Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
Education Master's and PhD degree programmes Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media
Header image Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media

Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media

From the canonical to the cutting-edge, the profound to the playful: the current film world is as diverse and critically engaging as ever. So is our Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media MA track.

It equips you to join high-level conversations about timely and fascinating issues. There will always be a “next big thing” in the world of cinema, and we welcome our inspired students to discover it with us.

In this one-year Master’s track, you will work closely with our international faculty, whose collective expertise includes phenomenological and cognitive film theory, digital film forensics, queer film studies, post-colonial and settler colonial studies, film festival research, screen acting studies, media anthropology, and more. Our graduates are ready to leave their mark on the next chapters of film history, both inside and outside of academia.

Our track is unique in its combination of research-driven seminars, the research resources of a worldwide Top 100 university, and the extensive networks of internship opportunities in major film and media institutions. The Master offers a relevant (inter)national internship network. This track will therefore be attractive to students who want to deepen their knowledge of film, swiftly transition into the professional world, and pursue a career in the arts and media sector.

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter pages for more information on our track, including the current lineup of screenings, talks, and other special events.

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?
  • stimulating international student environment with a lively cinema-going culture;
  • theoretically strong department working on the latest developments in audiovisual culture;
  • wide range of courses on cognitive film theory, film-phenomenology, media-archeology, narratology, documentary theory, film festivals, and spatial approaches to film;
  • team of motivated international staff members collaborating across national and disciplinary boundaries;
  • Film Archive & Media Archaeology Lab (embedded in the University) with links to international networks of film archives, museums and media labs.
Programme

In the first semester the students follow courses for 30 ECTS. Here a minimum of 20 ECTS come from the Contemporary Film and Audiovisual Media track. The remaining ECTS can be chosen from the other 3 tracks within the Arts and Culture MA programme. 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 an additional course in the second semester.

Optional courses from the other tracks:

Semester 1a: Arts and the Public Sphere, 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.

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.

Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Digital Film Forensics (5 EC)
Non-Fiction Cinema (5 EC)
Optional course 1 (5 EC, optional)
The Geographies of Cinema: Scales, Flows (5 EC)
Film Festivals (5 EC)
New Film History (5 EC)
Optional course 2 (5 EC, optional)
The Beautiful in Film (5 EC)
Ma Internship (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
  • Maximum of 30 EC

This track invites students to go on exchange during their second semester, with partner universities such as Freie Universität Berlin (GER), Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne (FRA), the Universities of Gothenburg, Lund, and Stockholm (SWE), University of Aarhus (DK) the Universities of Bradford, Durham, and Leicester (UK), ELTE University Budapest (H), the Universities of Milan, and Udine (I), University of Pretoria and University of the Free State South Africa, UNAM Mexico, and other universities.

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, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media track

Communication and Information StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media track

English Language and CultureUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media track

European Languages and CulturesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media track

History (part-time)University of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media track

Media StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media track

Minorities & MultilingualismUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media track

Dutch Language and CultureUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media 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, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media 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: 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 202401 September 2024
15 August 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 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, Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media 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 202401 September 2024
15 August 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2023-2024€ 2314full-time
non-EU/EEA2023-2024€ 16000full-time
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 18700full-time

Practical information for:

After your studies

Job prospects

Alumni of this track have found jobs in a wide array of fields. Some job examples:

  • Event and collection management in film and television museums (Eye Film Institute, Sound and Vision)
  • Film curating, (freelance) film and art reviewing, newspaper and magazine journalism (Filmkrant)
  • Film festival organizing and programming (Movies That Matter, IDFA, NFF, IVA, Flicks, Kino Klandestino, Zienemaan, etc.)
  • Practical film-making

There are other employment possibilities such as a position at a media company or in the advertisement and commercial field. Prior students have also begun their own successful arts organisations, advice bureaus, or research institutions in the field of arts, culture, and event organisations.

Beyond these, we are particularly proud of our success rate in acquiring PhD grants.

Job examples

  • Film critic
  • Cultural Journalist
  • Media Curator
  • Film Archivist
  • Researcher
  • Art Event Organizer
Research
Art, Medium, and Moving Images
Art, Medium, and Moving Images

The program of our MA track is closely related to the individual research expertise of its staff members. For information about research projects our film staff is working on, please visit the individual pages:

Apply nowBrochureEventsContact

Contact

  • Ask Your Question Here (please fill in this contact form, we will answer you as soon as possible.)
  • Dr. Julian Hanich
    Email: j.hanich rug.nl
    Telephone: +31-(0)50 363 8138
  • Dr. Annie van den Oever
    Email: a.m.a.van.den.oever rug.nl
    Telephone: +31-(0)50 363 5866
  • Drs. Lucia van Heteren (Study advisor)
    Email: l.d.m.e.van.heteren rug.nl
  • Admission Office (Contact form)

The film MA can be used as a kaleidoscope: I myself looked through it to discover the various facets, forms, and tints that define hands-on experiences when fuelled by academic insights.

The MA in Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media helped me to find the right balance between academic studies and creative work. The MA shaped my intellectual and academic inclinations whilst constantly encouraging me to use this knowledge for the investigation of hands-on experiences. This duality reached its peak during my theoretical and practical internship at the EYE Film Institute where I unpacked apparatuses and shot a documentary about editing tables. My fascination with creative work was fuelled by the academic insights I achieved during the courses which are tailored to fit interdisciplinarity. All the more so, my paper proposals and creative interests have always been supported by teachers and supervisors with fruitful feedback sessions.

Read more

The staff was most approachable and helped me to develop my own ideas, elevating them to a level I had previously not thought possible

If you're looking to study Film from a multidisciplinary perspective aided by expert teachers challenging you to develop your own ideas, I can highly recommend the Film and Media Studies program in Groningen. I highly valued the interaction between students and staff. In my experience, the staff was most approachable and helped me to develop my own ideas, elevating them to a level I had previously not thought possible.

The FCAM programme in Groningen encourages students to pursue an internship. I would highly recommend future students to complete an internship as it will complement your theoretical knowledge with some indispensable practical skills you will need when you start your job hunt. And of course, getting your foot in the door is half the battle!

Read more

Studying film in Groningen gives you so many opportunities to broaden and/or deepen your interest in the field

Studying film in Groningen gives you so many opportunities to broaden and/or deepen your interest in the field. Attending the Summer Film School in Antwerp, volunteering at the university's film archive and enjoying the support of dedicated staff members really helped channel my career orientation.

Read more

This programme is unique in the Netherlands

Since I have always been interested in film, arts in general, culture, and history, the choice to study film at the Arts, Culture and Media department at the University of Groningen was an easy one to make. This track is unique in The Netherlands because it provides a multi- and interdisciplinary perspective on the study of arts and its contexts.

Read more

University of Groningen Orange Tulip Scholarship/Talent Grant Faculty of Arts

Are you a non-EU/EEA student from Russia, India or Indonesia, starting a Master's programme at the Faculty of Arts? If so, you could qualify for the University of Groningen OTS/Talent Grant, Faculty of Arts, a partial scholarship which helps you to finance your studies.

Read more about the OTS/Talent Grant Faculty of Arts.

Read more

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/
Read more
Student profile

This programme suits students who have studied film, audiovisual media, or arts-related perspectives (media studies, cultural studies, arts history, arts sociology, arts philosophy, arts cognition) in their Bachelor programme.

Study support

If you have any questions or doubts about your studies, you can always contact the study advisor. He or she knows the ins and outs of the programme and can assist with your academic planning. Study advisors are impartial and everything discussed with them is treated confidentially. They can also help connect you with the necessary persons or departments to resolve your problems.