Study programme

The Master's programme in Film and Television Cultures comprises one-year (60 EC). A study year is divided into two semesters, running from September until January and from February until June. A semester is divided into two study periods. 

Curriculum

The programme consists of compulsory courses, research labs, electives, a thesis and an internship. Check the study schedule (PDF).

Part-time

Part-time students attend the same courses as the full-time students do, but their programme is spread over two years instead of one.

Semester 1 | Study periods 1 and 2

During the first semester, you will take a combination of compulsory courses, research labs and elective courses:

  • In study period 1 you take two (compulsory) core courses: ‘Texts and Meaning’ and ‘Practices and Power’. In these courses you deepen your knowledge of contemporary film and television cultures. You will gain advanced skills in analysing media content and study the multifaceted landscape of media production and distribution. Both courses engage with theory to further develop your understanding of media texts and industry practices.
  • In the research labs you train your critical and analytical skills. In study period 1 you follow the film and television cultures research lab that is connected to the core courses. In study period 2 you continue honing your research skills and write an individual research proposal.  
  • Electives offer you the opportunity to specialise in study period 2. You will choose two electives that fit your interest. The Film and Television Cultures programme provides three electives that build on its core courses, which focus on ‘Programming and Curation,’ ‘Transnational Media Cultures’ and ‘Transmedia and Diversity.’ You can also choose to take one elective offered by the New Media & Digital Cultures programme, ‘Playful Media Cultures,’ ‘Mobile Media in Everyday Life,’ or ‘Digital Methods and Ethics,’ or follow the joint FTC/NMDC elective ‘Platforms, Streaming and Cultural Production.’

Semester 2 | Study periods 3 and 4

In the second semester, you will write your thesis (15 EC) and do an internship (15 EC). You can choose to do your internship in the Netherlands or abroad. 
Examples of thesis topics:

  • The use of inclusivity and diversity in Netflix’s branding strategy
  • Yorgos Lanthimos’ films and the Greek Weird Wave
  • Constructing the Covid crisis in satire news
  • LGBTI*Q film festivals in the Netherlands
  • Children as audience in public versus commercial online television

Picture: Tim Vermeire

Educational Methods

  • seminars, group work and lectures
  • field trips and guest lectures
  • self-study
  • internship

Research internship

An internship is your chance to turn academic knowledge into real-world experience. You will apply your skills in a professional setting, explore your interests, and build valuable connections for your future career. Students in Film and Television Cultures often choose internships within the media industries, but opportunities extend far beyond film and television. Knowledge of media and culture is highly relevant across a wide range of fields, from creative research and cultural institutions to journalism, education, policy-making, communication, digital culture, and socially engaged organisations. While many organisations in the Netherlands work primarily in Dutch, there are also exciting opportunities locally and abroad where English is commonly used. Wherever you choose to go, an internship allows you to discover new perspectives, strengthen your professional profile, and take the next step towards your career.

 

Examinations

  • written assignments (these take various forms, such as literature review, paper, essay, research proposal etc.)
  • oral examination
  • creative assignments
  • presentations
  • thesis
  • internship report

The courses in this programme are taught in English, but there are options to write assignments in Dutch.  

Extra opportunities

For students looking for an extra challenge in addition to their Master's, there are several options. Utrecht University offers several honours programmes for students looking for an extra challenge. Honours education is followed on top of your regular Master's programme and goes beyond the regular curriculum. Honours programmes are available at interdisciplinary level and allow you to work on projects that transcend your own discipline. 

Read more about the honours programmes