Arts and Culture

Specialisations

The MA in Arts and Culture in Leiden is unique in the Netherlands for the interdisciplinary range of subjects offered and for the diversity of the optional tracks available. You learn to consider modern art and design as links between media, cultures and communities. You also discover how sculpture, architecture and visual arts were applied together in the Renaissance and Baroque periods as a means to convince the viewer.

In this programme, it is not only the art object itself that is key; the commissioner of the work and the reactions of the public also play a central role. A binding theme is the effect of works of art on the viewer and the ways in which the medium of art works contribute to this. This broad approach ensures you become familiar with different methods and allows you to connect with other disciplines such as anthropology, natural sciences, theology and gender and international studies.

You can choose from five different specialisations. It is also possible to study Arts and Culture as a two-year Research Master’s.

Reasons to choose Arts and Culture in Leiden

  1. Leiden has a unique teaching programme. Leiden is the only university in the Netherlands where you can study art in a global perspective, in the Art of the Contemporary World and World Art Studies specialisation. Leiden is also the only place where you can study design and decorative art, or art and architecture pre-1800 in their relation to one another. Art and culture are considered from their historical and their present-day perspectives: the key focus is on the impact of works of art on those who view them.
  2. You have a broad range of options. The programme is very broad. It covers art from throughout the world and almost all art forms, media and disciplines from the past and the present. You will choose a specialisation that guarantees in-depth study. Both in the general and in the research master’s you will have the opportunity to structure your programme in line with your personal interests.
  3. The programme is personally-tailored and small-scale. You will be assigned a personal mentor during the programme. The teaching generally takes the form of small-scale seminars, giving you a high degree of contact with lecturers and fellow students.
  4. You benefit from contacts with eminent national and international institutions. The department collaborates on teaching and research with many different academic and cultural institutions both nationally and internationally. Museums and collections are an important focal area within the programme. The department has excellent contacts with prominent Leiden museums and with Dutch art-historical institutions in Florence and Rome. Lecturers and students also have access to exchange programmes with leading institutions such as the Sorbonne, the École du Louvre and St. Andrews.
  5. Leiden students become sought-after employees. You will learn about the influence of art on present-day society. You will learn to analyse the effects, intended or unintended, of works of art on their environment. With these skills you will become an attractive employee for a diverse range of employers. The department works together with the LUMC (Leiden University Medical Center), for example, because art can give an insight into social issues arising from developments in biomedical sciences. Go to Career [link] to view some of the excellent opportunities enjoyed by recent Leiden graduates on the employment market.

Master details

  • Degree Master of Arts in Arts and Culture
  • Mode of study Full-time, Part-time
  • Duration 1 year (full-time); 1,5 year (part-time)
  • Start date September, February
  • Language of instruction English
  • Location Leiden
  • Croho/isat code 60087

What our alumni say

Azinta Plantenga

“I learned a lot during my study about the objects that I now actually see in my work. “

“Although art and art history have always fascinated me, it took some time before I realised that I wanted to work in this field. After completing my bachelor’s in Languages and Cultures of China at Leiden University, I moved to China to gain work experience. It was in Beijing that I really got into the art world. I loved it so much that I decided to focus on this area and to return to Leiden to take a Master’s in Arts and Culture.

Before I could start the master’s, I first had to do a pre-master’s programme. This programme proved to me that applied art and design was the right direction for me. I did a research internship at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, where I had my first opportunity to put my research experience into practice. Another big advantage of this internship was the chance to meet a lot of good contacts: one of these was Uniquole, a project consultancy that organises exhibitions on Dutch applied art and design.

While completing my master’s thesis, I joined the company as art historian and project assistant. I recently started to work at the Stedelijk Museum as research assistant, where I carry out research on different objects in the collection. Both these positions give me every opportunity to apply my research skills. The good work ethic that I acquired during my study, as well as the ability to handle deadlines, are skills that are important assets in my work today.

The Design and Decorate Art Studies programme was a good introduction to the different subjects that form part of my specialist field. I would recommend this master’s to everyone who is interested in applied art and design. There is an immense amount of knowledge available within Leiden University. The excellent training that I received during my study from true specialists taught me a lot about the objects that I am now seeing in my everyday work.

Azinta Plantenga
Art historian and project assistant at Uniquole
Research assistant at the Stedelijk Museum

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