The Master’s in Eternal Rome is officially called Eternal Rome: Transformations from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The programme offers an in-depth examination both of the city of Rome and its role as the capital of the Roman Empire, and of the representation of the ‘idea' of Rome throughout the centuries. Eternal Rome presents a unique programme that focuses as much on the transition between ancient and medieval history as on those periods themselves. A group of specialists from the fields of ancient and medieval history teach this specialisation. Their expertise also includes the status of Rome beyond the Middle Ages into the Renaissance and modern times as well.

Research Master Modern History and International Relations

You can take the Master's programme in Modern History and International Relations as a specialization within the Research Master's degree in History or the Research Master's degree in International Relations.

The two-year Master's programme in Modern History and International Relations teaches you to carry out independent academic research in the fields of modern history and international relations. You will explore recent developments in these fields and study relevant theoretical and methodological backgrounds. You will learn about subjects such as the international political economy, the history of cultural identity and European cooperation and integration.... [-]

Research Master Literary and Cultural Studies

The two-year Master's programme in Literary and Cultural Studies is a specialization within the two Research Master's degrees in Literary Studies and in Arts and Culture.

The programme in Literary and Cultural Studies provides you with an advanced investigation of the arts. You will focus specifically on the role the arts play in processes of cultural change. Also, you will study arts and culture in general and specialize in one of these art forms: literature, film, theatre, music, and multimedia forms.

The programme has a multi-disciplinary approach. You will study the arts from perspectives such as history, philosophy and sociology. In addition, the programme is closely related to the multidisciplinary research carried out at the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG).... [-]

What is freedom and why is it valuable? What makes an argument convincing? How do body and mind interact?

Philosophy is the systematic study of fundamental questions. Students are trained to think and write in a clear manner about topics such as the relations between mind, body and cognition, the nature and basis of moral judgments, the limits of knowledge, or the principles of social justice.

The Research Master Philosophy offers you the opportunity to work with leading scholars in the history of philosophy, practical philosophy and theoretical philosophy. It prepares you for an academic career but also teaches useful skills for other jobs.

The programme offers a core curriculum on philosophical problems related to ongoing research in the faculty, as well as many opportunities to pursue your own interests.... [-]

Why choose History in Rotterdam?

The Master History is an interdisciplinary programme: we combine knowledge and theories from both the humanities and the social sciences to analyse complex historical issues. An international and comparative approach teaches us to identify similarities and differences in historical case studies.

The international track of the Master History is titled ‘Global History and International Relations’. In this programme, two otherwise independent fields of study are combined to analyse international relations from a historical and global perspective. We focus for example on the rise and fall of great powers such as the British Empire and the United States. We discuss the historical backgrounds of contemporary geopolitical issues and show how the past itself is mobilized by groups and individuals to legitimize policies and to construct identities.... [-]

Archaeology in Leiden encompasses the study of societies and cultures from the past, aiming to reconstruct and revive them. Make a meaningful contribution to resolving present-day societal issues such as migration, globalisation and climate change, using your interest in the past.

Leiden's Faculty of Archaeology

Leiden’s Archaeology master’s degree has the most diverse programme in the Netherlands. Leiden also boasts the only independent Faculty of Archaeology in the Netherlands. The study programme offers various regional and thematic specialisations and the teaching programme is closely linked to ongoing research.

Our academic staff are involved in research all over the world, with a strong focus on field research. In addition, the programme emphasises ecology and geology, combined with both iconology and historical studies, as well as ethnoarchaeological, anthropological and experimental approaches. A combination of modern museum practices and developments in archaeological heritage management broadens your scope even more.... [-]

Master in Ancient studies

The Master’s program Ancient Studies does not adhere to disciplinary boundaries. There is almost not a single question which can be answered solely from an archaeological or literary vantage point. At Ancient Studies you learn to use that which is necessary, be it Ancient History, Archaeology, Ancient Languages or Philosophy. An ideal situation if you consider yourself both an historian and archaeologist, and want to view literature as a product of society.Questions you come across are, for example: Rome was an ethnic melting pot during imperial times. How did classical poets react to this, and can traces of this ethnic intermingling be found in studies of living conditions and artistic expressions? There are a lot of texts about dreams originating from the classical world (from Mesopotamia to Rome and Byzantium). Can we learn more about the people of antiquity by studying these dreams? And what is the influence of Latin literature on Dutch literature? Or: For once don’t compare Homer with Virgil, but with the Gilgamesh epic.Core moduleThe core module of this degree program is "Great Debates in Ancient Historical Studies". In this module, lecturers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam deal with a number of key themes from the field of Ancient studies that have been the subject of heated debates. You will write a paper on one of these debates. Depending on your background, you will specialize further in Ancient history and Archaeology, Latin language and culture, Greek language and culture... [-]

