An Introduction to the Media and Arts programme

If you’re reading this then chances are that you’re interested in applying for TAMK’s Media and Arts Bachelor’s Degree. I’m a third-year Fine Art student and I’d say I have a pretty good understanding of the program and have plenty of tips for the application.

The program

First things first, let’s go through the program itself. The Media and Arts degree program is a Bachelor’s Degree, taught fully in English, and is four-years full-time studies worth 240 credits broken down like this:

• basic and professional studies (180 credits)
• practical training (30 credits)
• free-choice studies (15 credits)
• Bachelor’s thesis (15 credits)

The Media and Arts program consists of three paths; Fine Art, Interactive Media, and Music Production. In your first year you will gain a broad perspective of basic skills from introduction courses and then your first study module in the spring. After the first year you can choose from any study path of the many modules or courses available.

Studies at TAMK are flexible so you can customize your study plan to best suit you. For example, I started my practical training already in my first year and in my second year took many extra courses and projects. Now in my third year, I’m completing my practical training and starting my thesis process.

There are many options for modules and courses you can study in the program, so you can experiment with different media. You can specialize in a number of fields:

• animation
• applied fine art
• cultural export
• drawing and painting
• emerging media production (VR/AR/MR/XR)
• emerging media in sound design and music production
• user experience design
• entrepreneurship
• event production
• fine art photography
• game design and production (Game Academy)
• live event technology
• motion graphics design
• moving image
• music production and songwriting
• research, development & innovation
• sound design
• visual design
• web and app design
• working with customers

See ​the whole curriculum of the programme​.

Application process

Now let’s get into the part most of you are interested in: the application process!

I do want to note that I did apply and I am a Fine Art student. However, the application process is quite similar for all the study paths. And I did ask some friends for their tips when writing this blog post.

So the student selection has two phases: the first phase is a compulsory pre-task, based on which the best-performing applicants are invited to phase two, an online interview. I’ll be focusing on phase one.

The steps:

1. Fill out the official online application on studyinfo.fi (open January 7th to January 20th 2021)
2. Do the pre-task (published November 30th 2020)
3. Portfolio
4. Submit application (Deadline is January 20th 15:00 Finnish Time)

 

Let’s break down each of the steps:

1. First one is the online application at studyinfo.fi. You fill in your information and select TAMK as your study place option which will give you an application number that you’ll need in the other steps. However, the application opens January 7th 2021, so I highly recommend starting your pre-task and portfolio before that, then filling out the application and submit everything.
   Note for those that don’t know, Studyinfo.fi is the official and up-to-date website with all the information about study programs leading to a degree in Finland. It is open for anyone to browse.
2. The second step is the pre-task. It is a compulsory part of the application for each study path, and it will be announced on November 30th, 2020. The pre-task is based on the study path, so for example, create a photo story, or new music for a video. Your pre-task may have multiple parts so make sure to do all of them. There are specific guidelines for uploading your pre-task so read that carefully!
3. Thirdly, the portfolio includes work samples, a video selfie and a personal data form. This is where you get to show off your skills and personality! Besides the pre-task this is an important part of the application because you can choose any of your works to share that best represent you.
4. The last step and most important step is submitting the application, of course. Make sure to read everything carefully to ensure your application and everything is labeled correctly. The application is on Studyinfo.fi and is open from January 7th to January 20th, 2021.

Tips for application

1. Do your homework.​Do you understand the different study paths? Look at what students are currently doing and make sure TAMK is the right option for you. If you want to see what current Media and Art students are doing you can follow @iweektamk​​on Instagram.
2. Read everything! Read​ the entire pre-task and application process to ensure you’ve done every step.
3.  Give yourself enough time for the pre-tasks.​The pre-task comes out November 30th, so you have a full month before the application even opens to do the pre-tasks. Make a schedule, or a to-do list, whatever works for you so you aren’t stressing to finish it the night before the application closes.
4. Have fun with it​.Art is creative and can be fun, so don’t stress too much about the pre-tasks.
5. Show variety The​ portfolio is important to show that you have tried and interested in so include different styles and mediums.
6. Photograph your work in a good light.​You don’t need to use a fancy camera to take photos of your work, a phone works just as well. However, make sure you have good lighting, angles, etc. Look at tutorials on YouTube if you need to.

 

I hope you get a better understanding of the program and ease your worries about the application process. I wish you all the best and see you soon in Tampere! Don’t hesitate to contact me if you want more information studies at TAMK.

Where to learn more:

Media and Arts study programme

Art, Music and Media Week

TAMK Mediapolis blog