How do cities remember? How do buildings, spaces, and artworks carry cultural meaning? And how can we responsibly shape the urban environments of tomorrow?
Study Architecture, Urbanism & Cultural Heritage in Amsterdam
How do we make sense of the spaces we live in? How do buildings, streets, and cultural landmarks reflect changing values and identities? At VU Amsterdam, you can explore these questions from multiple perspectives — historical, artistic, social and spatial.
Through our English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programmes, you’ll develop a critical understanding of how culture, design, and heritage shape the world around us — and how they continue to evolve.
Amsterdam as a Context for Learning
VU Amsterdam’s location offers opportunities to connect theory and practice. From heritage sites and museums to contemporary architecture and city planning, Amsterdam encourages observation and reflection. These programmes help you understand how cultural meanings are produced — not only in institutions, but also in everyday spaces.
Explore These Programmes
During the interdisciplinary Bachelor's in Media, Art, Design and Architecture (MADA) programme, you will learn to analyse how visual culture — from buildings to digital media — influences how we live and relate to space. You’ll study past and present forms of expression, and how they connect with broader social and cultural developments.
The Master's in Arts and Culture programme allows you to focus on heritage, design, art and architecture through one of several specialisations. Whether your interest lies in museum studies, contemporary art, or the built environment, you’ll engage with timely questions about identity, memory, and cultural representation.
But if you’re interested in pursuing academic research, the Research Master's in Humanities offers advanced training in methods and theories relevant to architecture, cultural history, and spatial thinking. You’ll work closely with researchers and develop your research focus within a small-scale learning environment.
Why Choose Architecture, Urbanism & Cultural Heritage at VU Amsterdam?
- You’ll study in Amsterdam — a city with deep historical layers and ongoing urban change.
- The programmes invite reflection, curiosity, and analytical thinking rather than one-track solutions.
- You’ll engage with real-world examples and case studies, while also critically examining what heritage means in various contexts.
- Lecturers bring together expertise in art history, design, spatial theory, urban studies and heritage policy.
- There is space to shape your academic focus within the broader theme.
What You'll Learn
- How buildings and spaces reflect cultural values and societal change
- Theories of urban transformation, memory and spatial identity
- Methods in visual and spatial analysis, historiography, and design thinking
- The ethics and politics of preserving (or transforming) heritage sites
- Interdisciplinary research skills for academic and professional careers
Start Your Journey in a City Where History Meets Innovation
Amsterdam is a UNESCO heritage site, a design capital, and a dynamic hub of cultural transformation. From historic canal houses to post-industrial regeneration, it offers countless case studies for students of architecture, urbanism, and heritage.
Applications open in October. Don't miss out on our upcoming Online Open Days!
Programmes taught entirely in English
Scholarships, Housing and visa support are available for international students
