Interdisciplinary Arts (iArts)

As a degree-seeking student you will have to pay annual tuition fees. Students from the EU pay the statutory tuition fees, and non-EU students pay the institutional tuition fees. Normally speaking, these fees are waived for exchange students from partner universities.

• Read more about tuition fees

The education and examination regulations (EER) provide all the information you will need about the content of the study programme, the academic support provided, and the way in which examinations are organized. 

• Check the EER

You are introduced to three learning pathways:

• Home-Based Learning (HBL) courses
• Project-Based Learning
• Research & Development Lab

Home-Based Learning
Home-Based Learning (HBL) consists of a selection of courses that enable you to develop your artistic and academic skills. By acquiring these skills, you will build a toolbox that you can draw on during Project-Based Education. 

Project-Based Learning
This is based on the Project-Based Learning Method. Within the context of iArts, it calls on the following competencies: problem analysis, research, planning, concept development, creation, production, peer group collaboration, documentation and evaluation.  At the end of each Project-Based Learning period, a Documentation & Evaluation Week takes place in which you and students from several years and (guest) teachers reflect on the (artistic) development within the project. 

Research & Development Lab
Within the third learning track, Research & Development Lab, you learn to use your ‘HBL toolbox’ to explore your own fascinations. You also learn to reflect on the value and ethics of the artistic interventions you develop within Project-Based Learning – how can artistic thinking and making/artistic practice be of added value within a societal context? 

Throughout the year, you are taught by a team of permanent teachers from different disciplines.   

You continue the three learning pathways introduced in Year 1. However, within Project-Based Learning, the emphasis shifts increasingly to working in a context of professional practice. This is done in the following ways:  

• by inviting guest lecturers (interdisciplinary professionals from the field) 
• by situating Project-Based Learning in a professional context – you work on a case offered by a professional party, such as a commercial company, scientific research centre or an art institution. 
• by shifting the focus from group-oriented learning to individual development with the backup of peer groups 
• by shifting from mandatory projects to Projects of Choice.   

This allows you to develop according to your own abilities, passions and interests, and to get a taste of the various possibilities in the field of work. At the end of Year 2, you will design an individual Graduation Strategy in which you develop your own graduation process.   

In the final year, you have the freedom to map out a graduation process that is in line with your artistic position and development: you choose your own themes, topics, (artistic) fields, disciplines, working methods and strategies, partners; take part in minors, internships and other extra courses. 

The third year consists of four phases:

• Position Paper
• Artistic Concept
• Collaborative Public Event
• Documentation & Evaluation Event

During these four phases you will learn:

• how to position yourself in the (future) field
• how to engage others (peers and external coaches) strategically in the development of your work
• how to make the process involved in that work transparent to a relevant 'audience'.  

In short, the third year is a bridge between iArts and the field that you would like to work in after graduation. During this process, iArts provides both education and guidance while preparing you for your future career. You will be allocated an individual graduation coach and work with one or two external coaches of your choice. In addition, return days and online sessions are organized to offer support related to each of the four specific phases of the graduation year. 

After having successfully completed the final year of the BA in iArts, you will be ready to embark on your next adventure, having developed the knowledge, skills and tools to deal with the challenges of the ever-changing 21st century. Transitioning from student to alumnus, you remain part of the iArts community, enriching and expanding our enduring network. Having pursued careers in a variety of different fields, iArts alumni are invited throughout the year to share their experiences, insights, practices and expertise with current students and staff. These first-hand accounts are extremely valuable and result in an ongoing dialogue and exchange among the whole community. 

Throughout the year, multi-day workshops and/or HBL courses (e.g. Philosophy sessions) take place in which students from Year 1 and Year 2 receive joint project-based education and work in mixed groups.

In Year 1 and Year 2, studio visits, lectures, visits to festivals and alumni days are organized to facilitate an exchange between the study environment and professional practice.   

Some interesting projects:

• Distressed – Nomadic waste in the river Meuse | read more
• Disconnected – Thisconnected World | read more
• The Tree Passports – project Nature & Science | read more

Formal requirements

• pre-university secondary education ​​​​​​(vwo) or senior general secondary education (havo)*
• successful selection based on our assessment procedure

* The iArts programme is an accelerated 3-year Bachelor’s programme of 180 credits, offered to students with a vwo (pre-university) diploma. This programme is also offered to students with a havo diploma who show an outstanding artistic ability. If you have a secondary education diploma other than a pre-university diploma, you might qualify for the 4-year Bachelor’s programme of 240 credits.

Further requirements

• evidence of artistic aptitude
• good command of the English language
• collaborative skills 

If you are enthusiastic about iArts and believe that you are a suitable candidate who meets our standards, why not apply for iArts?

Please register at www.studielink.nl, so we can invite you to start the iArts assessment procedure.

In addition to the standard requirements, iArts applicants are required to take our admission assessment. This procedure has been developed to assess your artistic talent and other additional skills relevant to the iArts programme. The outcome of this assessment is not a pass/fail; your participation in this assessment, together with the other elements of your application, will result in a recommendation to either enrol on the iArts programme or to pursue other career options.

Important: start by registering with Studielink

The first step is to register via www.studielink.nl, after which we will invite you to start the iArts assessment procedure.

Our assessment procedure consists of 3 rounds:

• Round 1: send in the application form, together with your photo and motivation letter and a short video.
• Round 2: write an essay and send it in.
• Round 3: join the final online assessment day with other candidates and our selection team.

Download the assessment procedure

Dates and deadlines
You may start with the first steps of the procedure at any time. The final online assessment rounds are scheduled for

• 7-8 May 2025
• 4-5 June 2025
• 23-24 June 2025

Please note 
Dates might change; only the dates provided in the email are final. We will invite you to a final assessment round based on the order in which you submit your assessment and, if possible, based on the time zone you are in. This means you cannot choose a date yourself. Please bear in mind that the assessment may be scheduled in Central European Time.

Please note
If you are a non-European student, you may be eligible for a Zuyd Scholarship.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you good luck with all the preparations!

The iArts assessment team
More information / questions: iarts@zuyd.nl