Here you find answers to the most frequently asked questions to begin your studies in Media Arts Cultures in categories: General, Application, Selection and Admission Process, Scholarships, English Skills, Practicalities, & Special Rules. You may search by keyword in the box below.
General
Yes. Since Media Arts Cultures is an emerging field, there will actually be few applicants who have directly studied it. We are looking for people who are intreested in Media Arts and want to be a part of the future development of this field.
Media Art can be considered the art of our time. Arts created with or related to New Media is specific to contemporary digital life and is a driving force of current developments in the Creative and Cultural Sector.
Yes, it is possible to apply.
Application
There are no maximum limits. Regardless of how much experience, education, or knoweldge an applicant has, if the minimum requirements are met, the application is eligible.Students from all over the world are welcome to apply.
Applicants who have obtained a significant portion of their secondary education or their Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree with English as the language of instruction in one of the following countries can be exempted from providing an English language test certificate: Australia, the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, USA, New Zealand, South Africa or Canada. Find out more in the section “Admission Requirements”. If you have questions whether you might be exempt, please contact us.
Applicants who can confirm their Bachelor or Master degree was taught with English as language of instruction in all other countries are eligible to take the Versant English Test with a MediaAC Consortium Partner after acceptance into the program. Final enrollment is dependent on obtaining a VEPT Score of 56-60.
If you have successfully completed all your coursework by the scholarship application deadline and you expect to receive your physical paper diploma significantly later than finishing your studies you may request special permission. You must sumbit proof you have sucessfully fullfilled all requirements to graduate. This must be created by the registrar of your university and officially state that you have completed all requirements. Please note: For application as a self-paying student other deadlines and rules apply.
We assume that if you are interested in studying at the graduate level on the subject of Media Arts Cultures, you will have a motivation, a perspective and some experience with one or more element of the course. Previous study in Media Arts Cultures is not required. However, we are most interested in applicants that have a clear connection to Media Arts, Arts Cultures and Media Cultures. See the section titled “What is Media Art?”
No, this is not required. However, work experience can be a strong advantage for an application, especially if it has been acquired in relation to Media Arts or Arts Cultures. Work experience and contact to employer(s) should be clearly state it in the CV. The Admissions Board reserves the right to contact current or previous employers unless a letter/confirmation of emplyment is included in the application materials.
No. The MediaAC program requires at least a Bachelor degree issued by a university, quantified as three years of studies corresponding to 180 ECTS. We do not require this university degree to be in a certain field or subject. We do expect the applicant’s motivation to study in the MediaAC programme to balance his/her previous education, working experience (if applicable) and future career plans and that this balance make sense for playing a role in the future of Media Arts Cultures.
If you are taking the test before the deadline, you may submit the following as document #8. a. Scan of confirmation that you took the test, with expected results timeframe. b. Any form of the results. e.g. a screen shot of the score and confirmation of completing the online test. You must still submit the final officially released results.
If you have not lived in a Programme Country for more than 12 months during the past 5 years, you may apply as Partner Country citizen. This is the Ersamus+ Scholarship 12-month rule. You may specify under which nationality you apply when you submit your application.
Applicants are eligble to apply as “Partner Country” who a) come from a country other than a Programme Country and b) who are not residents nor have carried out their main activity (studies, training or work) for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in one of the Programme Countries.
Selection and Admission Process
Yes, you may apply. A 1st university degree in a certain field or subject is not required. We do expect the applicant’s motivation to study in the MediaAC programme to balance his/her previous education, working experience (if applicable) and future career plans and that this balance make sense for playing a role in the future of Media Arts Cultures.
To select the students for the programme, MediaAC partners will review all eligible applications. Each application is reviewed by two reviewers that assess the applicant’s academic quality, english language skills, motivation and skills related to the subject. Both reviewers will give scores which will lead to a ranking list of all eligible applications. The final decision on the selection then lies with the MediaAC Admission Board..
If you are nominated to receive a scholarship by being on the main list or if you are included on the scholarship reserve list, you will hear from MediaAC program during March, maybe in February. However, the final decision of the EU Commission and the confirmation of the scholarships will not be available until April or May. Students who are not included in the final review or who have been rejected for the program (and who are not on the scholarship main or reserve list) will be notified in February / March. Find out more in section “Erasmus+ Scholarship Process.” Please note: All these dates are relevant for applications for participation in MediaAC with an Erasmus Mundus scholarship. For application as a self-funded or external-funded student (without scholarship) other dates apply.
Applicants who are successful in reaching the reserve list will be contacted in case someone from the main list declines a scholarship. Those on the reserve list will also be eligible for external-funding, including other Erasmus+ support. Please see “Application – External Funding Scholarships”
Everyone will be notified whether they submitted an eligible application. If you submitted an eligible application and the Application Board did not place you on the Main or reserve list, You are welcome to apply again at the next deadline.
Based on the feedback you receive from the Admissions Board, you can submit your revised application to the self-funded / external-funded deadlines in April. You may also choose to resubmit the next year.
Scholarships
Yes, applicants for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship may apply to any other Erasmus+ supported joint master programmes. You are not limited to the number of programmes you may apply for.
No, all Erasmus Mundus students must study full-time and participate in the mobilities.
Yes, it is possible to apply.
It is only possible to obtain an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for participating in an EMMC or EMJMD once. If you already have been a scholarship holder in an EMMC in the past, you cannot apply for a scholarship for participation in MediaAC. In this case you are still welcome to apply to MediaAC as self-funded / external-funded student.
There are no maximum limits. Regardless of how much experience, education, or knoweldge an applicant has, if the minimum requirements are met, the application is eligible.Students from all over the world are welcome to apply.
