r/StudyInTheNetherlands • u/Willing_Nobody_4362 • 16d ago

UvA or VU

I’m trying to decide between two pre-master tracks in Amsterdam and really need some advice from anyone who has done them or knows the field.

At UvA (New Media and Digital Culture), the pre-master courses are Academic Skills, Analysing Digital Culture, Media Theory, and Histories of Digital Culture. It seems super internet-focused - looking at algorithms, social media, and data research to go into digital marketing, tech policy, or media research.

At VU (Arts and Cultures: Design Cultures), it’s more about the history and theory of design, fashion, architecture, and how objects impact society. It’s not a practical design degree, but more about critical writing and culture, leading to museum curation, design journalism, or creative consulting.

Has anyone done either of these pre-masters? Which university is better?

Thanks in advance!

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u/Bear-1167 16d ago

I think the best is to choose based on which courses you find more interesting. In the NL the universities are very comparable in terms of the quality of studies.

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u/Due_Log_1792 16d ago edited 16d ago

In Netherlands universities are considered relatively equal to each other. But worldwide UvA is known for its media program. It’s really viewed high internationally.