Kunst- & cultuurwetenschappen

The programme is taught by a research-active staff and (former) curators from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Frans Hals Museum, the Museum Volkenkunde, the National Museum of Antiquities and the RKD, among others. Our teaching and research are enhanced by collaborative partnerships with museums, heritage institutions and contemporary art venues. The programme also facilitates optional internships in the cultural sector, both within The Netherlands and beyond. You can pursue your individual fascinations and explore a large range of topics studied from an interdisciplinary and critical perspective.
You will study the visual and decorative arts and architecture from the Middle Ages till today and its history in museums and collections. You will be involved with the question of what challenges are offered in the present day by art history. You will gain insights into this by studying the developments in art in the broad context of visual culture, from social and political developments, developments in natural sciences and globalisation. Your insights will be directed by new perspectives that will teach you to understand the multiplicity/versatility of art. During excursions you will have the opportunity to experience the works of art personally and test your research.

The programme is taught by a research-active staff and (former) curators from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Frans Hals Museum, the Museum Volkenkunde, the National Museum of Antiquities and the RKD, among others. Our teaching and research are enhanced by collaborative partnerships with museums, heritage institutions and contemporary art venues. We regularly host leading voices within the field to introduce our students to emerging trends and world-class research. The programme also facilitates optional internships in the cultural sector, both within The Netherlands and beyond. You can pursue your individual fascinations and explore a large range of topics studied from an interdisciplinary and critical perspective.
In the Museum Studies programme you will study and experience the history of collection formation as well as crucial themes concerning museums today. In our global society, the status and importance of museums, collections and heritage as key factors of our identities and cultures are undisputed. The museum’s present day influential role in the shaping of knowledge and identity should be understood in its historical context and the underlying social, political, ethical and intellectual structures. During excursions you will have the opportunity to experience the museums personally and test your research.