Media and Information

The Bachelor's in Media and Information is dedicated to the exploration of digital culture and today’s ubiquitous forms of information. The programme provides you with the skills necessary to engage with contemporary themes such as surveillance, big data, digital archiving, citizen journalism, and the metrification of everyday life.

Media and Information in today's digital world 

In their private lives and as citizens or professionals, people constantly produce and use information. Contemporary life is shaped by ever more complex information technologies and an intensifying information economy. Information has become central to the arts, humanities, creative industries, journalism, and government and administration. Media and Information provides you with advanced conceptual and practical tools to understand the shifts in culture and society brought about by the constant transformation of the media.

Is Media and Information right for you?

Media and Information is the ideal programme if you:

• Want to understand how social media platforms, mobile devices, organisations, and their institutional and political frameworks shape our culture through the production, distribution, and use of information.
• Have a broad interest in the relationship between culture and technology.
• Want to learn the latest tools and methodologies which enable you to explore how information travels.

Why study Media and Information at the UvA?

Media and Information at the University of Amsterdam offers you:

• A world-class education: the UvA is ranked 1st in the world for Media Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2018.
• A cutting-edge, tailor-made programme that combines the most recent developments in the field, while offering students the freedom to choose their own area of specialisation.
• A hands-on and practical education: in addition to conceptual and critical capabilities, the programme teaches you applied research skills.
• The chance to conduct research about digital media in our state-of-the-art medialab, and employ the most advanced digital research methods, information systems, and software tools.
• An ambitious international environment: You will discuss the global media landscape with leading experts from all over the world, and an international student community.
• Strong ties with the thriving Amsterdam community of new media companies, digital art institutions, creative industries, game and app developers, archives, and museums.
• Impressive career prospects: Graduates go on to work in journalism, advertising, and media sectors, and hold positions as project managers, data analysts, and developers in museums, libraries, archives, the creative industry, and other commercial companies.
• After completing your Bachelor's, you can apply to one of UvA's many Master's programmes.

Media and Information

This programme provides you with the skills necessary to engage with contemporary themes such as surveillance, big data, digital archiving, citizen journalism and the metrification of everyday life.

Programme structure

Media and Information is a three-year Bachelor’s degree of 180 ECTS credits. An academic year accounts for 60 credits that are spread across two semesters, with each comprising two 8-week blocks and a 4-week block.

• In the first year of the programme, you will be introduced to the basic concepts of Media Studies and the most important features of contemporary media.
• In the second year, you will choose to major in one of two specialisations: Information Cultures or New Media and Digital Culture.
• In the third year, you may choose from a range of electives or opt for another specialisation in the form of a minor. You can also decide to study abroad for a semester or do an internship.

The first year

The first year of the programme offers a broad, general overview of the entire discipline of Media Studies.

• You will learn how we constantly interact with and through digital media in our everyday lives.
• You will take courses covering a broad range of topics and introducing you to the basic concepts of Media Studies and the most important features of contemporary media.
• From the start, you will have the opportunity to choose the topics that most interest you.
• You will explore and analyse contemporary issues in media studies in small, research-oriented seminars.

The second year

At the start of the second year of the programme, you will choose to major in one of two specialisations:

• Information Cultures
• New Media and Digital Cultures

1. Information cultures

We live our lives in an information culture. We spend our time informing others, being informed, sending information, being categorised by our information, having our information bought, sold and stolen. Most of us own various devices that are designed to create, access, store and share information. But how does all this work, and what are the consequences of all this information in culture?

Information Cultures is dedicated to the study of media and society through its information fabric and information practices.  It is centred on the application of scientific research methods to the digital, using data-driven research tools and methods. It fully embraces computational tools, not only as objects of study, but as a powerful tool for research and analysis.

The programme consists of three closely connected areas:

• Principled research: You study modern information practices aiming for a fundamental understanding of the underlying principles, capturing key concepts, problems and models that may date back to the analogue age or even to centuries ago.

• Scientific methods: You learn a wide range of empirical research methods, enabling you to measure key aspects of media, information use, its users and the impact on them, as well as to extract meaningful patterns and insights from massive datasets.

• Coding and open data:  You explore coding from a Humanities’ perspective, addressing the principles of programming and providing you with the computational means to manage, process and interrogate data as well as the digital skills to design custom-built research tools or other applications.

2. New Media and Digital Culture

Digital media are by now ubiquitous and pervasive: mobile media keep us constantly connected, and wherever we go we retrieve, generate, and transmit data, often without being aware of this. The rise of digital media has had profound effects on the way we work, communicate, act, and think. Digital media have also brought new cultural artefacts, as well as new methods for gathering and processing massive amounts of data.

The New Media and Digital Culture track is dedicated to the critical study of the impact of digital media on culture and society.

The programme consists of three closely connected areas:

• Critical digital cultures and media theory: You study media theories and histories and transformations in culture and society brought about by digital media, web and mobile cultures, locative media, ubiquitous computing and digital aesthetics. Some of the topics are new artistic and cultural forms, such as the digital book, smart cities and media genealogies.
• Digital methods: You will explore the possibilities for research into online data cultures and, in particular, the potential of platforms and search engines for cultural, artistic, and empirical research interventions. This component focuses on ‘digitally-born’ objects like hyperlinks, tags, ‘like’ buttons and tweets, as well as on specific digital methods, techniques and strategies such as folksonomies and crowdsourcing.
• Practical: The programme also comprises a strong practical component, because knowledge of and experience with web culture and the ability to study and use web-based applications like blogs, wikis, and software tools are considered as critical skills for academic digital media experts.

