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:
Read moreMedia studies provided the foundation of knowledge across industries...
Read moreIt 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...
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. And I can confirm that now..
Read moreI experienced the BA Media Studies as a great balance between theoretical courses that provided me with fundamental knowledge...
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.
Read moreI'm interested to see how much media influences our society and us as individuals
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 Groningen because both my parents lived here when they were university students and they really enjoyed their time here. They remembered Groningen as a lively student city with a lot of activities to do and buzzing with young and vibrant people, and they were not wrong. Furthermore, the testimonies of alumni of the university only increased my desire to go, with RUG ranking in the top 100 universities in the world when I decided to come here, it only seemed like the most fitting option for me.
As most people at my age, I am not quite sure what I want to be when I’m ‘older’, however I do know that I would like to get a master’s degree in International Business after my bachelor. I hope to find a job where I can travel the world as much as possible and, in my own way, contribute to society.
The best advice I can give to all prospective students is to approach one of us if you have any doubts or questions. The reason I say this is because when I was applying I lived all the way in China so attending open days was definitely not an option. On top of that I was too scared to actually email anyone for advice or help and I can tell you it would have made my move a lot easier had I actually done that. Finally, if you start feeling nervous and stressed out, don’t forget that there are thousands of students going through the same process as you and that it will all be ok in the end.
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.
We are continually confronted by media
Read moreThe degree program offers students the freedom to express themselves through their research and project work.
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!
Read moreVery diverse and exciting
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!
Read moreI chose the study Media Studies since I wanted to study the media landscape on a theoretical level
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.
Read more about Anne Pronk and why she chose to study
Media Studies in Groningen!
Questions? Send Anne an e-mail!
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".
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.
