Master of Excellence program Media Arts Cultures

The European Master of Excellence program Media Arts Cultures (MediaAC) invites applications for the 2024–26 cohort. This high-quality international learning opportunity prepares students for the demands of the emerging futures in the creative and cultural sectors of our digital age. Co-funding by the Erasmus+ Programm of the European Union affirms the importance of Media Art research and practice for the cultural and educational future of Europe and beyond. 
Deadline: Acceptance as self-funded/externally funded from EU countries only: July 1, 2024.

Media Arts Cultures is organized jointly by University for Continuing Education Krems (Austria, lead), Aalborg University (Denmark), and University of Lodz (Poland).

The language of instruction is English and includes taught semesters, internship, and master thesis supervised by lecturers from the partner universities.

Media Arts Cultures is a two-year high-mobility program, enabling students to study across Europe. Students spend three semesters at different universities and write a master thesis at the best-suited partner during the final semester. Upon completion, students receive a 120 ECTS joint master degree in Media Arts Cultures from three universities allowing graduates to further pursue a PhD within Europe or other international higher education regions.

This call is for self-funded or externally funded EU-based students only. Funding from the MediaAC Consortium and external-sources maybe available.

The MediaAC Consortium invites dedicated and energetic applicants from all EU countries and all relevant fields of study or experience to apply. MediaAC is the only international European program connecting culture to the digital arts. Digital media art plays a major role at international festivals and in contemporary culture.

The joint Master of Arts MediaAC aims to generate a better understanding of the evolving fields related to the futures and histories of Media Art. MediaAC provides education and training for future specialists in Media Arts Cultures and prepare them for emerging careers in the creative and cultural sectors, research and academia.

Selected topics like Media Cultural Histories & Heritage, Archiving, Experience Design, Media Arts Theory, New Media Aesthetics, Curating & Arts Management, or Media Arts Futures provides students both internationally-advanced theoretical as well as practical knowledge in the Media Arts, through a singular combination of pedagogical foci, trans-disciplinary approaches, and critical thinking in connection to the needs of both academic and non-academic stakeholders.

Contact: Media Arts Culture Consortium, mediaac [​at​] donau-uni.ac.at.

The three local academic directors:

Wendy Jo Coones, (Uni Krems / Coordinator) is a member of the academic and research staff in the Department for Arts and Cultural Studies at the University for Continuing Education in Krems, Austria. Since 2005 she is responsible for curricula development, teaching, and support of research initiatives. In her capacity as academic lead for courses related to digital cultural life and its histories, she prepares post-graduate students for emerging futures in the cultural and creative sectors. She is currently primary coordinating staff for an EU-funded Erasmus Mundus European Master of Excellence program in Media Arts Cultures. She is an experienced exhibit developer and cultural/scientific event coordinator with a fine arts degree in New Genres and an M.Ed. in Educational Research & Philosophy. She also works with the Archive of Digital Art and the Media Art Histories International Conference Series and Archive.

Dagmara Rode, (Uni Lodz)  works as assistant professor at the Department of New Media and Digital Culture, University of Lodz in Poland. She specializes in feminist film and media studies. Rode published a book on the work of Derek Jarman and several articles on feminist art and activism, experimental film, and video art. Currently, her research concentrates on abortion media activism. At University of Lodz she teaches courses on history and aesthetics of video art, activism and alternative media, gender in postmodern visual culture, new media in educational practices, feminist methodologies, research skills and methods. She is responsible for curriculum development and quality of teaching of New Media and Digital Culture (BA programme, in Polish) and curriculum development and joint management of Media Arts Cultures programme in the University of Lodz. Rode is also involved in feminist activism as a member of an anarcho-feminist collective Manifa Łódź.

Morten Søndergaard, (Uni Aalborg) is an internationally acclaimed media and sound art curator and professor of sound and media art at Aalborg University, Denmark. He works with media and sound in transdisciplinary, creative, theoretical, and curatorial settings. Previously a curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Roskilde, Denmark (1998–2008), where he introduced Media Art as a research and archive concept in Denmark in 2002, he has curated numerous exhibitions and archives of sound art internationally, including at ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany; Kiasma in Helsinki, Finland; Rupertinum in Salzburg and Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria; FILE in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Eyebeam in New York, USA; Utzon Center in Aalborg, Aarhus Kunsthal, and Struer City of Sound, Denmark. He is the co-founder of the conference series POM Politics of Machines (since 2018); ISACS–Sound Art Curating Series (2011–17); and RE:SOUND (since 2019). Søndergaard has also published several books, chapters, and journal articles exploring the cultures, histories and curation of artistic practices at the intersection of media, technology, and sound.