Simple language
Welcome!
What is the Academy of Media Arts?
We are the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne.
We started 30 years ago.
Here you can study:
- art
- film
- and other types of media arts.
You can learn a lot
through arts and media arts.
And you can also use art
to talk about many different topics.
What can I study at the Academy of Media Arts?
We have a special programme here.
We call it “media arts”.
In this programme our students
can choose what kind of art
they want to study
and try a lot of different things.
They can decide which type of media
they want to work with.
For example:
- film
- film animation
- computer animation
- photography
- internet
- music
- literature.
They learn how to make art
with these types of media.
For example, how to:
- create and direct films
- write books and theatre plays
- compose and make music
- take and develop photos
- make animation or programmes on the computer
- and lots more…
What is it like to study at the Academy of Media Arts?
Students learn
how to work for themselves.
This means that the art projects
are really important.
Teachers help the students
with their art projects.
They help the students
answer questions about art, science, and research.
Students can work
in many different places at the college.
For example, there are:
- ateliers – pronounced like: “a-tell-yays”
- studios
- and laboratories.
The word “atelier”
comes from the French language.
It means: a workshop.
An atelier is a big room
with a lot of space to work.
The word “studio”
comes from the Latin language.
It means: work, or effort.
A studio is also like
a workshop for artists.
In studios students work
with lots of tools.
For example,
you can do film or sound recordings.
The word “laboratory”
comes from the Italian language.
It means: to work.
Students can work with special equipment
in laboratories.
You can visit the Academy of Media Arts
before the study begins.
There is a tour every year in July.
That means:
you can visit the places where students work
and see their art projects
and ask questions.
There is also an Information Day
every year in December.
You can learn all about
what it is like to study
at the Academy of Media Arts.
How can I study at the Academy of Media Arts?
The programme at the Academy of Media Arts
always begins in the winter semester.
That means: classes begin in October.
You have to apply
to study at the Academy.
You can apply between
the end of October and
February of the next year.
People who apply have to show
that they already have ideas
about what kind of art they want to do.
They have to give samples of their art.
That can be, for example:
- films
- photos
- sketches
- texts
- pieces of music
- computer animation
- film animation
- or other types of art.
People who apply
have to write an essay.
They get a specific topic.
And then they have to make an art project
and explain their thoughts about it.
People who apply also have to say
what they want to learn at the Academy.
These are their personal goals.
If you create a good project
and write about your work well,
then you will be accepted
into the Academy of Media Arts.
How many students are at the Academy?
There are 400 students
at the Academy.
Some students come from
outside of Germany.
Each year many people apply
to the Academy.
Usually between 60 and 80 people
are accepted into the programme.
How long does it take to study “media arts”?
The programme is divided into semesters.
A semester is half of a year.
The time it takes to complete the programme
can be different.
Sometimes it takes 9 semesters.
That is how long you have to study
when you start from the very beginning.
That means:
it will take 4 and a half years
to finish the programme.
If you already know
about a type of art
but you want to learn more about it,
then you do not have to study so long.
For example,
if you already studied somewhere else
or already worked as an artist,
then you only have to study 4 semesters.
That means:
it will only take 2 years
to finish the programme.
When you finish studying
and pass all of the exams,
you get a diploma.
You can also study more
after you finish your programme.
This is called: a doctorate.
Then you have to write a lot
about an art topic.
When you finish that,
you get a doctoral degree.
That means:
you are an expert about
a specific art or media topic.
What happens after I study at the Academy?
You can work is a lot of fields
with a diploma from the Academy.
For example, as
- an artist,
- a cameraman or camerawoman
- a director,
- a screenwriter,
- a designer,
- a producer,
- a writer.
Or you could start
your own company.
You could also become a teacher.
Who works at the Academy?
There are many people
who work at the Academy.
Some people work full time,
and some people work part time.
For example,
there are about 40 professors.
There are also about 30 people
who do scientific research about art.
And there are about 80 people
who do other important work
at the Academy.
What else is important?
The Academy of Media Arts
started in 1989.
The first programme
started on 15 October 1990.
There were only 25 students
in the beginning.
Last semester there were
about 400 students at the Academy.
Around 150 of the students came
from outside of Germany.
Student office
Karin Cordes
Juliane Schwibbert
Claudia Warnecke
Heumarkt 14
50667 Köln
Tel.: +49 221 20189 - 194 /
119 / 187 / 249
E-Mail: studoffice@khm.de
Opening hours: Mondays + Tuesdays from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. + Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
For enquiries or appointments, please call us, Mon - Thu 9.30 to 1 p.m., or send us an e-mail.
Winter semester 2024/25
Lecture period:
Oct. 21, 2024 until Feb. 14, 2025
Summer semester 2025
Lecture period:
Apr. 14, 2025 until Jul. 25, 2025
