How can we understand the EU’s response to the financial crisis or to the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia? How do we account for the EU’s reaction to the refugee crisis provoked by conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa? What are Europe’s peacekeeping role and capacity?The master's programme in European Studies trains you to answer these complex questions. Because you cannot study Europe from just one angle, the programme examines global developments and multi-level governance in a broader context, combining political science, history, international relations, economics and cultural studies. This student-centred, interdisciplinary programme is among the largest, and certainly the most international, in Europe and has an excellent reputation.You will study the internal and external dimensions of European policy, governance and administration. The focus is on the underlying issues of power and influence, governance and culture within the European milieu and between Europe and the wider world.... [-]

Are you a socially conscious, critical thinker? Are you interested in politics and technology? And does the connection between innovation and society intrigue you? Then the master’s European Studies on Society, Sciences and Technology (ESST) might be what you are looking for.As an ESST student, you will investigate the relationship between science, technology, and society, from a cultural, political, economic, and historical point of view.

This programme is offered together with 15partner universities across Europe.You will spend your first-semester taking courses at Maastricht University. During the second semester, you will select a specialisation and write your thesis either at Maastricht University or at one of the programme’s partner universities abroad.... [-]

Taking an integrated approach to the study of the United States, the master's programme in North American Studies at Leiden University focuses on key areas in U.S. history, culture, and literature, with special attention to the influence of the past on contemporary social, political and cultural developments.

While the programme focuses on the U.S., you will also explore the role the U.S. plays in the region and in the world, as well as the impact of the region and the world on developments in the U.S.

Key areas of the programme

The key areas and major issues in the history, literature and culture of the U.S. that the programme explores in-depth include:

Designed for high-achieving students, Leiden University's master's in Middle Eastern Studies (Research) offers you unmatched resources and expertise.

Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Leiden University has a reputation for a breadth and depth of expertise that is unmatched in Europe. You can explore subjects that span virtually the entire Middle East both in time and geography.

Flexibility to construct your own programme

This two-year research master's programme allows you to freely combine subjects from seven focus areas: Turkish Studies; Arabic Studies; North African Studies; Persian Studies; Islam; Eastern Christianity; and Modern Middle Eastern Studies.... [-]

The Middle Eastern Studies Department at Leiden University is among the largest of its kind in Europe and a leading centre for academic research. The master’s programme in Middle Eastern Studies capitalises on this expertise in every way.

A brand new Arabic wall poem thanks to the celebration of 400 years Arabic in Leiden.

Learn from leading researchers in the field

When you choose the master’s programme in Middle Eastern Studies, you learn from internationally-respected academics. These active researchers bring you both in-depth knowledge on the most relevant topics in the field and the latest insights, often from their very own research.

Choose your area of interest... [-]

The two-year interdisciplinary research master in Latin American Studies addresses cutting-edge debates on the social and cultural issues in present-day Latin America and the Caribbean region.

An interdisciplinary approach

Leiden University's Latin American Studies (research) programme is your opportunity to explore the social, cultural, and historical narratives shaping present-day Latin America. Taught by international researchers, this interdisciplinary programme centers around the theme Latin American Modernities: Resistance, Revival, and Change.

Focus on one of three specialist areas

Explore the different forms of modernity in Latin America within one of three areas: culture and identity, state-society relations, and literature, arts, and media. A comparative, area studies approach to research provides a broader, global context to current issues in Latin America.... [-]

The master programme in Latin American Studies at Leiden University offers in-depth expertise on the Latin American region.

Explore current developments in Latin America

Taught by scholars from Leiden University's internationally-acclaimed Faculty of Humanities as well as our partner universities in Latin America, the master in Latin American Studies explores the most current social, political, linguistic and cultural developments shaping Latin America today.

You may choose from one of three disciplinary tracks:

Fieldwork research in Latin America

All courses take a comparative, area studies approach to ensure a critical understanding of the issues studied – many of which are unfolding as you study them. A research trip to Latin America immerses you in one of the region's languages and cultures while developing your ability to conduct high-quality scientific research and communicate professionally and effectively.... [-]

The research master's programme in Asian Studies gives you access to Leiden University's leading expertise in the countries of Asia from their politics and literature to their languages.

