The Institute for Media and information Management (MIM)

Introduction

The MIM is part of the Amsterdam University of Professional Education (Hogeschool van Amsterdam, HvA). More information about the HvA can be found at http://www.international.hva.nl/index.html.

The MIM employs around 100 lecturers and support staff to provide full-time education to 3000 students in the form of a four year Dutch language bachelor programme. The MIM recently started to ‘internationalise’ its curriculum, a process that will take a number of years and ultimately establish student exchange programmes with a limited number of foreign educational institutes.

Organisation and curriculum

Each academic year is divided into four eleven-week periods. Our programme consists of a common foundation year after which students choose one of five specialisations: Media and Information, Editing and Media Production, Media, Marketing and Publishing, Advertising, Marketing and Communication, and Journalism and Multimedia.

Our education is competency based and provides students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required by today’s media, communication and information management industries. Each specialisation has its own set of competencies. Students work on realistic projects (such as designing a promotional campaign) in groups as well as individually. They also gain work experience in two placements, one in year two (10 weeks) and one in year three or four (20 weeks). The HvA introduced the major/minor system system in 2006/7 and minors are completed mostly in the final two periods of year three.

In year four, students write their final paper in the last two periods, often based on research done for a company or organisation.