The Media Studies: Digital Cultures programme is unique in The Netherlands in that it combines digital media studies and digital humanities providing you with a thorough grounding in key theories, methods, user practices, and skills for a wide range of professions after your studies.

We provide you with opportunities to work, not simply on assignments, but on real-world problems and projects, often in team settings. We teach not only in a problem-based environment, but extend this to project-based learning.  You will be trained to become both a media researcher and an active player in contemporary digital society.

You will also develop expertise by investigating questions such as:

• How do new technologies affect the media landscape and society at large?
• How Web 2.0 approaches to the development of online content change user expectations and practices?
• Where do we draw the line between reality and the virtual world?
• What are the ethical, methodological, theoretical, and practical issues regarding the (re)presentation of the analogue into the digital?

What will you learn:

In tutorial groups of approximately 15 students, you will seek solutions to tackle concrete, real-world issues, problems and scenarios in digital cultures. Topics such as user participation, hacking, net activism, virtuality, design thinking, maker culture, collaborative problem solving, digital storytelling and narratives, archiving, digital collections, 3D (re)creation, and sharing practices are explored.

Teachers act as facilitators, providing assistance if needed allowing you to develop the independence and problem-solving skills that you will need in the field.

The programme has a broad and interdisciplinary theoretical foundation, focussing on five core disciplines:

• Media Studies
• Digital Humanities
• Philosophy of Technology
• Aesthetics
• Digital Sociology

The programme melds theory and digital research skills through a variety of modalities, including hands-on skills training, group projects, scenarios and case studies. You can further develop your professional skills if you choose to write your master’s thesis in combination with an internship.

Skills training:

The Media Studies: Digital Cultures programme also teaches you media and technology skills within contextualised, practice-based settings so you can be an active participant in the new media landscape.

Under the guidance of our staff, you will:

• Create your own professional blog via course assignments throughout the year
• Present research for a broader audience via the creation of digital collections, podcasts, and your blog
• Work with international teams on research and production
• Learn and put into practice design thinking and project management skills
• Learn technologies to create 3D artefacts
• Create a video documentary
• Create an app-based soundscape