Minor Intercultural Media Fieldwork
In this minor, you will step outside your comfort zone and visit local communities to put your audiovisual and copywriting skills into practice. You will gain hands-on experience while deepening your understanding of human-centred theories.
Come and meet us
Choosing a minor is an important decision. That's why we will help you make your choice.
Why choose this minor?
- Real-world impact through interdisciplinary projects
- Development of critical and creative competencies
- A unique blend of theory and practice
- Personal growth and purposeful learning
- The programme emphasises co-creation between students, lecturers, and host communities.
About this minor
This minor combines practical media communication skills with creative challenges, supported by critical theoretical perspectives. Through fieldwork in real-world settings, students have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects that foster personal growth and provide a sense of purpose. By stepping outside their comfort zones and travelling to local communities to apply their audiovisual and copywriting skills, they gain hands-on experience while deepening their understanding of human-centred theories (e.g. philosophy, cultural studies, and epistemology).
More information:
- Language of instruction
The minor is taught in English. Applicants should feel confident about reading academic texts and taking part in discussions in English. Course deliverables may be in Dutch. We will work with local students to communicate with people in the destination country during the fieldwork.
- Admission requirements
Admission requirements for BUas students:
This minor is designed for students interested in social issues, creativity, and critical theory. Admission is selective, based on applicants’ motivation, readiness to engage in interdisciplinary learning, and openness to personal and intellectual growth. To apply, students must submit a motivation letter of no more than 800 words to [email protected]. The letter should address the following:
- Why are you interested in this minor?
- How do you relate to the themes of critical thinking, social analysis, and storytelling?
The deadlines are 18 March (for the autumn semester) and 30 September (for the spring semester).
Selection criteria:
- Demonstrated curiosity and critical thinking
- Willingness to engage in reflective and collaborative learning
- Motivation to apply knowledge in real-world contexts through creative and research-based projects
- Propaedeutic certificate obtained
Admission requirements for external students:
This minor is designed for students interested in social issues, creativity, and critical theory. Admission is selective, based on applicants’ motivation, readiness to engage in interdisciplinary learning, and openness to personal and intellectual growth. To apply, students must submit a motivation letter of no more than 800 words to [email protected]. The letter should address the following:
- Why are you interested in this minor?
- How do you relate to the themes of critical thinking, social analysis, and storytelling?
The deadlines are 18 March (for the autumn semester) and 30 September (for the spring semester).
Selection criteria:
- Demonstrated curiosity and critical thinking
- Willingness to engage in reflective and collaborative learning
- Motivation to apply knowledge in real-world contexts through creative and research-based projects
- Propaedeutic certificate obtained
- Learning outcomes & competencies
Interdisciplinary critical thinking: Students will learn how to analyse complex societal issues by integrating philosophical, cultural, anthropological, and epistemological perspectives.
Inclusive and ethical storytelling: Students will learn to craft media narratives that amplify marginalised voices and reflect diverse cultural contexts, using storytelling as a tool for empathy, representation, and social change.
Applied media skills in real-world contexts: Through hands-on training and fieldwork, students will develop practical competencies in media production (e.g. photography, sound editing, and copywriting), and apply these skills to co-create impactful products with local communities.
Collaborative and reflexive project work: Students will engage in co-creative processes with peers, lecturers, and host communities, learning to set project goals collaboratively and reflect critically on their own assumptions and learning journey.
- Topics and structure of the minor
During this minor, students will travel to a destination within or outside Europe. For the upcoming semester, we will be working on a project in Sicily, Italy, focusing on the challenges faced by rural villages with rapidly declining populations. Students will collaborate with the local community to co-create a media product. The nature of this product will depend on the community’s needs, the project’s goals, and the students’ initial skill sets. The aim is to develop a meaningful product that supports and empowers the community.
However, students’ primary focus is not on the final product, but on the learning process itself. During the initial weeks, students will conduct research and study the project topic from a holistic perspective, drawing on anthropological, epistemological, and decolonial viewpoints. This phase will be conducted in collaboration with a partner university in the destination country. At the same time, students will receive hands-on training in selected media techniques, such as photography, film production, sound editing, or copywriting.
