What master did you do? And where?
The master New Media & Digital Culture at Utrecht University.

Were there any admission requirements? 
Yes:
– You have to show some experience with designing, analyzing, presenting and reporting by writing a motivation letter and an essay (summary + criticism based on the chapters of a book that is predetermined by the admissions committee) and possibly an interview.
– You have knowledge and insight into (New) Media and Culture theories and discussions, you can prove this by following courses in this field of at least 15 EC.
– You followed courses in research methods (qualitative or quantitative) of at least 7.5 EC.
– You are proficient in English in speaking and writing.
– You have to hand in at least two letters of recommendation, a short cv, a grades list and a list of courses you are following (of are going to follow).

It was quite some work, but certainly worth it! They are very strict, and they have to be, because there were 120 registrations but only 40 were approved.

Why did you choose this master?
This study was exactly what I was looking for. It brings students from different disciplines together (students CIS, Cultural Studies, but also Philosophy, Dutch, English and other Humanities bachelors are permitted) which means that the discussions during the lectures are exposed to different perspectives, which is very interesting.

Besides that, this master gives you the freedom to develop yourself and to specialize in the field (within New Media) that you are interested in. This freedom means that you can write a paper about a subject of your own choice for every course (I wrote, for example, a paper for the course Game Studies about identity and representation of female gamers and how they see the representation of women in fashion magazines).

On top of that, in your thesis you are free to choose a subject. For this, we did a course in the second period, of which the biggest part of the work was searching for and reading of literature. This is a preparation for the thesis which we are going to write in the third period.

Finally, I think that it is a big advantage that it is possible to do an internship within this study. The teachers are aware of the fact that most of their students are not going to work as a scientist, and take that into account when they are preparing the lectures.

What courses did you do?
• New Media Theories
• Game Studies
• Research Lab I
• Research Lab 2
• Thesis
• Internship
• Transmedia
• The Mobile, the Social and the Urban
Extra courses:
• Fashion
• Trend Watching

Did you live in a dorm?
I lived in another city, I chose to stay in Tilburg for a year. The travelling is okay; three courses per period is doable.

How did you like it?
I really liked it, thanks to the freedom they give you and the possibility to be a real individual student within your own specialization. All thirty students who possibly graduate in September 2017 are very different, and that is what I really like about this master.

Besides that, I really like the setting in which the courses are being taught, it is really motivating. Although, we are only with thirty students, we are being separated into two groups during the lectures, so you are in class with only 15-20 students. That means, that you will always actively participate during the lecture and discuss about the compulsory literature (for the participation during the lessons you will be graded).

Was is hard to switch?
It needed to get used to the master, but because I did some minor courses of Online Culture for which I had to write papers, the switch was less hard. However, the investment they ask of you for a master study is a lot more than for a bachelor study.

Did you know someone else who did this master? 
No, I knew nobody, but that was not an obstacle. We had two informative and cozy introduction days in which we got to know the study and each other (students and teachers). Besides that, it is the case that we can act to each other like adults and we are being places in groups. The collaboration is good.