Design Cultures
Admission Requirements and Application
The Master’s programme is intended for students with an academic Bachelor’s degree in art, industrial design, architectural design, design, fashion or (visual) cultural studies.
It is also suitable for students with an academic Bachelor’s degree other disciplines of the Humanities (history, journalism, communication studies) or in anthropology or sociology. Only with a major or specialization in design, fashion, art or visual culture (equal to a minimum of 30 ECTS).
Students with a historical and theoretical interest in the broad field of design are particularly welcome
Dutch Students
Dutch students and international candidates with a Dutch degree can apply via Studielink before the 1st of May for the master programme Design Cultures under the label Kunst – en cultuurwetenschappen (Arts & Culture).
VU University Amsterdam makes use of its own VU Portal (http://vunet.vu.nl), which is linked to Studielink and allows you to upload digital copies of all the documents containing the information we need to decide whether or not you are admissible. After you have applied for the master in Studielink, the university will retrieve your application details from Studielink and prepare your VU Portal account and e-mail you the login details. Please note that this may take a couple of days. The e-mail will contain instructions on how to access your account and complete your application. The required documents to be uploaded in VU Portal are:
- Application form (in Dutch)
- Letter of Motivation
Please supply a letter (1-2 pages in length) stating your reasons for applying to the master. - Bachelor diploma(s)
- Curriculum Vitae
The curriculum vitae should include your personal details and list your previous education and relevant work experience.
Don’t forget to fill in your specialization on VUnet: Design Cultures.
Your application will be reviewed by the Faculty of Arts. The final decision on admission is made by the Examination Board of the Master's programme within 6 weeks.
A formal statement regarding admission will be sent to you by e-mail and/or by post. The statement will specify whether you have been admitted unconditionally, admitted subject to certain conditions or not admitted.
For more information on admission requirements and procedures, click here if you are a VU student, here if you have a BA from another Dutch university.
HBO students
For more information on admission if you have you have a BA from an HBO (Higher Vocational Education), click here.
Contact for Dutch students:
E: designcultures.let@vu.nl
International students and students with a foreign Bachelor/Master degree
If you would like to start a Master’s programme at the Faculty of Arts, you can apply using our online application system, using the following link. The departmental Examination Board will decide upon your admission after having officially reviewed and evaluated your diplomas/degrees. Diplomas unknown by the board will be assessed by the master coordinator in cooperation with the NUFFIC.
Admission
For general admission requirements, please check the information on the main VU website.
The Master’s Arts & Culture is designed for students with an academic Bachelor’s in either design, fashion, art or (visual) cultural studies. You may also be accepted if you have an academic Bachelor’s in other disciplines of the Humanities (history, journalism, communication studies) or in anthropology or sociology, with a major or specialization in design, fashion, art or visual culture (equal to a minimum of 30 ECTS). Students with a historical and theoretical interest in the broad field of design are particularly welcome.
For international students the level of studied academic theory needs to be based on the course description, literature list and sample of academic writing, due to a lack of distinction between applied and academic universities abroad.
You must always present official test results proving your proficiency in English. Only students who have completed a full high school or bachelor’s degree in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia may be exempted. We require a TOEFL score (score 580 paper based, score 237 computer based or score 92 internet based) or an IELTS score (score 6.5).
Deadline for international students
The application deadline for EU students is 1st May 2012. Please note that we must have received all required documents and the application fee before the deadline in order to start the evaluation process. The application deadline for non-EU students is closed, this was 1st of April.
Contact info for international students
E: master.let@vu.nl
T: + 31 (0)20 598 6429
F: + 31 (0)20 598 6500
