If you started your study programme in 2025 or later, your second year includes a minor space of 30 ECTS. In the minor space, you decide how to fill part of your programme. You fill the minor space with two Faculty of Arts minors of 15 ECTS each; one in semester 1 and one in semester 2.
In the B3 you have the option to take two more Arts minors within the 30 EC free elective space of the B3, but you can also choose to put together your own programme. You can find more information about this here.
We offer three types of minors:
The package is fixed for each minor. This means you cannot combine courses from two packages to create a new package. Some minors have more courses than 15 EC. In such cases, you can choose from the list of courses within that minor to meet the 15 ECTS.
You are free to choose from the full range of options. Unfortunately, it is not possible to take all personal lecture timetables into account when scheduling minors. You can therefore only follow a minor if your timetable allows you to take the 15 EC of courses that belong to the minor in question. If you encounter any problems with this, please contact your study advisor to discuss the possibilities or alternatives.
Exceptions:
In a language and culture minor, you will delve into a language area of your choice. You will take a combination of courses in language acquisition, language proficiency, linguistics, literature and culture. You can choose from the following language and culture minors:
Are you interested in the French-speaking world and would you like to learn to speak the language well? In this minor, you will work intensively on your productive and receptive language skills, in combination with courses on linguistics and cultural studies. You will learn to look at the French language and language learning processes through an academic lens. Lectures on social and cultural themes provide in-depth insights into French society. This will give you a solid foundation for a future job or further education in which knowledge of French is an asset.
Due to the language component, there is a sequence of components in the French minors: you can only take the French 2 Language and Culture minor, which is offered in semester 2, after taking the French 1 Language and Culture minor in semester 1.
Delve into the multifaceted world of German language and culture. The “German language and culture” minors combine language proficiency education in German with interesting content from culture, history, politics, literature and language into an interdisciplinary study programme. You improve your German language skills while analysing cultural turns, researching historical developments and discussing current social debates – all from a German-Dutch and European perspective.
Due to the language component, there is a sequence of components in the German minors: you can only take the German 2 Language and Culture minor, which is offered in semester 2, after taking the German 1 Language and Culture minor in semester 1.
In the Spanish Language and Culture minor, you will be immersed in the world of Spain and Latin America. You will also learn to master the language (up to C1 level). You will attend lectures on current-day issues in which the Spanish-speaking world plays a crucial role, such as drugs, climate change (Amazon region), and the role of indigenous language and peoples in the cultural and political developments of Spain and Spanish America. In addition, you will take alternating courses on music (reggaeton, tango, salsa, ...), human rights, the short story, the power of words or journalism.
Due to the language component, there is a sequence of components in the Spanish minors: you can only take the Spanish 2 Language and Culture minor, which is offered in semester 2, after taking the Spanish 1 Language and Culture minor in semester 1. If you’re already at A2 level in Spanish, you can start Minor 2 straight away.
In the Language and Culture Dutch minor, you will delve into the core areas of Dutch language and culture: linguistics, communication and literature. You will examine the peculiarities of the Dutch language (linguistics), the effective strategies to communicate in Dutch in different social contexts (communication) and the specificity of Dutch-language literature (literature). This broad palette will serve you well if you want to work in journalism, communications, education, heritage or publishing in the future.
There is no sequence of components in the Dutch Language and Culture minors, which means that in semester 1 you may choose both minor 1 and minor 3, and in semester 2 both minor 2 and minor 4.
| Minor Dutch 1 (Semester 1) | Minor Dutch 3 (Semester 1) |
| Minor Dutch 2 (Semester 2) | Minor Dutch 4 (Semester 2) |
The Ancient Culture minors give you a broad overview of ancient society. Who were those ancient Greeks and Romans with whom we sometimes feel so connected – certainly in Nijmegen – and who at other times seem so strange to us? What have we inherited from them and how do we want to relate to that? The Ancient Culture minors provide you with both the knowledge and the methods to explore these questions in greater depth and to relate them to your own studies. If you complete both minors, then you are able to apply to the Master's programme Roman Archaeology.
In an interdisciplinary minor, you take courses on a specific theme in which insights from various disciplines, such as (art) history, cultural studies and communication, are combined. Some interdisciplinary minors have more courses than 15 EC. In such cases, you can choose from the list of courses within that minor to meet the 15 ECTS. You can choose from the following themes:
In this minor, you will delve into the dynamic interplay between art and politics. You will explore how social and political themes find their way into various art forms – from visual arts and theatre to film and literature – and how artists take a stance within these disciplines. At the same time, you will examine the extent to which art can influence public debate, for example by sparking discussion, offering alternative perspectives, or challenging the established order.
Courses Arts and Politics:
Duik in de wereld van de cultuur, kunst, muziek en literatuur. In deze minor onderzoek je wat de sporen van vroeger ons kunnen vertellen over het heden en verleden. Erfgoed is het bestuderen waard, van monumenten en museale voorwerpen tot archeologische resten. Maar ook muziek- en literaire cultuur zijn onderwerp van onderzoek binnen deze minor.
Courses Cultureel Erfgoed:
Taal is een van de meest fascinerende menselijke vermogens. We kunnen praten over het nu, maar ook over het verleden en de toekomst. We kunnen grappen maken, ironie gebruiken en complexe informatie met elkaar delen. In deze minor onderzoek je verschillende aspecten van het menselijk taalvermogen: Hoe werkt het verwerven, herkennen, begrijpen en spreken van taal?
Courses Het menselijk taalvermogen:
In this minor you can choose between different courses discussing challenging topics like migration, the position of indigenous cultures, and gender-based violence within the Hispanic, German, English or French speaking world.
Courses Power and Identity:
In this minor you will explore the difference within and between languages and analyse how people learn a foreign language.
Courses Languages Variation and Multilingualism:
Leer schrijven voor een breed en hedendaags publiek en ontdek hoe je eeuwenoude verhalen nieuw leven inblaast! In deze minor leer je genres als nieuwsberichten, columns en recensies te schrijven en leer je hoe je klassieke en Bijbelse tradities kritisch kunt lezen om ze eigentijds vorm te geven. Zo ontwikkel je zowel academische lees- en interpretatievaardigheden als creatieve en publieksgerichte schrijfcompetenties.
Courses Woordkunst: de schrijfpraktijk tussen analyse en verbeelding:
Within their elective space, each study programme offers two additional minors that either provide more in-depth knowledge or intend to broaden horizons.
You can only take additional minors from your own study programme. There is no sequence of components. That means that you can take a Language and Culture or interdisciplinary minor in semester 1 and then take a additional minor from your own study programme in semester 2. Some additional minors have more courses than 15 EC. In such cases, you can choose from the list of courses within that minor to meet the 15 ECTS.
The list below only shows the additional minors of the English-taught programmes. For the full list, please see the Dutch page.
Once you have decided which minor you would like to take, register via Osiris Student for both the minor (under MINOR) and the individual courses that belong to the chosen minor. A step-by-step instruction can be found here.
You should do this at the beginning of July for the minors and the associated courses on offer in semester 1 and at the beginning of December for the minors and the associated courses in semester 2.
Please note: Minors from other faculties can only be included in the free elective space of the B3.