The third year

In the third year of the programme, you can tailor the programme to your own interests.

• You can choose to specialise in a second major, opt for a minor in a related field or an altogether different discipline, or take electives in a wide range of subjects.
• You also have the opportunity to use your elective credits to study abroad or do an internship for a semester.

Learning and assessment

As a Bachelor’s student, you are expected to spend an average of 42 hours a week on your studies.

• In your first year, 12 to 15 of those hours will be spent attending lectures, while in your second and third years you will have approximately 8 to 10 hours of class.
• The remaining time will be spent on self-study, preparing for lectures and seminars, completing coursework and assignments, as well as exams.
• You will attend both lectures and small group seminars.
• Lectures generally introduce the main topics of the course, discussing and explaining course readings and literature.
• In the seminars, you will work closely with your fellow students, collaborating on assignments, presentations and talks.
• You will be tested by means of written and oral exams, presentations, essays, reports and assignments.
• Your final grade for a course is determined by the results you receive for each of these.

Prior education

• Studying with a foreign diploma at the University of Amsterdam means that a student's preparatory education must be equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma, with English included in the final examination.
• The starting level of a regular study programme at Dutch universities is comparable to that of other European countries, which is usually one or two years higher than in most countries outside of Europe.
• A student's diploma or certificate from prior education will be compared with the list of country qualifications that has been drawn up by the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Nuffic).

Required documents

In this application you will need to indicate your previous education and upload all of the required documents:

• Final secondary school/higher education diplomas and grade lists obtained;
• Proof of recent results (if you are still attending a programme);
• Official translations in English or Dutch if the diploma and/or transcripts are not already in English, Dutch or German;
• A sufficient English test result, if required and already available. If your results are insufficient, do not upload this test, but send another one at a later date;
• A curriculum vitae;
• UvA Matching form.

What is it?

UvA Matching for international students is an introduction to the Bachelor’s programme for which you have applied. It is designed to help you assess whether you have chosen the right programme, through a combination of online activities such as assignments, reading course literature and/or making a test. The activities may differ per programme.

Once you have completed these activities, you will receive personal advice based on your test results. This will help you determine whether the Bachelor’s programme matches your interests and capabilities and whether you have the motivation and study skills to start the programme in September.

After submitting your enrolment application in Studielink you will receive more information on UvA Matching for international students.

English language requirements

All our international programmes are conducted in English, therefore, applicants must show their ability to write and speak in English on an academic level. Students with a Bachelor’s degree from a Dutch university and students who successfully finished a full academic programme at an esteemed institute in one of the following countries are exempt: UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Please note we only accept the TOEFL Test, the test of the International English Language Testing Service (Academic IELTS) or a Cambridge Examination Score. For Non-EU/EEA students the required English test result should be received on or before 1 February in the year of application by the International Team at the Faculty of Science. If this in any case is not possible, contact the International Team first, before applying. For EU/EEA students the deadline of submitting the test results is 1 July.

TOEFL Test

The minimum scores required on the TOEFL Test are:

• Internet-based test (iBT): 92 with a minimum of 20 on each subject
  
  Exceptions:
• Artificial Intelligence, Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Information Studies: 98, with a minimum of 22 for reading and listining and 24 for writing and speaking
• Software Engineering: 98 with a minimum of 22 on each subject

Please note the TOEFL-code for the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam is: 8628. 

 IELTS Test (only Academic IELTS is accepted)

• Minimum score 6.5, at least 6.0 on sub-scores (listening/reading/writing/speaking). 

Exceptions

• Artificial Intelligence,  Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Information Studies> minimum score 7.0, sub-scores on writing and speaking at least 7.0, sub-scores on listening and reading at least 6.5 
• Software Engineering > minimum score 7.0, at least 6.5 on each sub-score (listening/reading/writing/speaking)
• The UvA offers the IELTS test for free to current UvA students to assess their English language proficiency.    

Cambridge Examination Score

A Cambridge Examination Score with a minimum test result of C1 Advanced (CAE) A or B will also be accepted. For the C2 Proficiency test (CPE) a minimal score of C is required.

Nuffic Certificate for Chinese students

Chinese applicants are required to take an IELTS test or the TOEFL (Internet-based test only). These are the only two tests accepted by the Nuffic, which provides certificates to all Chinese students who wish to study in the Netherlands.

Please note there are some differences between the TOEFL and IELTS test. Available practice material, test dates, prices and locations differ per country.

Paying the tuition fee is an important step in completing your enrolment. Other costs to keep in mind when planning your university budget include housing, living expenses, and learning materials such as books, stationary and a laptop.

Study costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you will need to include a number of other study costs in your budget. Think of books, stationary, excursions, a laptop or other equipment. These costs vary per programme, but academic books and study materials will usually cost you between €50-100 per month.

Living costs

Keep in mind that living in Amsterdam also includes costs such as accommodation, food and public transport.

Faculty of Humanities

Information about scholarships, loans and grants for Bachelor’s students at the Humanities Faculty of the University of Amsterdam.

Holland Scholarship (HS)

For: students from outside the European Union (EU)
Amount: €5,000
Deadline: 1 April

Application procedure

If you are applying for a Humanities Bachelor's programme and would also like to apply for the Holland Scholarship, you can submit your application in the form below. As part of your application you will need to include the following documents (combined in one PDF):

• CV including extracurricular activities, work and study experience;
• transcript of your academic record from secondary and higher education;
• motivational letter of +/- 500 words in which you explain your reasons for applying for the Holland Scholarship;
• two reference letters.

Please note that you can only submit the form if you have already applied for one of the Humanities Bachelor's programmes in Studielink.