Art is inherently public. In this programme, you will study and reflect upon how public arts policy, arts management, arts marketing and education affect the realisation of artistic values in society.
Traditionally, the arts have been regarded as a means for representing individual and collective identities, and for the reflection on, and critical assessment of, society. Increasingly, however, the arts are regarded as entertainment (e.g. based on notions such as the 'experience economy'), or as a means for the creative development of local economies ('creative and culture industries' and 'creative class'), or as a form of social engineering.
The Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track focuses on the organizing of art and the public role of art in today's societies. Using methods from critical sociology, public policy studies, management studies, and cognitive perspectives on the arts you will learn to critically reflect upon the values that influence local and global art practices. On the basis of theory and empirical work, you will learn to analyze, criticize, and reflect upon the existing practices for art's sustenance, organization, and dissemination. You will learn to devise strategies on how the arts should be managed, marketed, and addressed by public policy agents in order to strengthen their role in society.
Studying in Groningen implies living in a culturally vibrant city of a medium size. This allows you to quickly develop an overview of the city's abundant cultural offer that we frequently use as empirical material of our courses.
In the first semester the students follow courses for 30 ECTS. Here 20 ECTS come from the Film and Audiovisual Media track. The remaining 10 ECTS can be chosen from the other 3 tracks within the Arts and Culture MA programme (Arts, Cognition and Criticism; Music, Theatre and Performance Studies; Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship).
In the second semester students write their MA thesis (20 EC) and do an internship/traineeship (10 EC). The internship can also be replaced by a course or a tutorial.
Optional courses from the other tracks:
Semester 1a:
Dramaturgy,
The Global/Local Cultural Leader,
Gender and Sexuality in Popular Music,
Performance Mediality & Materiality,
Visualizing Classical Music Experience,
Narrative, Mimesis and Identity,
Songs and Music Genres,
Digital Film Forensics,
Non-Fiction Cinema,
The Geographies of Cinema: Scales, Flows.
Semester 1b:
Adaption Theory and Practice,
Arts and Brain in Culture,
Capita Selecta in Arts Education,
Music, Theatre and Sound,
Rethinking Classical Music Concert,
Public Cultural Policy in Global Context,
Voices of Women in Music,
New Film History,
The Beautiful in Film,
Film Festivals.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Arts and the Public Sphere (5 EC) | ||||
| Optional Course 1 (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Optional Course 2 (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| The Global/Local Cultural Leader (5 EC) | ||||
| Arts Sociology (5 EC) | ||||
| Public Cultural Policy in Global Context (5 EC) | ||||
| Ma Placement/Tutorial (10 EC) | ||||
| Master's Thesis (20 EC) | ||||
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track |
| Communication and Information Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track |
| English Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track |
| European Languages and Cultures | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track |
| History (part-time) | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track |
| Media Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track |
| Minorities & Multilingualism | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track |
| Dutch Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Culture and Media | All Research universities | No additional requirements |
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 |
| 15 August 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| 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. |
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 |
| 15 August 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
Research focuses on the organization of production, dissemination and contextualization of arts in the public sphere. Moreover, research opportunities include questions regarding public arts policies of local, national and international authorities. The Arts, Policy and Cultural Entrepreneurship track is linked to the Arts and the Public Sphere Theme Group of the Research Centre Arts in Society