- Teaching & assessment
Workload
This is a full-time course. Teaching activities take place two or three days a week. These include lectures, workshops, feedback sessions, presentations, and group work. There are two to three full weeks (14 to 21 days) allocated for international fieldwork.Assessment
Assessment is based on a group project presentation and an individual learning journal supported by formative feedback.- Required study material
A laptop capable of running Adobe Cloud software and a subscription to Adobe Cloud software (or other compatible software tools) is recommended.
- Additional fieldwork costs
The course covers travel and accommodation for all participants. Participants are responsible for their own meals. During previous similar experiences, students have pooled their resources and cooked together, which has kept meal costs to a minimum. Taking this into account, we estimate that the additional individual contribution for the field trip to Italy (two to three weeks) will be between €500 and €900.
- Minor coordinator
Rob Verhagen: [email protected]
After this minor
You developed and refined your media production skills by applying them in real-world contexts. You practised design-thinking methodology, acquired applied research skills, and learned how to initiate and manage a project in an international setting. You met new people, expanded your network, and broadened your perspective on global issues and cultural diversity. This experience has boosted your confidence and empowered you to create meaningful work in the future.
Practical information
When
Monday 31 August 2026 – Friday 31 January 2027
Where
All classes and meetings will take place on the BUas campus in Breda.
Teaching method
Teaching activities take place two or three days a week. These include lectures, workshops, feedback sessions, presentations, group work and fieldwork.
How to apply?
You can choose this minor if you study at BUas, but students from other higher education institutes are also warmly invited to join. This makes for a diverse and inspiring classroom!
- How to apply: BUas students
For BUas students, the application option in Osiris opens from 23 to 27 March 2026 (fall semester) & 5 to 9 October 2026 (spring semester). When you apply in Osiris you can indicate two preferences, these can be two different minors at BUas, but you should also indicate if you prefer to take an external minor. For more detailed information please visit the Minor Desk page on the student portal.
Please note that applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis or via a selection procedure as mentioned at the admission requirements on this page.
- How to apply: non-BUas students
All information regarding the minors for 2026 -2027 is available on Kies op Maat. From 2 February to 15 May, the application option and thus the download of the learning agreement will be open on Kies op Maat.
The full step-by-step plan:
- Download the learning agreement on Kies op Maat. Ask your own university of applied sciences to sign the learning agreement for approval.
- Start your application via Studielink – this is possible until 26 June. Go to the Study Programmes tab and click 'add new enrolment application'. Then click at 'Educational institution' on Breda University of Applied Sciences and enter 'Minor' or 'KOM' as search term. A list of BUas KOM minors per academy will appear. Make sure you apply for the right minor. Check the learning agreement to see where your minor belongs to. After registering in Studielink you will receive two emails: one confirming your registration with BUas and immediately afterwards an email containing the login codes for and the link to Osiris Registration from BUas. If you do not receive the second e-mail, check your spam first and otherwise send an e-mail to [email protected].
- Receive access to My Online Application. Here you can complete – and keep track of – the next steps of your application.
- Upload the signed learning agreement in My Online Application (note: the learning agreement must be signed by your own university of applied sciences and yourself before uploading it on My Online Application)
- Since you are coming to BUas temporarily for a minor, it is important that you arrange payment in a correct manner via the following steps to arrange your proof of payment, a so-called BBC (Bewijs Betaald Collegegeld).
- Arrange the payment at your own institution
- Go to Studielink and request a BBC for BUas. Click here to go to the correct webpage (search on this page for the "Request for proof of paid tuition fees") for the step by step plan.
Make sure you complete all steps on time, as mentioned there are deadlines for downloading the learning agreement and starting your application. Once you have made a start in My Online Application, you have until 1 September / the start of the minor at the latest to complete your steps. Please note:
- Some minors have limited numbers of places available. Students will be admitted in order of application.
- If you are a student of an institution affiliated to Kies op Maat, the rules and agreements of Kies op Maat apply. The costs of the minor will be settled between BUas and your home institution. As a student, you won’t notice anything about this.
- If you are a student from a government-funded institution that is not affiliated to Kies op Maat, we will make separate arrangements about financing the minor before the start of the minor.