Master's Programme in Film and Media - The Art of Impact

The first year, method courses within The Art of Impact are given that consider how we can create audio visual stories that can help influence society, what limitations and challenges one can face as an artist, what a socially engaged content can be and how you come up with effective ideas by understanding the audience at advanced level.

Within the lab courses you explore themes, expressions, formats and more. Furthermore, you develop your creative processes under supervision and will formulate and solve advanced artistic and design problems. During the first year, you will also develop a research question in narrative film and media and formulate a method for exploring it.

During the second year, you will complete a degree project as well as an exposition in text or an extended text format of your work and how you have approached your question. The degree project can be a close-up study of a process in one's own practical artistic work. Explore an event in your own storytelling. The study can also include comparisons with other people's work and methods and reflections on it. The work is based on a research question and is presented in the form of a practical work and written text.

The Art of Impact is a low-residency programme with 1–2 four-day residencies each semester in Stockholm and spread out across Europe. These residencies serve as a source of inspiration putting you as a student closer to a broad spectrum of current events and networks. Each student receives a travel grant. In-between the residencies the education will be online. The premises at Stockholm University of the Arts are open for you throughout the programme.

Semester overview for the specialisation

Semester 1

Methods in Artistic Research I, 7.5 credits
Laboratory Course - Research Preparation, Idea Formation and Method Formulation, 7.5 credits
Method Course in Specialisation, The Art of Impact, part I, 7.5 credits
Laboratory Course individual, 7.5 credits

Semester 2

Methods in Artistic Research II, 7.5 credits
Elective Programme Course, 7.5 credits
Method Course in Specialisation, The Art of Impact, part II 7.5 credits
Laboratory Course individual, 7.5 credits

Semester 3

Documenting Artistic Practice, 7.5 credits
Elective Uniarts Course, 7.5 credits
Laboratory Course - Advanced Project Work, 15 credits

Semester 4

Degree Project I, 15 credits
Degree Project II – Exposition, 15 credits

General entry requirement: for studies at the second cycle which means a Bachelor degree.

Specific entry requirement:

• Degree of a Bachelor of Fine Arts, or for the programme other relevant Bachelor Degree
• English 6
• Pass on the qualification test showing artistic ability in the specialisation applied for.
• 15 credits and a degree project within, for the specialisation applied for, a relevant specialisation from the Bachelor's programme in Film and Media, or equivalent.

You can read more about the admission process including qualification test and selction here.

If you don’t fulfil the formal entry requirements for the programme you may apply for recognition of prior learning, in other words that the knowledge and competence you have acquired through other activities are assessed as the equivalent of the formal merits that are required. Submit your application for recognition of prior learning with your application for the programme. Submit at universityadmissions.se under My pages/Documents/Documents/Provide educational documents. 

You may also apply for an exemption/a waiver, that allows you to proceed to the selection process even though you don’t meet the general admission requirements. Submit your application for an exemption/a waiver together with your application.

Read more about how you can show that you meet the entry requirements (that you are eligible).

Read more about recognition of prior learning.

Start your application early

Don’t delay in submitting your application! You may run into trouble if you wait until the last day and your internet connection happens to be down, or you find that your files are in the wrong format. You will not be able to apply once the last date for applications has passed. Keep in mind that your application has to be turned in by 23:59 (Swedish time).

You apply to the programme in two steps

1. Apply to the programme via universityadmissions.se     
Last day for application: 15 January 2026.
Please note! Choose “Autumn 2026” when you search for the course at universityadmissions.se.

Please note that you need to submit supporting documents showing that you meet the entry requirements via universityadmissions.se under My pages/Documents/Documents/Provide educational documents.

Last day to submit supporting documentation: 2 February 2026. Please note that this does not apply to any work samples that may be used as qualification test, see below.

2. Submit your work sample via Varbi (according to instructions below) 
Last day to submit work samples via Varbi: 15 January 2026.

Instructions for work samples

You need to upload the work samples below via Varbi to prove the special entry requirement ‘Passed qualification test’ and to participate in the selection process. Only files uploaded in the current admission round are valid for the qualification test and the selection process.

If you have used AI tools/AI techniques to produce or process video, image, audio or text in any of your artistic works or submitted work samples, we expect you to disclose and describe your use and production process. 

1. Motivation letter

Outline why you have applied and your motivation to study this programme. Maximum 1 A4 (about 2000 characters including spaces). Please write in English. Use pdf. 

Please answer the following questions in your letter:

• Why are you applying to this programme? 
• What are your expectations of the programme, what do you hope to learn and develop?

2. Your CV

Include your educational and professional background, as well as any other relevant experiences you wish to highlight. Please write in English. Use pdf (maximum 150 MB/file).

3. A project idea, artistic exploration or research topic

Maximum 3 A4 pages, approx. 6000 characters including spaces. Please write in English. Use pdf (maximum 150 MB/file). 

