Avans University of Applied Sciences

St. Joost School of Art & Design, the art academy of Avans University of Applied Sciences, has trained artists and designers for over 200 years and works from Breda and ‘s-Hertogenbosch across five locations. Its teaching sits at the meeting point of art, design, technology and economy, and it belongs to Avans Creative Innovation with the Koningstheateracademie and the Business Innovation and Communication courses.

Avans itself was founded on 1 January 2004 from the merger of Hogeschool Brabant and Hogeschool Den Bosch, and now counts around 33,000 students on more than 50 courses, 2,900 employees and 21 schools in Breda, Den Bosch, Roosendaal and Tilburg. St. Joost offers bachelor’s studies in Fine Art, New Design, Illustrated & Animated Storytelling and Photography, Film & the Digital, with a preparatory New Creators year and master’s programmes.

Studio practice dominates: students work with AR and VR, 3D printing, programming, photography and film as well as ceramics, wood, metal and bio-based materials in techlabs and workshops. External assignments come from partners such as Submarine, Nickelodeon and NRC, and the academy takes part in BredaPhoto, Graphic Matters and Playgrounds.

Avans has placed in the top three of the Keuzegids hbo ranking of large Dutch universities of applied sciences for eighteen years running, based on the National Student Survey.