Media Studies

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".

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!

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.