Minimal 1 day a week classes are being held. The other 4 days you work in a group or by yourself. This programme requires a level of discipline, but your individual study and research is being coached by a coach from our faculty.

The programme is tailor-made; this means that a part of the curriculum is being designed by students. A part of the programme is set in stone. Master classes on for example research and methodology skills, cultural strategy and cultural policy. Another part of the programme is designed by the students. This part lays the focus on specific subjects that the group is interested in. If the class wants to focus on a trend or subject, lecturers will be invited/contracted for a session about this subject. This could be anything related to the profession, for example design thinking or social marketing.

Yes, but as a master students you would also develop a management product. So you would not only analyse an organisation, you will also look at it in a broader perspective (other fields, international) and then create a model or a theory, and review models developed by other students.

Where and when you go abroad depends on your individual plan - you can decide on that yourself, though you have to check with the teachers if it meets the criteria, of course.

A lot of the students start their own business. Therefore upon graduation they already have a job. Other students get employed by the organization they did their research for. For example, alumni work in the management of event companies or theatres in the Netherlands. A few alumni are researchers in a European research group. They are doing research physically in their own (European) country, and they get invited to do so one different subjects. A lot of students (both nationally and internationally) are invited back to the HKU as lecturers, speakers or researchers.

Each year approximately 50 students apply. Usually, about 25 get in, of which 20 people actually start. Each year a few people don’t start the programme because of personal circumstances. The MA-AM programme has a maximum capacity of 30 students.

If you do not get accepted, you can apply again if you like. Sometimes candidates lack specific skills or theory; they can get accepted for the MA programme the next year, if they learn skills or theory they lack in the year to come.

It is not a problem, if you have a bachelor or experience in management and/or experience with arts management in your current job, you could qualify for this master.

Of course international experience in arts management would be an advantage, though being an international student in our school is an advantage too because of the comparison you can make between the Dutch situation and your country of origin.

Participation in our course requires a good command of English. We ask you to guarantee that the standard of your spoken and written English is sufficient. Therefore an English test such as TOEFL or IETLS is needed. You can get accepted on the condition that you have a minimal score of 79 for TOEFL or a 6,5 for IELTS (with at least a 6.0 for the written part) at the start of the programme (in September). This means you can start the application process, and you can keep on trying until you get a score that’s high enough. If you don’t get enough points for the TOEFL or IELTS, you cannot get accepted.

It has to do with both. The interview will be about your personal ambitions, your former education and your experiences in the cultural or the arts management field. You need to be able to define what this master’s programme will contribute to your development as a cultural/arts manager. This is discussed in the interview.

The selection process for the master is very strict. When you are admitted, you are good enough to finish the programme.

This programme exists in this form since 2004. Before that, there was the Master Arts Management in a European Context. Basically the same master, but then with a focus on Europe. Now the master's programme has a broader view on arts management. The Faculty of Art and Economics is offering masters programmes in arts management since 1999, when the faculty was founded.

The average age of students is 25.

Their mainstream background is arts management - could be theatre, music, visual arts, design or music.

All master courses are in English. For the Master Arts Management you don’t need to speak Dutch. If you like, you can take Dutch classes in your spare time, but the school doesn’t provide in that.

Programme coordinator: Susanne Nieuwland
Lange Viestraat 2
P.O. Box 1520
3500 BM Utrecht
0031 (0)30 234 95 30
ma-am@ke.hku.nl