Orientation 2023
You will meet your fellow students and your tutor during the orientation. You will also receive information about all sorts of practical matters, such as ICT, academic supervision and the binding recommendation regarding the continuation of studies.
Dear first-year students Media and Culture,
On behalf of everyone in the Media and Culture Department I would like to extend a warm welcome to our program. We wish you all a fun and exciting orientation day. For those of you coming from far away we hope that you will discover the charms of Utrecht. It is a city with one foot in history, with its Roman foundations and Mediaeval streets, but also a city full of contemporary art and culture, including new media, theater, and film festivals. To students who come from closer to home, we hope you will share your knowledge and discover a few new secrets along the way. To everyone, we wish you a beginning of the year full of exploration and surprises. This is an opportunity to meet new lifelong friends, plunge into new topics, and encounter parts of yourself you may never have otherwise appreciated. We can’t wait to join you on this journey and look forward to meeting you all in class.
Best wishes,
Anne Kustritz
Media and Culture English Track Coordinator
Hey!
We are the 42nd board of Study Association AKT! We have Steven van Reenen as Chairman, Fons Houwer as Treasurer, Susan Mulder as Secretary, Rikke Renes as PR Official and Max Baalman as Commissary of Education and External Affairs. We are thrilled to welcome al the new students of Media and Culture and we hope to welcome you as members of AKT too! AKT is the Study Association of Media and Culture Studies.
As a Study association we organize all kinds of activities where you can meet other students and have lots of fun. For example, we organize Film screenings, Treasure hunts or Party’s. Besides organizing activities AKT also has several discount deals. For example, you can order your books at Bol.com with a discount as AKT member but we also have a discount at Domino’s Pizza. If you want to become a member, please visit our website.
We promise that this year will be a year to never forget.
See you soon!
Dear first years,
On behalf of study association AKT, we would like to welcome you all to Media and Culture! The introduction days will take place on the 4th and 5th of September 2023, where you’ll get to know your fellow students. The program will consist of an introduction to the university as well as the study association, games, and the ability to explore Utrecht. We hope to offer you a fun start to the school year, and to make you a little more familiar with the university. The next week there will also be an introduction camp, from the 15th to the 17th of September. Signups will be open on the website of the study association between September 3rd and 11th.
Hopefully we’ll see you there!
Love,
The Introductioncommittee of AKT, on behalf of Media and Culture
Questions regarding the introduction? Don’t hesitate to send an email to introductiecommissie@akt-online.nl and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
(P.S.: we are of course hoping for good weather but bring a raincoat just in case!)
In the Courseplanner you are able to see which books you need for each course.
Course material Block 1
History of the Media Landscape
- Jukka Kortti, Media in History: An Introduction to the Meanings and Transformations of Communication over Time (paperback edition recommended)
- Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film History: An Introduction. 5th Edition. New York: McGraw and Hill, 2022.
- Monahan, Dave, and Richard Barsam. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. 7th Edition. New York: Norton, 2022.
Storytelling in Media and Performance
- Screenings will be organised during the course.
The BSA at the end of the first year determines whether you may continue with your studies. The BSA is a decision by the Board of Examiners about the continuation of your studies, based on your study progress.
For the academic year 2023-2024 the BSA norm is 45 EC.
The BSA is determined as follows:
- positive BSA
- if you have obtained at least 45 EC at the end of the academic year 2023-2024. Credits associated with exemptions or courses from previous years do not count.
or - if you have completed the first-year program of your study at the end of 2023-2024. Both previously obtained results and exemptions are taken into account. For more information about this option please contact your study advisor.
- if you have obtained at least 45 EC at the end of the academic year 2023-2024. Credits associated with exemptions or courses from previous years do not count.
- negative BSA: if you fail to meet at least one of the conditions mentioned above.
You will receive your BSA at the end of July at your students.uu.nl email address.
Negative BSA
If your binding study recommendation comes back negative, you may not enrol in the degree programme again for another four years for the same programme at Utrecht University.
Interim study recommendation
At an earlier point during the academic year, you will receive what is called the 'interim study recommendation'. This recommendation is not binding. It is issued in December or January of the first year of study, and is based on the results of the first study period. You will receive:
- a positive interim recommendation for 15 EC or more;
- a progress warning for 7.5 EC;
- a negative interim recommendation for 0 EC.
Terminating your enrolment before February 1st
If you want to drop out of your current degree programme and you terminate your enrolment before February 1st (through Studielink), you will not receive a binding study advice and will be able to make a fresh start with the degree programme next year. Please note that this only applies in the first year that you are registered for your current degree programme.
Students who receive a warning or a negative recommendation are advised to contact their tutor and/or Study Advisor. The tutor can provide additional information on study progress. The Study Advisor can help with a wide range of questions on faculty regulations and the more organisational aspects of the programme, such as drawing up a realistic study plan, or discussing support with academic skills. Students can also make an appointment to see the Study Advisor to discuss any personal or social circumstances that affect their studies. To qualify for an exception to the BSA rules, contact with your Study Advisor is a prerequisite (see further information under the heading Special Personal Circumstances).
Stopping your degree programme
Students who wish to cease their studies (or who must do so following a negative BSA) are advised to discuss the matter with the Study Advisor. There may be regulations in place for you from which you can benefit. The Study Advisor can also provide information on options for studying something else at Utrecht University, or transferring to a degree programme at a different institution.
If you know (or suspect) that you will not be able to meet the BSA criteria due to personal circumstances, you may ask the Board of Examiners to take this into consideration when making their decision. However, it is important that you report and present evidence of these circumstances to the Study Advisor as soon as possible after they appear. The study advisor offers relevant guidance to prevent study delay where possible and informs you about relevant regulations and procedures.
Special circumstances include:
- illness
- pregnancy
- functional disorder
- serious mental problems
- serious family circumstances
- top-level sport
- management activities (for student organisations with full legal capacity, or as part of the organisation or management of Utrecht University, the faculty or the study programme)
Notifying the Board of Examiners
Further information on how to notify the Board of Examiners will follow in May 2024. Interviews with the Board of Examiners will take place in late June or early July 2024.
More information
Read more about the binding study advice (BSA) and special circumstances in Article 7.4 of the General Education and Examination Regulations for Bachelor's degree programmes.