with the world.
Before I started Media Studies, I thought I had a pretty good idea about what 'media' was. But from the first day on, I got to know about media and everything around them in ways that I had never considered before. It showed me the relevance of studying media in every aspect possible, as it taught me about all the ways media are not only interconnected with our lives, but frequently are an inherent part of our lives and our existence on their own.
The programme touches upon aspects of media far outreaching those of radio, television, newspapers and so-called 'social media'. It makes you aware of the many forms media can take on, how abstract of a word terms such as 'media' or 'culture' actually are, and how they carry far from set definitions.
When I first visited the Open Day, the study representatives clearly emphasized that this study will not make you become a presenter, learn you how to edit videos, or how to direct. And I can confirm that now. But even though this bachelor programme does not specifically teach you how to work in 'the media industry' or how to create a television show, this does not mean that it won't help you in becoming a better creator or media professional. For while I discovered my passion for radio and media in general long before the start of my studies, it is the insights acquired throughout my studies that I take with me every single day, and that help me stand out in the field that I am working in. In my final year I followed an internship at the Dutch national radio station Qmusic, after which I was hired as a radio producer and content director of their daily evening shows. Media Studies has offered me the tools and knowledge to think beyond my own medium and to apply different perspectives in my productions, as well as to remain critical towards the information I receive before deciding to broadcast it to the radio audience.
The BA Media Studies allows you to explore a broad variety of topics whereafter you can specialize in a topic of your choosing. I experienced the BA Media Studies as a great balance between theoretical courses that provided me with fundamental knowledge, and the methodology classes that provided me with the practical tools to work with all the theory knowledge acquired. Each course sets the boundaries within which you work, but the assignments and essays leave enough room for you to explore your own interests. I took, and still take, great interest in media representation, identity formation and women’s studies. The BA Media Studies program allowed me to explore each of these interests from a media studies perspective. I am currently in the Research Master program and the broad baseline that the BA Media Studies has provided me with continues to keep me on my toes with regard to my own interests. I am always forcing myself to see different perspectives and ask critical questions: “How do researchers in my field of interest approach this problem?” and, “How does this approach differ from what other researchers in other fields are doing?”. At the same time, the freedom to (further) develop my own interests within the BA Media Studies has enabled me to create my own profile as a researcher.
Are you at secondary school and want to know what studying at university is like? The Media Studies programme is offering a web class! This online course from the University of Groningen is specially designed for secondary school students.
If you are interested in an Media Studies web class, register here.
