Study profile

The Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK) aims to align the past of fine art with its present and future. We embrace history and tradition and root our discourse firmly in the contemporary while researching and imagining the future of fine art as an indispensable contributor to culture, society, and ecology.

The programmes centres on the enmeshment of theory, research, and practice—emphasizing critical speculative reflections on art and its role in our societies and future(s). Therefore, you are encouraged to work across disciplines with ongoing practice to experiment, research, reflect, and contextualize your work. With the focused guidance of our tutors and workshop staff (and a range of guests and visiting experts), you develop and push your artmaking through peer reviews, project presentations, critiques, and tutorials.

You can obtain the degree in two different ways: by following the full-time programme or the Amalgam part-time programme.

Please note:

- The Amalgam part-time programme is not open to exchange students.
- International students cannot apply for the part-time programme, because a residence permit for part-time international students cannot be arranged by the KABK.

In the video below, students, teachers and the heads of the department tell you more about the BA Fine Arts programme:

Why choose the BA Fine Arts programme at KABK

• Our programme aims to give you the skills and confidence needed to shape your future as an artist.
• Our programme is studio-centred. It means you get a spot in a shared studio from day one.
• Our programme has an international, research-oriented approach, with English as the primary teaching language.
• Our programme has 27 dedicated artists, makers, and theoreticians to tutor and guide you through your studies. See a list of current tutors here.
• Our programme familiarises you with a wide range of techniques and technologies relevant to artmaking, such as labs in painting, drawing, performance art, and spatial practices, to name a few. As a student with us, you can access workshops, lectures, excursions, libraries, the garden, reading groups, and study groups to feed and enrich your artistic practice.
• Our programme allows you to follow specific courses, material labs, and workshops at the other six bachelor programs at the KABK, enabling interesting cross-pollination of studies.
• Our programme also gives you access to a wide range of courses at Leiden University.

Is the BA Fine Arts a study for you?

Do you want to study Fine Arts at KABK? Then the following most likely applies to you:

• You have a strong inner engine that helps motivate you to bike to your studio every day, experimenting, reading, and making work.
• You have a curious mind that loves exploring various materials and new techniques.
• You want to share your experiences, insights, and knowledge with fellow students and tutors.
• You don't mind (or even like!) using different writing techniques to reflect on your own making and those of your classmates.
• You love to study in an international environment, and you thrive being among students stemming from other cultures, gender identities, or have other favorite artists than your own.
• You appreciate the value of collaborative work and like contributing to and taking part in discussions.
• You fulfill the formal requirements to enroll as a student at the KABK.