Programme description

The innovative programme of Contemporary Culture Laboratories, implemented within the discipline of Arts Studies, combines the study of contemporary art and culture in a broad civilizational, social, and ideological context with a practical, experimental, and laboratory-based approach to teaching. The aim of this study programme is to investigate, search for, and create new attitudes and ways of understanding culture, with particular emphasis on the tools developed within the field of art. Students have the opportunity to learn, through practical exercises, project tasks, and workshops, in collaboration with non-academic environments, how, where, at what cost, and under what conditions living culture is created today. This includes not only official and visible culture but also the hidden culture found in internet spaces, practised in subcultures or countercultural groups, serving resistance, survival, or class self-expression. Research and projects are situated in the context of current challenges, issues, and transformations, with a dominant perspective being an ecosystemic and interdisciplinary approach that takes into account the multiplicity of factors (economic, political, demographic, climatic) influencing the shape of the contemporary world. The programme prepares students for critical participation in culture and reflection on alternatives to the present; it teaches the integration of advanced theory with research practice and promotes experimental working methods, including the use of artistic tools.

The programme is designed for future collaborators in the public, non-governmental, private, or informal sectors, as well as art critics, curators, cultural institution staff, community life animators, and researchers of contemporary society equipped with broad interdisciplinary knowledge in the humanities, diagnostic skills, and organizational abilities. The studies prepare students for initiating and leading their own initiatives in the field of contemporary culture, both within formal organizational frameworks and through informal initiatives.

Information regarding Faculty

The Faculty of Management and Social Communication has the category A granted by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and outstanding rating awarded by the Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA). The variety of study programmes conducted by the Faculty makes this unit one of the best interdisciplinary faculties of the Jagiellonian University.

The premises of the Faculty of Management and Social Communication are located on the territory of the Campus of the 600th Anniversary of the JU Revival. The Faculty is located in a modern building that consists of well equipped lecture halls, classes and computer rooms. Study programmes at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication are known for: exceptional research and didactic staff; unique fields of studies and original study programmes not available at other Polish universities; possibility to get a double degree thank to agreements with European universities; collaboration with the business sector; comfortable conditions for studying surrounded by the beautiful and green campus, UJOT TV television and UJOT.FM radio; various research societies which reflect the versatility of research conducted at the faculty and its didactic offer. The study programme is offered by the Institute of Culture, which is a part of the Faculty of Management and Social Communication. Students have access to the modern library of the faculty the book collection is of which is constantly supplied with the newest books (in Polish and English).

👉  Learn more about the Faculty of Management and Social Communication

👉  Virtual walk through the Faculty of Management and Social Communication

Rankings, distinctions, accreditations

• Outstanding rating for the Faculty of Management and Social Communication awarded by the Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA)
• Scientific category A in the main discipline of Arts Studies awarded to the Jagiellonian University in Kraków by the decision of the Minister of Education and Science

Curriculum overview

In the programme curriculum, you may find information about the subjects you will attend while studying this programme. The programme indicates which subjects are scheduled for each semester of the studies, which are mandatory, which belong to the group of elective subjects (so-called optional subjects), which of them end with an exam, and which do not. Each subject in such a programme curriculum has its syllabus, which is a description of what students learn within the scope of that subject.

Student’s life

Time spent at the university is not all about education and class participation; it is also an excellent opportunity to develop hobbies and interests. Many research societies and student organizations operate at the Jagiellonian University, including faculty- and university-wide ones. These societies allow students to spend their free time actively, gain knowledge, develop their talents, participate in engaging, unconventional projects, go on research and team-building trips, participate in conferences, and meet fellow students outside the lecture halls. There are many student research groups at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication.

Students interested in the international dimension of studying can participate in a wide variety of exchange programmes, such as Erasmus+, Utrecht Network, bilateral exchange programmes, European university Una Europa, or the domestic mobility programme called MOST.

More than just studies

• Student online television UJOT TV
• Radio UJOT FM. Student, uncensored
• Student associations at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication
• Student Government of the Faculty of Management and Social Communication

Admission to studies

Admission to study programmes at the Jagiellonian University is conducted electronically in the Online Application System: irk.uj.edu.pl. If you have any questions related to admission, please contact the Admissions Office directly or visit the websites: welcome.uj.edu.pl and irk.uj.edu.pl.

Detailed information about admission to this study programme, including information on the method of calculating the result, qualification criteria, fees, deadlines, and a list of required documents are available on the Online Application System (IRK): irk.uj.edu.pl

Transfer from other university or study programme

Transfer from another university, including a foreign one, or change of study programme within the University is possible with the dean's consent after completing the first year of studies and fulfilling additional requirements established by the Faculty Council. For inquiries regarding transfer, please contact the unit responsible for the specific study programme directly.

Graduates

Culture and arts organizations, which are the primary target workplaces for graduates of the Contemporary Culture Laboratories programme, represent one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors in the modern economy. This term refers to organizations that are involved in both the production and dissemination of cultural goods. They take various forms, such as theatres, cinemas, film institutions, museums, libraries, operas, operettas, philharmonics, orchestras, cultural centres, artistic communities, art galleries, research, and documentation centres. They also include foundations and associations, and increasingly, informal groups.

These employers require their employees to have, among other things, in-depth knowledge of the functioning of contemporary culture, with a particular emphasis on the role of artistic tools, including the operation of cultural organizations. They also seek advanced competencies in critically evaluating contemporary culture and art, as well as the ability to participate in various roles, including as organizers, creators, and coordinators, in shaping cultural life. This may include participation in the co-management of formal and informal organizations. Employers also value knowledge of the contemporary context in which culture develops, including global crises such as climate, demographic, social, and political issues. Contemporary Culture Laboratories prepare students for active, creative, and critical engagement in culture as an area of societal life, where visions of repair and change are also shaped.

Further education possibilities

• Doctoral School, f.e. Doctoral School of Social Sciences
• Post diploma programmes
• Second-cycle programmes

Contact

The study programme is conducted at the Institute of Culture, a unit of the Faculty of Management and Social Communication. The Institute is located in the Campus of the 600th Anniversary of the JU Revival, so-called the Third Campus, in Kraków’s district – Ruczaj. For more information, please contact:

kultura@uj.edu.pl

ul. Łojasiewicza 4, p. 2.307
30-348 Kraków, Poland
Phone: (+48) 12 664 58 33

kultura.uj.edu.pl
wzks.uj.edu.pl

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