Visual Ethnography (MSc)

Career prospects

Skills after graduation

Graduates of our Visual Ethnography master's specialisation are independent, critical thinkers with a creative and problem-solving attitude. They are able to adapt a broad range of visual methods to specific research problems and use a comparative and often holistic approach to both the big critical problems of our times and local manifestations thereof. This unique combination of skills and approach is highly valued and relevant to our fast changing globalising world.

Positions our alumni hold

Our graduates are well represented in certain areas, such as the media industry, development organisations, the government, education, municipalities, art and culture industry, and scientific institutes.

Some examples:

• Policy advisor at an NGO or governmental institution; 
• Scientific researcher / PhD candidate;
• Corporate anthropologist;
• Museum curator;
• Documentary filmmaker; 
• Communications and public relations officer. 

Go to the LU Career Zone for more information on positons and organisations where alumni of Visual Ethnography work.

Lise Zurne

What do you learn in the Visual Ethnography specialisation?

"Having finished this master, I can do both ethnographic research as well as work with audiovisual methods. This combination has broadened my knowledge and network and therefore also my opportunities in the work field. Working with film has taught me how we can tell stories differently. We experience the world multi-sensorial, that's why I want to represent it like that, also academically."

Laura Ogden

Where do Visual Ethnography graduates work?

"I’m now doing my PhD at Maastricht University as part of the MO-TRAYL project about the transnational mobility of youth with Ghanaian background in Europe (motrayl.com). My experience with visual ethnography was one reason I got the job, and has given me the platform to start experimenting with participatory visual and digital methods with my research participants."

Festivals & awards

Various national and international film festivals have selected, screened, and awarded films made by our students in the Visual Ethnography master's specialisation: 

• FIFEQ, Montreal (2015)
• Jean Rouch International Film Festival, Paris (2015)
• EthnoFilmFest, Munich (2015)
• Kratovo Ethnographic Film Festival, Kratovo (2015)
• Beeld voor Beeld Film Festival, Amsterdam (2015)
• International ASTRA Film Festival, Sibiu (2015) 
  • Best Documentary Student Competition 2015: ​​​​​​
    Ildikó Plájás - Swamp Dialogues (2015)
• American Society for Visual Anthropology Film&Media Festival, Denver (2015) 
  • Best Graduate Student Film Award 2015: 
    Nora Wildenauer - Fighting for Nothing to Happen (2015)