
Overview
‘Cultural studies’ refers to a specific type of critical analysis and interpretation of culture, looking into how people construct and participate in everyday life. It studies and compares the meaning, political power and the social impact of varied cultural practices worldwide. The KU Leuven team is proud of their longstanding reputation as an active contributor and specialist in this field.
The term ‘cultural studies’ also refers to the study of cultural policy at all levels of policy-making in the public, and more often non-profit sectors. Smart cultural policies are anchored by intelligent practices and legal frameworks. The Master of Cultural Studies at KU Leuven provides a research-based approach to both the design and the application of these smart cultural policies.
You can choose between two trajectories within the program:
- The 'creative practices' track focuses on contemporary art and culture creation, across the boundaries of genres and media, with a lot of attention for the creative industries.
- The 'cultural memory and identity' track focuses on the impact of the cultural past on the contemporary cultural landscape, and the relationship between culture and forms of identity.
Career opportunities:
As both a hands-on and theoretically oriented programme, the Master of Arts in Cultural Studies prepares students for careers in a wide range of fields. A great many of our graduates become public servants and cultural policy officers at all levels of government (local, regional, national, international); others enter into the broad field of the creative industries (music, television, print and online media).
A fair number of students combine their studies (in 2 years) with a teachers' training programme, which prepares them for a career in teaching. In addition, the programme's regularly updated internship database provides a good overview of the possibilities open to students of cultural studies.
Students who are eager to find their way into the cultural sector should take into account that careers in culture rarely deliver traditional nine-to-five jobs and competition for appointments is often fiercely competitive. Special qualities such as passion, enthusiasm, creativity, flexibility, teamwork and good verbal and communicative skills are crucial for success. This programme aims to hone these transferable qualities in addition to the specialised academic framework.
Get more details
Visit official programme websiteProgramme Structure
Courses include:
- Cultural Studies: Capita Selecta
- Cultural Policy
- Cultural Semiotics
- Online Publishing
- Contemporary Dance and Dance Studies
Check out the full curriculum
Visit official programme websiteKey information
Duration
- Full-time
- 12 months
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting
- Apply before , International
- Apply before , EEA/EU
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Language
Credits
Delivered
Disciplines
Area & Cultural Studies View 9 other Masters in Area & Cultural Studies in BelgiumExplore more key information
Visit official programme websiteAcademic requirements
We are not aware of any academic requirements for this programme.
English requirements
We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.
Other requirements
General requirements
Most recent information on the programme website: kuleuven.be/ma/MCSEL
Make sure you meet all requirements
Visit official programme websiteTuition Fee
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International
3500 EUR/yearTuition FeeBased on the original amount of 3500 EUR per year and a duration of 12 months. -
EU/EEA
947 EUR/yearTuition FeeBased on the original amount of 947 EUR per year and a duration of 12 months.
Most recent information on www.kuleuven.be/tuitionfees
Funding
Studyportals Tip: Students can search online for independent or external scholarships that can help fund their studies. Check the scholarships to see whether you are eligible to apply. Many scholarships are either merit-based or needs-based.
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Visit official programme websiteCheck for additional visa info
Visit official programme websiteCheck for any work restrictions
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Updated in the last 9 months
Check the official programme website for potential updates.