Describe an idea you would like to explore during the course of the programme. This may be an artistic project, exploration, or research topic. The idea should have the potential to be developed into a degree project within the framework of the Master's Programme of Film and Media - The Art of Impact. You will have an opportunity to revise or change your idea during the course of the programme. 

Elaborate on your thought process around your artistic choices in relation to relevant social and aesthetic aspects of your chosen specialisation, and demonstrate an awareness of the importance of art in society.

4. A clip

Max 2 min. Please use video formats mov, mp4 or avi, or audio formats mp3, wav, m4a or aiff (maximum 150 MB/file).

Please create a visual (moving images, animation, or still images) and/or audio piece depicting something that has caught your interest recently. 

5. Work sample 

Max 5 min. Please choose video- or audioformat. Please use video formats mov, mp4 or avi, or audio formats mp3, wav, m4a or aiff (maximum 150 MB/file). 

Please upload a work sample, or part of a piece, from your portfolio, which you believe illustrates your craft and abilities within the chosen specialisation in the best possible way.

6. Describe the working process and your role in the submitted work samples

Please include a document of half an A4 (ca 1000 characters including spaces). Please write in English. Use pdf format. 

Please prepare a short description of your working process or role in the projects for each submitted work sample. 

You may need to resize the video before uploading it.

Read more here about reduce video size and What is Bitrate.

Proceed as follow to upload work samples via Varbi:

• Register by providing name and e-mail address.
• Fill in you contact information.
• Please note! Fill in the application number you received when submitting your application to the course via universityadmissions.se.
• Submit the requested documents/files.
• Please name the document/file with content and your name for example: CV_ first name_ family name.

Confirmation that you have submitted your work samples via Varbi

When you've submitted your work samples you will receive a confirmation to the e-mail address that you’ve stated. If you don’t receive a confirmation e-mail, you should first check your spam filter. If the confirmation e-mail is not there, contact Varbi's technical support.

E-mail: support@varbi.com 
Phone: +46 520 580 050 (weekdays 08:30–12:00 and 13:00–16:30).

Important dates for your application 

• Last day for applications: 15 January 2026.
  Please note! Choose “Autumn 2026” when you search for the programme at universityadmissions.se.
• Last day to submit supporting documentation for entry requirements: 2 February 2026. * Please note that this does not apply to any work samples that may be used as qualification test.
• Last day to pay the application fee or prove that you are not required to pay the fees: 2 February 2026 (read more under Application and tuition fees below). Submit passport/identification card on universityadmissions.se under My Pages/Documents/Provide identity documents.
• Admission results: Published on My pages on universityadmissions.se 5 May 2026.  
• Last day to reply to possible course offer: 18 May 2026. 

* 5 July 2026 is deadline for you who need to submit proficiency test in English or Swedish.
Deadline for Diploma of Bachelor’s Degree and transcript of records for you who are currently studying the last term of your Bachelor’s Programme, is by the time for course start.

You can read more about the admission process including qualification test and selction here.

The assessment of entry requirements and selection take place in several stages.

The assessment of formal merits/grades is carried out by the Swedish Council for Higher Education and the Educational Deparment.

The assessment of artistic merits is carried out by an admission group from SKH consisting of teachers from the field. A student representative may also participate in the admissions process, but will not make any decisions. Recognition of prior learning is assessed by an appointed teacher. 

You can read more about the admission process including qualification test and selction here.

After each stage of the process there will be a decision on who will proceed to the next step. Everyone is informed of whether they will proceed or not.

If you are a citizen of Sweden, another EU or EEA country or or Switzerland you are not required to pay application or tuition fees. Some other groups are also exempt from the requirement to pay application and study fees.

If you are not a citizen of Sweden, another EU or EEA country or or Switzerland you are required to pay application and tuition fees. The level of the study fees depends on which course/programme they are for, and the level is set in order to cover the actual costs of the course/programme in question. SKH has some possibilities of offering scholarships that cover the study fees for programmes.

If you are required to pay an application fee, the Swedish Council for Higher Education needs to receive your payment by the last date for paying the application fee. The application fee is SEK 900. If you are required to pay the application fee and the Swedish Council for Higher Education has not received your payment by the last date for paying the tuition fee, they will not process your application. Read more here.

The tuition fee for students liable to pay the tuition fee is SEK 336,500 for the first semester and SEK 1,346,000 for the entire programme. Applies to programme starting in autumn 2026.

Scholarships to Cover the Tuition Fee

If you are obliged to pay a tuition fee you can apply for a scholarship which covers the tuition fee. The scholarship does not cover any private costs during your studies. Please note that you still need to pay an application fee (900 SEK). The application fee is non-refundable.

Read more about tuition fees and scholarships.