BA Arts, Culture & Media [Music]Add to shortlist

Programme profile

What is the role of the arts in society? How does media influence artistic practices and reception contexts? How do individuals, communities and institutions interact with and evaluate the arts?

These are some of the issues addressed by the Arts, Culture, and Media Department. Within the programme, students approach these questions by acquiring an historical and aesthetic understanding of an arts corpus while also examining the arts in their relevant cultural and social contexts. The programme will give you a thorough grounding in contemporary theoretical and methodological approaches in the study of the arts.

During the programme, students specialise [Major] in either Film or Music. In the Music major, students learn to identify the aesthetic, historical and formal qualities connected to various music genres from baroque to jazz and from musique concrète to EDM. The programme provides an overview of relevant theoretical models, drawing in particular from the disciplines of cultural studies, ethnomusicology, musicology, media studies, and theories of race, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity.

Individually, and in groups, students engage in research projects that expose them to local, national, and international music cultures and phenomena. Here, they investigate the changing processes guiding music's mediation and institutionalization in the twenty first century. Within the programme, students  study both popular and classical music. Ultimately music majors complete a curriculum comprised of six music modules, five integrated arts courses and two courses that foreground one academic framework (criticism, policy, or education).

Programme content

In the first year you are given an overview of the history of the arts in society, from prehistoric times to today. You are introduced to the social function of the arts, while also developing your  academic skills in writing and research. In the second semester, you choose two of the five arts disciplines. You also engage with arts philosophies relevant for the contemporary arts world.

The second year focuses more intently upon your arts specialisations. You study the history and theory of your major subject while also choosing one of three arts frameworks related to the contemporary professional world: 1. Arts Policy and Management 2. Arts Education or 3. Arts Analysis and Criticism. You also receive an introduction to the philosophical background of your major , acquiring a more theoretical understanding of it.

In your third year, you write your bachelors thesis, combining a topic related to your chosen major and professional framework. You design your plan in September, but the bulk of your research occurs during the second semester. In the first semester, you attend two courses: one in the area of your major and the other related to your framework. The remaining courses can be chosen from electives or a tutorial. You also have the choice of an internship or a semester abroad

Entry Requirements