Education Research Current Organisation and Cooperation NL
Login as
Prospective student Student Employee
Bachelor Master VU for Professionals
Exchange programme VU Graduate Winter School Honours programme VU-NT2 Semester in Amsterdam
PhD at VU Amsterdam Research highlights Prizes and distinctions
Research institutes Our scientists Research Impact Support Portal Creating impact
News Events calendar Energy in transition
Israël and Palestinian regions Women at the top Culture on campus
Practical matters Mission and core values Entrepreneurship on VU Campus
Organisation Partnerships Alumni University Library Working at VU Amsterdam
Sorry! De informatie die je zoekt, is enkel beschikbaar in het Engels.
This programme is saved in My Study Choice.
Something went wrong with processing the request.
Something went wrong with processing the request.

Shape your vision about culture

Learn to look, see more. What is relevant in visual culture today? How do images and objects, media and technologies shape how we view ourselves, others, and our environment? Which stories, people, places, and things do we remember, and why do we forget others?

Media, Art, Design and Architecture is an interdisciplinary programme that integrates four fields of study. In the first year, students follow all courses together. By the second year, you are prepared to choose one of the four specialisations: media, art, design or architecture. In the third year, in preparation of your thesis, you broaden or deepen your disciplinary knowledge. Besides following courses, you can study a semester abroad, take an internship or choose a minor. 

Cultural expressions

This structure offers a broad theoretical-methodological foundation and a historical understanding of how cultural expressions come into being. You will develop a critical perspective on the effects of culture on society and on our planet. This enables you to critically explore cultural practices, transforming you into an insightful and informed actor in the cultural field.

Chance to meet artists

You will go on field trips, visit museums and creative incubators, with the chance to meet artists, curators, filmmakers, and designers. How do local creative scenes interact with other parts of the world? And how do global developments affect culture locally? Media, Art, Design, and Architecture opens doors for you to experience and understand these developments academically. Note that this is not a practice-based bachelor.

Starting in 2021, students may choose to follow Media, Art, Design and Architecture entirely in English. For the programme overview and course descriptions, take a look at our study guide.

Choose a specialisation

Media

Media are everywhere. From traditional audiovisual media like film and TV to digital networks, streaming platforms and your personal smartphones, media affect all aspects of private and public life. They deeply influence how we create, consume and comprehend society and culture.

Art

With its age-old traditions and its innovative power, art is a vital influence in culture - from the canonized ‘masterpieces’ of Western tradition to contemporary installation, performance and digital art from all over the globe. Artists can both challenge our view of the world and actively participate in shaping society. Art uses all forms of media, and complements the design of our built environment.

Design

From the chair you sit on to one in a museum, from the graphic design of your Zoom backdrop to the clothes you wear, design is everywhere. As such, design both shapes—and is shaped by—the world we live in.

Architecture

Architecture is all around us, from the house you live in to the park you spend an afternoon in. Our spatial environment has been designed over time by people with specific ideas about society. Understanding why and how we live the way we do, is at the core of architecture.

Change your future! Take the Bachelor’s in Media, Art, Design, and Architecture (MKDA-EN)

Change your future! Take the Bachelor’s in Media, Art, Design, and Architecture (MKDA-EN)

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from the MKDA-EN programme, you can continue your education by pursuing one of the master's programmes offered by the VU or another university. Alternatively, as a graduate in Art and Culture, you can work in a wide range of fields. You might work as a program maker or an editor for television, or in the production of new media. You can work in museums, auction houses, or as a consultant or assistant researcher at a design institute, in the field of monument preservation, or in spatial planning.

Explore your future prospects
Student in a square with other people in the background

Quick links

Homepage Culture on campus VU Sports Centre Dashboard

Study

Academic calendar Study guide Timetable Canvas

Featured

VUfonds VU Magazine Ad Valvas

About VU

Contact us Working at VU Amsterdam Faculties Divisions
Privacy Disclaimer Veiligheid Webcolofon Cookies Webarchief

Copyright © 2024 - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam