The pre-Master’s programme Media Studies is aimed at students who have a degree from a University of Applied Sciences (HBO) or an academic Bachelor’s degree that does not grant direct access to the tracks of the Master’s programme Media Studies. This pre-Master's programme is taught in English.
This pre-Master’s does not grant access to the Research Master’s Media Studies.
If you successfully complete the pre-Master’s programme within a year, you will automatically be admitted to the Master’s programme you wish to pursue. However, you do need to complete the programme within one year, as you cannot start the Master's without fully meeting the entry requirements. After completing the pre-Master's programme you will not receive a diploma or certificate.
Please note: If you have obtained an academic Bachelor’s degree, you do not need to take the two Academic Skills courses (2 x 6 ECTS), which means that the programme will comprise 30 ECTS instead of 42 ECTS. Below you see the programme of the current academic year; the courses in the coming academic year may differ slightly. The Course Catalogue for the new academic year will be published in May.
You will follow one of the programmes listed below. All of them give access to all of the one-year Master’s programmes, but we strongly recommend that you choose the variant that corresponds with the Master’s you are looking to do. For access to one of the Dual Master’s programmes, it is mandatory to follow the corresponding programme.
Recommended for the tracks Film Studies
Mandatory for the tracks Documentaire en fictie and Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image
Recommended for the tracks Cultural Data & AI and New Media and Digital Culture
Mandatory for the track Journalistiek en media
Recommended for the track Global Cross-Media Cultures
In the 2023-2024 academic year, the program was still called Television and Cross-Media Culture.
Mandatory for the track Archival and Information Studies
You can choose between 'Media Theory' and 'Philosophy of the Humanities 1 (Media Studies)'.
You can choose an elective in History or Law. For questions, please contact the Master coordinator of Archival and Information Studies, dr. Annet Dekker (A.Dekker@uva.nl).
Please check the deadlines below very carefully, because they are strict. Missing one of the deadlines means that your application cannot be processed.
The following deadlines are applicable for:
Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
8 May 2025, 23:59 CET
Submit complete application (see step 2)
15 May 2025, 23:59 CET
If you wish to apply for housing
Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
23 February 2025, 23:59 CET
Submit complete application (see step 2)
1 March 2025, 23:59 CET
If you do NOT wish to apply for housing
Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
8 May 2025, 23:59 CET
Submit complete application (see step 2)
15 May 2025, 23:59 CET
Register in Studielink (see step 1 of the application process)
23 February 2025, 23:59 CET
Submit complete application (see step 2)
1 March 2025, 23:59 CET
The application deadline for selective tracks is 1 March 2025, 23:59 CET.
Please make sure to register in Studielink before 23 February (see step 1).
This deadline is applicable for:
Your application to the Graduate School of Humanities always starts by submitting an enrolment request in Studielink and MyInfo application for the Master's programme you wish to pursue, even if you think you are eligible for the pre-Master’s programme.
An enrolment request in Studielink for the pre-Master’s programme alone is not sufficient and will not be taken into consideration.
All students applying will need to start their application by submitting an enrolment request in Studielink, the Dutch online system for students applying for a degree programme at a Dutch university.
Depending on which Master’s you are looking to do, the programme you must enrol in in Studielink is Media Studies 60 EC (for the tracks Film Studies, New Media and Digital Culture, and Global Cross-Meida Cultures) or Media Studies 90 EC (for the tracks Archival and Information Studies, Documentaire en fictie, Journalistiek en media, and Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image).
It is extremely important that you register in Studielink at least 48 hours before the application deadline (see above). This is to ensure that you receive your login information (UvAnetID) in time to fill in your UvA application in MyInfo (see step 3).
All students applying for a (pre-)Master’s programme with a non-Dutch degree must pay a non-refundable application fee of €100. The UvA cannot start processing your application until this fee has been paid. You can pay the application fee by credit card (Master or Visacard) or iDEAL.
You do not have to pay the application fee:
Complete all of the steps of the application process for the Master's programme, including the application in MyInfo and the submission of all required application documents. This includes proof of English/Dutch language proficiency that meets our requirements.
The Admissions Board will assess your prior education and determine whether you are directly admissible to the Master’s programme, admissible to the Master’s programme after first completing the pre-Master’s programme, or not admissible to the (pre)Master’s programme.
Important: Are you applying to a selective Master’s? Then you must first complete the selection procedure for that Master’s programme. The selection committee can then admit you to the Master’s on the condition that you finish the pre-Master’s within a year. If you succeed at this, you are automatically admitted and will not have to go through the selection procedure again the following year. This procedure applies to all (dual) Master’s programmes that comprise 90 ECTS. For Master’s programmes that comprise 60 ECTS, no selection procedure applies.
If you are admissible to the pre-Master’s programme, you will receive a letter of conditional admission with the steps you need to take to become fully enrolled.
Please be aware that all pre-Master’s programmes offered by the Graduate School of Humanities must be completed within one academic year. Extensions are not possible.
If you need a visa for your stay in the Netherlands, please note that the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) only issues visas to pre-Master's students for the duration of one year. If you do not complete the programme in one year, you cannot continue your studies anywhere in the Netherlands.
The tuition fee rate for a pre-Master’s programme in the academic year 2025-2026 is €43.35 per ECTS, with a maximum of €2,601. This means that for a 42 ECTS pre-Master’s programme, the fee is €1,820.70; for a 30 ECTS programme, the fee is €1,300.50.