English Skills
To be eligible to apply, applicants must prove they have sufficient knowledge of English for academic purposes in 3 ways:
1. English Certification Test (see list below)
2. Education in an English speaking/dominant country (see list below)
3. Employment in an English speaking/dominant country (see list below)
If you apply under #1, but cannot submit your test results by the deadline appropriate for your application. The following rules apply:
You must take a TOEFL or IELTS test to be eligible to apply.
If you will receive your test results AFTER the application deadline, and request the Admissions Board grant you an extension:
* Upload a digital copy of your test date confirmation.
and
* Upload a request to the admissions board.
and
* Submit your test results as soon as possible to mediaac(at)donau-uni.ac.at
Applicants CANNOT be granted admission without supplying one of the three proofs above.
There are no exceptions to this rule. This system ensure that all applicants are treated equally and fairly.
If you apply under #2 or #3, please upload a desccription of your proof. (e.g. see BA transcripts in country XX, please see work documentation from country XX)
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English Certification Tests:
(The following tests must be sent directly from the test centre – code 8773/Art History):
*TOEFL (PBT paper-based): 550 www.ets.org/toefl
*TOEFL (CBT computer-based): 230 www.ets.org/toefl
*TOEFL (iBT internet-based): 80 www.ets.org/toefl
*Cambridge ESOL: C1 www.cambridgeenglish.org
(Original or verified copy is accepted):
*IELTS (academic test): 6.5 www.ielts.org
Note: We do NOT accept scores from ”TOEFL ITP/institutional testing programme“, as this is something different than iBT, CBT or PBT.
Please also note: An English language test certificate may have expired if it was issued more than 2 years previous. We kindly advise you to check on your certificate.
or
Other acceptable ways of indicating English language proficiency are:
* Proof of a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree delivered in English from a university in Australia, the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, USA, New Zealand, South Africa or Canada, excluding online degrees, with the applicant having stayed in the respective country when studying for the degree.
*Proof of more than one year of secondary education conducted in English language in either Australia, the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, USA, New Zealand, South Africa or Canada. Applicants may be required to interview in order to check English Proficiency demonstrated above.
*Proof of having been employed in a job requiring english language knowledge for at least one year in either Australia, the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, USA, New Zealand, South Africa or Canada. (this may be proved by a reference phone call.)
Applicants who have obtained a significant portion of their secondary education or their Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree with English as the language of instruction in one of the following countries can be exempted from providing an English language test certificate: Australia, the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, USA, New Zealand, South Africa or Canada. Find out more in the section “Admission Requirements”. If you have questions whether you might be exempt, please contact us.
Applicants who can confirm their Bachelor or Master degree was taught with English as language of instruction in all other countries are eligible to take the Versant English Test with a MediaAC Consortium Partner after acceptance into the program. Final enrollment is dependent on obtaining a VEPT Score of 56-60.
If you are taking the test before the deadline, you may submit the following as document #8. a. Scan of confirmation that you took the test, with expected results timeframe. b. Any form of the results. e.g. a screen shot of the score and confirmation of completing the online test. You must still submit the final officially released results.
Practicalities
This will vary due to personal requirements and preferences. As a general orientation please calculate for accomodation, food and other amenities with the following estimates: Krems/Austria: 650-800 EUR per month (including 250-400 EUR for accommodation) Aalborg/Denmark: 700-900 EUR per month (including 300-400 EUR for accommodation) Honk Kong/China: appr. 9770 HK€ per month (including 4500 HK$ for accommodation) Lodz/Poland: appr. 400-500 EUR per month (including 150-200 EUR for accommodation)
MediaAC consortium will support students of the programme in finding accommodation, either through special arrangements with e.g. student dormitories or by providing the relevant information and contacts to accomodation providers. For the internship period, the host institution can provide support in finding accommodation. Please note that participants will have to pay all accommodation themselves and that MediaAC Consortium is not involved in any contractual issues related to accommodation (i.e. students will sign a rent contract directly with an accommodation provider and not with MediaAC consortium).
The allocation to a university where a student in MediaAC spends the the fourth semester is connected with his/her master thesis topic. MediaAC consortium will also take into account personal preferences and organizational issues (e.g. visa issues and an equal distribution of students among the partners hosting the fourth semester). Please note that the final decision for allocating a student to a mobility track and to a partner university is with MediaAC consortium. The allocation will be made during the third semester in connection with a proposal for a master thesis topic.
Please contact MediaAC Secretariat. We will provide you with an up-to-date information on the estimated costs for MediaAC programme. This estimation will include participation fees as well as subsistence, travel and other costs for the whole programme duration of two years. Please be aware that some external-funding sources will stipulate where the awarded student should choose to complete their 3rd and 4th semester.
Special Rules
No, a check of your Chinese graduation documents by Akademische Prüfstelle/APS is not required for the application process, but it will be required later in case you are selected for participation in MediaAC (no matter if as a scholarship holder or as a self-funded student). If you are selected, you should prepare to let your documents be checked during spring of the desired year of student intake. This will include a personal interview with APS, most probably in the month of May. Students whose degree was completed on location in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau do not require APS Certification
If you have not lived in a Programme Country for more than 12 months during the past 5 years, you may apply as Partner Country citizen. This is the Ersamus+ Scholarship 12-month rule. You may specify under which nationality you apply when you submit your application.
Applicants are eligble to apply as “Partner Country” who a) come from a country other than a Programme Country and b) who are not residents nor have carried out their main activity (studies, training or work) for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in one of the Programme Countries.