Introduction
Stepping Stone to a Career in Research
The History Master’s programme offers you research-based training in history as an academic discipline. We teach you how to do research, and we challenge you to develop your own ideas on topics of your choice. It is exactly because of this room for your preferences, as well as the many opportunities to participate in our ongoing research, that the History Master's programme at Utrecht University stands out. The broad range of expertise of our History Department pertains to the following areas of (early) modern history:
Political history
Cultural history
History of international relations and conflict studies
Economic and social history
The programme’s courses are taught in small groups by first-rate instructors. You will learn advanced research skills whilst developing historical expertise in your specific areas of interest. We will also challenge you to connect your work to ongoing scholarly debates and to reflect on current affairs.
To develop your skills as an independent researcher, you will have the opportunity to pursue a research internship with a variety of professional organisations. You can also choose to spend one semester abroad at a major research university. Read more about the teaching and research environment, including our teaching staff.
After Graduation
The Research Master in History is designed to train you to become an independent researcher in a speciality of your choice. We will help you develop your creative and analytical skills, but we will also teach you the tricks of the trade: how to ask the right questions, develop a theoretical framework, design empirical strategies, and report your findings. Our interdisciplinary staff will encourage you to participate in collaborative work – both within history and beyond. In your programme, you will have the opportunity to actively work on your career development.
After successful completion of the programme, you will be fully qualified to apply for PhD positions. Most of our students aspire to become academic researchers, but you will discover that there is a much broader demand for excellent research skills from the non-academic public and private organisations. We encourage our students to explore these job opportunities outside academia.
Summer School in History
Are you currently a Bachelor’s student enrolled in a different university or a different programme, and would you like to get a feeling for what history in Utrecht is about? Join the history classes at the Utrecht Summer School! This summer, we offer the following courses: European Culture and Identities, The Making of Europe: from Middle Ages to Modernity, European Politics and Economy, and 20th Century: Europe in Three Wars
Career Prospects
After successful completion of the programme, you are fully qualified to apply for PhD positions. Additionally, you will find that your excellent research skills are also in demand with non-academic public and private organisations. We encourage our students to explore these job opportunities outside academia.
Academic Careers
Our students have successfully applied for PhD positions at the following universities and research institutes: Biography Institute in Groningen | Centre for Terrorism and Counter-terrorism in The Hague | Duitsland Instituut in Amsterdam | International Institute for Social History | Leiden University | LMU Munich(Germany) | Maastricht University | Netherlands Institute in Turkey | University of Oxford | the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
Alumna Kate Frederick is a PhD candidate at Wageningen University. Iris Clever is a PhD Candidate at UCLA.
Non-Academic Careers
Our alumni are working in diverse jobs in which expertise in the field of history plays a role. Marijn Speth for instance, is the Founder of Linking Europe, a non-governmental platform for youth participation and works as a trainee for the European Commission. Other alumni work as:
Assistant to the Secretary-General of the Konferenz der Kantonsregierungen in Bern
Foreign News Journalist at press agency Novum
Researcher for the international executive recruiting firm Egon Zehnder
Policy Advisor of the Raad voor Maatschappelijke Ontwikkeling (RMO)
Facts and Figures
In the Spring of 2014, we conducted a survey of our alumni (56 in total). After graduation, they started working in the following jobs or positions:
PhD candidate (20)
Policy Advisor/Researcher (12)
Teacher/Lecturer (8)
Manager (6)
Journalist/Curator/Communication Officer (3)
Unknown (7)
