Study profile

The Preparatory Year is intended for students who are not yet sufficiently prepared to be admitted to a bachelor's programme at the KABK. In one academic year you will be prepared for all study programmes of the KABK. You can therefore also opt for the preparatory year if you are sure that you want to study art or design at the KABK, but do not yet know which one.

The lessons take place on four days a week so that there is enough time to create work, to make cultural visits and to have a possible side job to cover the costs. In addition, there are five presentation days, various excursions, cultural visits and projects spread over the year. Finally, as a student you participate in the open day. The Preparatory Year is a full-time study with 15 to 18 contact hours per week.

You choose Preparatory Year if you

• want to make a reasoned decision for an art study. The Preparatory Year is for students who know they want to go to the art academy but cannot choose which study programme suits them best. During this year you can prepare yourself and make a good decision.
• need time to adjust. Some students (for example from abroad) need some time to adjust and run into problems in the propaedeutic year because they don’t have the time for this. Because of the Preparatory Year, they have less chance of study delay.
• feel the need to bridge the gap between (Dutch) secondary art education and the entry-level higher professional education of the art academy.
• want to get to know the department before you decide to apply.
• want to use professional facilities.
• want to meet like-minded people, experiment, discover and if you want to become a better student.

Does this study suit you?

Are you considering doing the Preparatory Year at the KABK? Then the following applies to you:

You are assertive, investigative, driven, active, on time, dare to make mistakes and learn from mistakes, let chance play a role, look consciously, analyse, experiment, evaluate and reflect.

Insights in this course

Listen to the podcast "In conversation with"

Are you wondering which department would be the best fit for you or were you advised to do a Preparatory Year before applying for a bachelor programme? Listen to Agata and Emily, two Preparatory Year students talking about their experiences of the course, getting to know KABK and finding their direction for the future!

Watch a video

In the video below, students, the coordinator and the head of the department tell you more about this one-year programme:

Good to know

Students who follow the Preparatory Year are not registered as a student and do not receive a student grant. Due to the lack of funding from the government, face-to-face education is less intensive than during a bachelor's programme. However, during the preparatory year a lot of effort and initiative is required from you.

In the event of early termination after 1 November of the academic year, it is not possible to get a refund of (part of) the tuition fee.