The MA History program Global History and International Studies focus on how the circulation of people, goods and ideas across the globe developed over time and shaped the world as we know it today. Courses deal with a range of subjects, from the “Great Divergence” between industrial development in China and Europe to unfree labor in a global perspective, the circulation of racial theories and global migrations. In specialized courses, you learn from our experts about the most recent trends. The choice of subject for your master’s thesis is free.

More than just the past

The program combines approaches from history and the social sciences, especially anthropology, economics and international relations. Courses deal with a range of subjects, from the “Great Divergence” between industrial development in China and Europe to unfree labor in a global perspective, the circulation of racial theories and global migrations. In addition to archival sources, students will acquire a basic notion of field research and the use of online sources such as diasporic social media and learn to work with digital databases in the field of economic and social history. Students can also improve their knowledge, network and skills by participating in activities of research institutes such as the center for Environmental Humanities and CLUE+. The link between history and contemporary political debates on migration, nationalism and ethnicity is discussed throughout the program.... [-]

The interdisciplinary MA program History: Medical and Health Humanities combines the history of health and medicine with a wide array of arts and humanities approaches. Classes explore the different ways that bodies and minds have been investigated and understood, and how these various ways of knowing shape everyday life, medical practice, and public health policy. Participants learn to contextualize medical ideas in the time and culture, and to analyze a diverse range of sources, including historical artifacts, comics and films, medical texts and health journalism. Drawing on methods from across the disciplines, students will broaden their tools of investigation beyond the written word to also consider the sounds, smells, and the look and feel of the past and its lessons and legacies in the present day.... [-]

The MA History program Religion and Society focusses on understanding the changing role of religion(s) in society from Antiquity up until the present. Courses deal with questions such as: what is the relationship between religion, politics and society since Antiquity? How can we understand the gradual separation of Church and State and new forms of worship, dissent and devotion since the western Middle Ages? And what has been the impact of broader processes such as secularisation, globalization and colonialism?

Long-standing tradition of expertise

The History department of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has a strong tradition in teaching and analyzing the role of religion throughout history. Religion is studied in its societal and political contexts and from a long-term perspective, which makes our program unique. Students are trained in the latest interdisciplinary approaches to study religion, including history, cultural anthropology, archaeology, philology and digital humanities. They can improve their knowledge, network and skills by participating in activities of research institutes such as the Amsterdam Centre for Religious History and CLUE+. The program has great societal relevance as topics such as clashes between religion and secularism, the entangled relations between politics and religion and the future of religious heritage are discussed.... [-]

Taught by cultural historians, art historians, architectural historians, archaeologists, and sociologists, the Dual Master's in Heritage and Memory Studies offers a professional, interdisciplinary programme in which you study heritage and memory from a critical, cultural-historic and spatial perspective.

Around the world, a notable change has taken place in the arts and culture sector. Whilst the sector was once predominantly focused on museums, theatres and concert halls, we are now witnessing a pervasive musealisation and Disneyfication of landscapes, urban areas and buildings, and even of immaterial expressions of everyday culture. This makes our urban and rural environment increasingly stage-managed and nostalgic.... [-]

The Master's programme in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage will introduce you to the theory and practice of conservation and offers nine specific conservation specialisations.

The Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage programme will introduce you to the theory and practice of conservation. In addition to nine conservation specialisations, specified under 'Study programme', we offer a track in Technical Art History. Our curricula combine theory with practice and humanities with science.

A conservator-restorer works on the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage, a field in which conservators and technical art historians, as well as scientists, archaeologists, art historians and anthropologists, play a key role. The conservator-restorer represents an essential link with the object or artwork within multidisciplinary collaborative projects. To become a conservator in one of the nine conservation disciplines, you'll need to complete both our Master's programme and Post-Master's programme.... [-]

In the Master's programme in Classics, you will combine linguistics, literature and cultural history to study the language, literature and material culture of Ancient Greece and Rome.

The Master's in Classics offers an interdisciplinary programme that embraces the many facets of the world of Greco-Roman Antiquity. As a student of the Classics, you will analyse representative primary sources much more in-depth than was the case during the Bachelor’s phase of your studies. Choosing your own areas of interest, you will explore a wide range of scholarly debates and learn to handle the academic instruments with which to contribute to relevant discussions. In addition, you will be shown how to apply your specialist, critical knowledge of Classical Antiquity to texts and other cultural phenomena from later periods.... [-]

In the Master’s programme Ancient Studies, you will explore Greek and Roman Antiquity through a unique combination of historical, literary, and archaeological approaches.

