This track studies the role of the arts in culture from a multi-disciplinary perspective, drawing on cognitive sciences, hermeneutics, narrative & critical theory, discourse analysis & arts sociology.
Culture can be understood as a complex cognitive process through which humans articulate and negotiate their individual and collective consciousness, identities, values and understanding of the world. The arts have always played an important part in this process.
The interdisciplinary Arts, Cognition and Criticism track focuses on how culture is transmitted, innovated and critiqued through the arts, with course topics such as: the arts and reflective imagination; value-negotiation through storytelling; or social and political functions of the arts. Students are trained in methods from the cognitive sciences, hermeneutics, narrative and critical theory, discourse analysis and art sociology. They develop a keen theory-based insight into the role of the arts in cultural dynamics, and hands-on capacities for critical analysis and interpretation of art-works, debates and developments in the arts, in connection to their social background.
Our enthusiastic staff has an international research reputation and excellent connections to arts and culture institutions. This makes this an attractive track for students who want to work or pursue their research in the arts and culture field.
The ACC track in Groningen offers:
During the first semester you acquire core theories, methods and concepts to study the role of the arts in culture. 20 ECTS must be chosen from the core courses in the programme which include Arts and the Public Sphere; Mimesis, Narrative and Identity; Media, Materials and Makers; Applied Cultural Criticism; Art and Knowledge; and Capita Selecta in Arts Education. Alongside this you choose one or two electives (10EC total), one of which must be outside of the core courses in the programme.
In the second semester, you demonstrate your knowledge and research skills in a thesis and prepare for the professional world in a placement.
Elective courses from the other tracks include:
Block 1a: Music and Sound in Times of Ecological Crisis; Dramaturgy; Melodrama as Genre and Mode; The Global/Local Cultural Leader; Music, Theatre, and Sound; Performance Mediality and Materiality; Digital Film Forensics; Popular Music Journalism;
Block 1b: Music Careers, Industries and Lives; Adaptation Theory and Practice; Contemporary Film Aesthetics; Public Cultural Policy in Global Context; Popular Music, Politics and Resistance; Visualizing Classical Music in the Digital Age; Arts and Wellbeing; Musical Theatre: Popular Approaches to Song, Stage, and Screen
Full Semester (10 ECTS) Courses: Geographies of Film and Festivals
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Arts and the Public Sphere (5 EC) | ||||
| Mimesis, Narrative and Identity (5 EC) | ||||
| Optional course 1 (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Media, Materials, Makers: Art and/as Research (10 EC, optional) | ||||
| Applied Cultural Criticism (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Art and Knowledge (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Capita Selecta in Arts Education (5 EC) | ||||
| Optional course 2 (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Ma Internship (10 EC) | ||||
| Master's Thesis (20 EC) | ||||
This is a one-year MA track (60 EC). In semester 1 you follow:
4 20 EC from the programme core courses; 5 EC from the other tracks within the Arts and Culture MA program (Music, Theatre and Performance Studies; Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media; Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship). 5 EC either from the programme core or other tracks
In semester 2 you write your MA thesis (20 EC) and finish with an internship/traineeship (10 EC). The latter can be replaced by ano
| 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. |
Students are encouraged to do their placement (which may also consist of additional courses) in an international context.
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Culture and Media | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| American Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track |
| Communication and Information Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track |
| English Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track |
| European Languages and Cultures | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track |
| History (part-time) | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track |
| Media Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track |
| Minorities & Multilingualism | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track |
| Dutch Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Culture and Media | All Research universities | No additional requirements |
| Specific requirements | More 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:
with a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Cogniton and Criticism track, are also admissible to this Master's track. Students with a Bachelor's degree in a related field 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. |
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:
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 15 August 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| Specific requirements | More 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:
with a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship 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. |
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:
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 15 August 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| Nationality | Year | Fee | Programme form |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA | 2024-2025 | € 2530 | full-time |
| non-EU/EEA | 2024-2025 | € 18700 | full-time |
| EU/EEA | 2025-2026 | € 2601 | full-time |
| non-EU/EEA | 2025-2026 | € 19200 | full-time |
Practical information for:
In the ACC MA programme you have been trained as a generalist. The programme provides you with the academic knowledge and skills required for a variety of jobs in the cultural field.
You may think about working as a culture journalist, critic, or host in a variety of media, doing consulting work in organizations for arts and culture education, contributing to cultural policy development on various levels of government, or facilitating art and artists in both profit and non-profit organizations. If you want to pursue an academic career, you apply for a research master's programme.
In recent decades, the arts have undergone radical transformations and rapidly adapted to late-capitalist phenomena such as globalisation, digitisation and the democratisation of creative channels. Due to the increasing influence of culture and the creative industry within the world's expanding urban metropolises, notions of artistic autonomy, forcefully promoted in the 19th century, have re-emerged in philosophical and ideological discourse.
In light of this, the position of the arts in society demands new form of conceptualisation, definition and legitimatisation.
The Research Centre Arts in Society examines these transformations as well as the emerging values surrounding the arts and their role in society.
The Research Centre for Arts in Society currently hosts seven theme groups:
- Arts and Institutional Change
- Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media
- Arts, Narrative, and Cognition
- Beyond Horizons in Cultural Transfer
- The Objects of Art & Architecture
For more information visit our Research Centre Arts in Society page
Students with a BA in theatre/performance, music, film, literature and/or fine arts studies can apply to this Master track; students with another BA who have a marked interest for studying the arts can apply; their eligibility will be assessed by the department.
Our ideal students
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.