Benefit from Leiden’s renowned expertise

Designed for high-achieving students, Leiden University's Asia Studies (Research) programme offers access to unique resources and expertise. Asian Studies at Leiden University has a reputation for excellence that is unmatched in Europe. You can choose subjects from a curriculum that spans virtually the entire Asian region both in geography and time.

Flexibility to construct your own programme

You will be able to focus your studies on a region, such as China, Japan, Korea, South Asia or Southeast Asia, or one discipline, such as politics, religion, art and material culture, languages and literature, with the option to work with a primary language. A comparative, area studies approach to learning encourages a broader, contextual understanding of the issues at hand. The programme not only encourages intra-Asian comparisons but cooperates closely with the Middle Eastern Studies (Research) programme. This cooperation is institutionalised, for example, through a common introductory course on Area Studies.... [-]

The master’s programme in Asian Studies at Leiden University offers an outstanding qualification from one of the leading centres for Asian studies in Europe.

Choose from eight specialisations

The Asian Studies master's programme offers one-year specialisations on East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the History, Arts and Culture of Asia and the Politics, Society and Economy of Asia and two-year specialisations on China, Japan, Korea.

Learn from internationally-acclaimed scholars

Expertise on Asia at Leiden University is internationally renowned and spans the whole of Asia. Small classes give you direct and regular contact with your lecturers. You will learn from some of Europe's best scholars in the field, many of whom are at the leading edge of Asia-related research.... [-]

The research master's programme in African Studies at Leiden University is unique in continental Europe for the interdisciplinary range of subjects offered and the variety of perspectives.

A multidisciplinary approach

The research master in African Studies at Leiden University bridges the often artificially drawn boundaries between the humanities and the social sciences. The programme combines disciplines from the humanities, such as history and literary studies, with disciplines from social sciences, in particular: political science; anthropology; and economics. As a result, you have the opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge about different aspects of the African continent and its peoples, at the same time you are not bound by boundary constraints of any of the more traditional disciplines focusing on Africa.... [-]

The Master’s programme in African Studies at Leiden University is an advanced area studies qualification that combines world-class scholarship with practice-based learning.

Customised learning

This multidisciplinary programme offers you the opportunity to explore the African continent from a wide range of perspectives: historical, literary, cultural, socio-economical and political. At Leiden, relevance and real-world issues are at the fore. During your programme, you will analyse current events as they unfold and explore issues from a broad, comparative and global perspective. You will be able to pursue the issues and subject areas that interest you most in designing your own project and thesis.... [-]

Middle Eastern Studies in Groningen emphasizes current developments in the Middle East. You will study four core themes: history, politics, culture and religion. There are three specializations in the first semester: Conflict, International Organizations, and Research Seminar. The second semester is for an internship in the Middle East or for a tutorial. You conclude your studies with writing a Master's thesis.

What do we offer you? Prevailing views about recent conflicts in the Middle East with focus on Jihadism and the war in Syria. Understanding the role of the United Nations and the Arab League in the Middle East. Cultural approaches to the Middle East in film and literature.

The Master's track in European Literatures and Cultures is located at the Department of European Languages and Cultures. This international, interdisciplinary and multilingual environment offers excellent opportunities for research and immerses them in vibrant networks of experts across different European countries and languages such as English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.

The Master's track in European Literatures and Cultures provides you with academic skills and approaches that will prepare you to operate as a cultural expert wherever texts are involved: in the media, in institutions and in networks.... [-]

European Linguistics is a one-year Master's track of the MA Linguistics which is based on the strengths of the Groningen linguistics sections. It gives students a broad and attractive, but coherent and cohesive, range of options, oriented along the following approaches:

European Integration is one of six tracks within the Master's degree in International Relations.

European integration is a unique phenomenon. Nowhere else in the world have national states decided to a such a far-reaching form of cooperation and 'pooling' of resources as has been the case within the framework of the present-day European Union. Despite the problems the EU is facing nowadays, the economies and currencies, and to a certain extent also the political and social systems of the member countries, have become 'Europeanised' to a considerable extent. This fascinating development is studied in the specialization European Integration in Groningen.... [-]