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Education Master's and PhD degree programmes Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship
Header image Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship

Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship

Art is inherently public. In this programme, you will study and reflect upon how public arts policy, arts management, arts marketing and education affect the realisation of artistic values in society.

Traditionally, the arts have been regarded as a means for representing individual and collective identities, and for the reflection on, and critical assessment of, society. Increasingly, however, the arts are regarded as entertainment (e.g. based on notions such as the 'experience economy'), or as a means for the creative development of local economies ('creative and culture industries' and 'creative class'), or as a form of social engineering.

The Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track focuses on the organizing of art and the public role of art in today's societies. Using methods from critical sociology, public policy studies, management studies, and cognitive perspectives on the arts you will learn to critically reflect upon the values that influence local and global art practices. On the basis of theory and empirical work, you will learn to analyze, criticize, and reflect upon the existing practices for art's sustenance, organization, and dissemination. You will learn to devise strategies on how the arts should be managed, marketed, and addressed by public policy agents in order to strengthen their role in society.

Facts & Figures
Degree
MA in Arts & Culture
Course type
Master
Duration
12 months (60 ECTS)
Croho code
60087
Language of instruction
English
Start
September
Faculty
Arts
Why study this programme in Groningen?

Studying in Groningen implies living in a culturally vibrant city of a medium size. This allows you to quickly develop an overview of the city's abundant cultural offer that we frequently use as empirical material of our courses.

Moreover, this is the only programme in the Netherlands that combines core course units on the institutional context of the arts and culture (courses on leadership in the arts, management of the arts, arts sociology, and policy) with course units on the artistic discipline of your choice. We strongly believe it is important that our alumni are able to converse both with artists and art managers and policy makers on an expert level.
Programme

In the first semester the students follow courses for 30 ECTS. Here 20 ECTS come from the Film and Audiovisual Media track. The remaining 10 ECTS can be chosen from the other 3 tracks within the Arts and Culture MA programme (Arts, Cognition and Criticism; Music, Theatre and Performance Studies; Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship).

In the second semester students write their MA thesis (20 EC) and do an internship/traineeship (10 EC). The internship can also be replaced by a course or a tutorial.

Optional courses from the other tracks:

Semester 1a:
Dramaturgy,
The Global/Local Cultural Leader,
Gender and Sexuality in Popular Music,
Performance Mediality & Materiality,
Visualizing Classical Music Experience,
Narrative, Mimesis and Identity,
Songs and Music Genres,
Digital Film Forensics,
Non-Fiction Cinema,
The Geographies of Cinema: Scales, Flows.

Semester 1b:
Adaption Theory and Practice,
Arts and Brain in Culture,
Capita Selecta in Arts Education,
Music, Theatre and Sound,
Rethinking Classical Music Concert,
Public Cultural Policy in Global Context,
Voices of Women in Music,
New Film History,
The Beautiful in Film,
Film Festivals.

Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Arts and the Public Sphere (5 EC)
Optional Course 1 (5 EC, optional)
Optional Course 2 (5 EC, optional)
The Global/Local Cultural Leader (5 EC)
Arts Sociology (5 EC)
Public Cultural Policy in Global Context (5 EC)
Ma Placement/Tutorial (10 EC)
Master's Thesis (20 EC)
Programme options
Master's Placement (specialization)

This Master's track includes an optional work placement for which you are awarded ECTS credit points.

It is your responsibility to find a placement yourself, but the Office for Student Affairs can offer help with this where necessary.

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is optional
Entry requirements

Transfer options

Transferring from...

Study programmeOrganizationTransition
Arts, Culture and MediaUniversity of GroningenNo additional requirements
American StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track

Communication and Information StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track

English Language and CultureUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track

European Languages and CulturesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track

History (part-time)University of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track

Media StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track

Minorities & MultilingualismUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track

Dutch Language and CultureUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track

Study programmeOrganizationTransition
Arts, Culture and MediaAll Research universitiesNo additional requirements

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Students with a Bachelor's degree in Arts, Culture and Media are directly admissible to this Master's track. University of Groningen students with a BA in:

  • American Studies
  • Communication & Information Sciences
  • Dutch Languages and Cultures
  • English Language and Culture
  • European Languages and Cultures
  • History
  • Media Studies
  • Minorities & Multilingualism

with a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track, are also admissible to this Master's track.

Students with a Bachelor's degree in a related field, such as Arts Philosophy, Arts Sociology, Arts Policy, Film, Music, Theatre or Literature, are welcome to apply to the track. The Admissions Board will assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific track requirements, and will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies.

language test

Additional requirements English: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items). Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a minimum score of 180.

Registration procedure

Please use this step-by-step guide for more information regarding your eligibility and your specific application procedure.

After you complete your application, the Admissions Board will assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific programme requirements, and will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies.

The Admissions Board will then determine whether:

  • direct admission is possible
  • a student has to complete a pre-Master's programme first
  • a student cannot be admitted

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students15 August 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Students with a Bachelor's degree in Arts, Culture and Media are directly admissible to this Master's track. University of Groningen students with a BA in:

  • American Studies
  • Communication & Information Sciences
  • Dutch Languages and Cultures
  • English Language and Culture
  • European Languages and Cultures
  • History
  • Media Studies
  • Minorities & Multilingualism

with a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track, are also admissible to this Master's track.

Students with a Bachelor's degree in a related field, such as Arts Philosophy, Arts Sociology, Arts Policy, Film, Music, Theatre or Literature, are welcome to apply to the track. The Admissions Board will assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific track requirements, and will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies.

language test

Additional requirements English: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items). Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a minimum score of 180.

Registration procedure

Please use this step-by-step guide for more information regarding your eligibility and your specific application procedure.

After you complete your application, the Admissions Board will assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific programme requirements, and will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies.

The Admissions Board will then determine whether:

  • direct admission is possible
  • a student has to complete a pre-Master's programme first
  • a student cannot be admitted

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students15 August 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 18700full-time

Practical information for:

After your studies

Job examples

  • Professional organiser, manager, marketing or publicity agent
  • Public policy official
  • Cultural entrepreneur
  • Independent consultant
  • Event organizer
Research

Research focuses on the organization of production, dissemination and contextualization of arts in the public sphere. Moreover, research opportunities include questions regarding public arts policies of local, national and international authorities. The Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track is linked to the Arts and the Public Sphere Theme Group of the Research Centre Arts in Society

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NL Scholarships

The University of Groningen offers NL Scholarships to international students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who want to do their master’s in the Netherlands. Read more on the NL Scholarships and on how to apply.
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Study associations

IK

IK is the study association of Arts, Culture and Media at the University of Groningen. IK organizes various study-related activities and aims to create an atmosphere in which students can study successfully. Activities organized by IK include an introduction camp, a careers week and a trip abroad.
https://studyassociationik.com/
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Student profile

The Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track is suited for students who are interested in devising strategies to sustain and enhance the role of film and audiovisual art, music, theatre and performance art, literature and visual arts in the public sphere. They may aim to becoming art managers or marketers, policy officers or cultural entrepreneurs. Preferably, you have a background in one or two art disciplines but are acquainted with sociological theory as well.