The Master’s in Ancient Studies is a multi-disciplinary, one-year programme that extends beyond the limits of written sources and archaeological material to explore ancient society and culture as a whole. It offers a unique combination of historical, literary, and archaeological approaches from which the student can make a choice. In addition, you can specialise in ancient philosophy or religion, and the study of one of the classical languages or Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian can be included in the programme.... [-]

In the Master’s programme Ancient History, you will explore the rich and vibrant history of the Mediterranean world during Classical Antiquity.

The Master's programme in Ancient History offers students a stimulating environment in which to study a broad range of historical issues pertaining to the ancient world. The course is unique in that it offers a joint degree programme in which the University of Amsterdam and the Vrije Universiteit collaborate, allowing students to become acquainted with the specialisations of a wide range of staff members of both universities. Students will follow a focused programme of courses and be able to develop their own interests within the field of Greek and Roman antiquity.... [-]

In the one-year Master's programme in American Studies you explore the history of the United States and its political, cultural, economic and military presence in the world, with an eye toward America in the world today.

The Master's in American Studies at the University of Amsterdam is an interdisciplinary, one-year programme taught exclusively in English. The programme attracts students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds: history, cultural studies, literary criticism, media studies and the social sciences. The lecturers are not only specialised in the field of American Studies but also come from an extremely broad range of academic backgrounds, ensuring that the courses are highly interdisciplinary. Guided directly by the academic staff, students will write an original thesis that draws on their own interests and expertise.... [-]

The one-year Master's programme Holocaust and Genocide Studies explores 20th-century genocides from the vantage point of different disciplines.

Genocide and mass atrocities are often presented in a way that makes violence seem inexplicable, thus inexorable. Similarly, perpetrators are portrayed as being actors motivated solely by an irrational hatred. And yet, genocide is a recurrent and contemporary historical dilemma. How can we explain this discrepancy? In the Master's programme Holocaust and Genocide Studies, we seek to demystify genocide by taking an interdisciplinary, scholarly approach to understanding genocide and mass atrocities.

Focus on your own specific interests

The two-year research master in History at Leiden University offers you the chance to determine a study based on your own particular interests and ambitions. During your studies, you will experience the riches and challenges of academia not only via frequent meetings with your tutor but also during the seminars in which staff members and research master's students discuss one another's research findings and exchange scholarly views and insights.

Specialisations

The Master of History at Leiden University has a wide-reaching academic scope. Its strong international orientation and focus on the study of European and non-European history in a global context gives the Leiden MA in History a unique character in the Netherlands.

Seven specialisations and a flexible curriculum

With such a broad curriculum, the master’s programme in History offers you the chance to specialise in niche subject areas not offered elsewhere. A flexible format also allows you to tailor your degree to suit your career goals. To help you develop a cohesive area of expertise, the programme offers seven specialisations each with their own thematic focus. Within your specialisation, you even have the added option of focusing on Maritime History, Political Debate or Economic History.... [-]

This two-year Research Master's track covers Classical Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Early Modernity in Europe and the Middle East. You will explore the similarities and differences between these periods. In addition, you will gain fundamental insights into the cultural changes that preceded the modern period.

The track offers three different specializations: in History (croho code 60139), in Literary Studies (croho code 60814), and in Classics and Ancient Civilizations (croho code 60039). Classical, Medieval and Early Modern Studies offers a multidisciplinary environment. Depending on your background and research interests, you will decide what your main subject will be. You can focus on history and choose between Ancient, Medieval or Early Modern History. You can also focus on literature. Then your options are Latin, Greek, English or Dutch Literature.... [-]

Ancient history is a dynamic discipline with a long tradition. In Groningen, Ancient History takes the form of a one-year Master's track with a full-time and a part-time variant. Ancient History in Groningen covers the whole of antiquity, from archaic Greece to the late Roman Empire. We have a particular focus on the political cultural and religious connectivities of the Mediterranean world. We take an interdisciplinary approach especially with archaeology and religious studies. We integrate theoretical approaches and digital humanities in our teaching. In addition to elite culture, we are also interested in aspects of daily life – besides literary sources, we focus on inscriptions, papyri and archaeological sources as cultural objects that cast a radically different light on the ancient world.... [-]

The Master's degree programme in Classics and Ancient Civilizations consists of two tracks:

In the Classical Studies degree programme, we take an academic approach to various themes from Antiquity. You will learn how to critically assess written and material sources. You can opt for a more language-oriented or a less language-oriented curriculum. In the Ancient History specialization, we take a historical approach to the period from Hellenism to Late Antiquity. In addition to literary sources, you will use inscriptions, papyri and archaeological sources to cast a different light on the ancient world. Both tracks are concluded with a thesis, following which you will be awarded a Master of Arts degree in Classics and Ancient Civilizations. This Master's degree programme is also available as a part-time variant.... [-]