Master of Arts [M.A] [Design Cultures - Arts & Culture] From Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Interiors, fashion, artifacts, graphics, and digital design define affect nearly every area of our lives. Design Cultures takes a Humanities perspective and explores the history and theory of design in connection with contemporary issues such as identity, ecology, and inclusion. Other programs train students on how to design objects. This program will train students on how to interpret, reflect and write about design.

This program raises the following questions: What makes a design iconic? How is the design used to construct national identity? How can we approach design from a post-colonial, ecological and feminist perspective? How do designers think? Why does the very same object mean different things to different users?

The MA program Design Cultures concerns the study of different fields of design, such as product, graphic, and fashion design viewed within a broad diverse cultural context. VU Amsterdam focuses on the cultural and ecological implications of design, its social meanings, design critique, the role of the designer, and cultures of production, sale, and consumption.

Students will acquire solid research skills and learn how to generate in-depth, design-related content for museum texts, articles, videos, or podcasts. Moreover, students will get access to professional networks where VU Amsterdam’s graduates are now established.

When you graduate, you will be well-qualified to work in the fields of media editing, teaching, academic research, journalism, exhibitions and the design industries.