Master in Literary Studies (research)

The focal point of this programme is the interrelation between literature and social change. Fiction matters because it shapes the way we view the world, other people, and ourselves. It is through fantasy that we can begin to change reality. In this programme, you will learn to analyse the form, language and material aspects of texts as carriers of cultural, ethical, religious, scientific and political systems of meaning. You will learn to design research that combines perspectives from literature studies and literary history with other disciplines, such as cultural and (post)colonial history, environmental and digital humanities, global history and visual culture.... [-]

Master in Archaeology of North Western Europe

The Master’s programme in Archaeology of North Western Europe covers the period from the Late Iron Age into the Early Modern period. The two specialisations in this programme are Late Iron Age and Roman archaeology of North Western Europe and Medieval and Early Modern archaeology.Vrije Universieit Amsterdam has a leading position in research and teaching in the field of late prehistory and the Roman era in Western Europe, with special reference to Dutch archaeology, while archaeology of the Middle Ages and the early modern period is one of the specialisms at the University of Amsterdam. The two universities together thus cover 3000 years of Western European archaeology. This programme devotes considerable attention to settlement archaeology, the archaeology of sanctuaries and burial sites, integration processes in the Roman Empire and studies of city centres and material culture. There are close links between the teaching in all these areas and the results of recent fieldwork and other ongoing research, from Roman villa landscapes in the southern Netherlands to the shipyards of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) in the heart of Amsterdam.... [-]

Master in Mediterranean Archaeology

A shared strength of the UvA and VU Amsterdam is their long tradition of conducting research in the Mediterranean area. This can be seen from the large number of fieldwork projects in Italy and Greece, as well the museum collections in the Allard Pierson Museum. The two specializations interlink with the long, yet very current, disciplinary traditions of the UvA and VU Amsterdam, which include attention for the study of the basis of archaeology, objects and – for interaction and connection – also creators and users.

Two specializations

The master's programme Mediterranean Archaeology offers two specializations:Issues of objects and peoples... [-]

Master in Theology & Religious Studies

The one-year Master's program Theology and Religious Studies focuses on specific professional fields. In this master's you will be prepared for a professional career within or outside religious institutions. You can choose from various specializations that each focus on their own field. You will not only follow courses in which you reflect on a specific field or professional context; an internship is an obligatory part of this master's as well. Of course, you will write a thesis to finish your master's program. Throughout the program, you will be actively coached in your study progress and personal development.The five specializations to choose from are:... [-]

Neuroscience belongs to the sciences that in the future will have a large impact on virtually all aspects of our functioning as humans. Neuroscience has already changed the view we have of ourselves. This programme offers an answer to a need for responsible scientists, scientists who are sensitive to the conceptual issues in their own specific subdomain and who are, on the other hand, able to reflect and communicate about the broader implications of their field, clinical as well as societal. We aim at philosophy in neuroscience instead of philosophy about neuroscience.

The curriculum of PNS includes 30 ec in Philosophy, 36 ec in Neuroscience, 42 ec in Philosophy of Neuroscience, and 12 ec for the individual Master’s thesis, at the total of 120 ec. For details of the curriculum, please consult the website at www.vu.nl/philosophy... [-]

Master in Ancient History

The Master's program Ancient History provides two specializations. Each specialization comprises two core modules that introduce you to a number of important debates in the field in question("Great Debates in Ancient Historical Studies"). There is also considerable emphasis on interdisciplinary research.

Master in Literatures in English

The Master’s in Literary Studies, program Literatures in English at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam focuses on the relation between literature and visual culture. Rooted in VU Amsterdam tradition of studying the relations between word and image, this specialized interdisciplinary program will teach you to analyze the various ways in which textual and visual culture interact. The topics studied from this perspective range from the Renaissance stage to screenwriting, from the relation between poetry and photography to film adaptations of gothic novels.The courses in this program are closely linked to the current research of staff members so that students are involved in cutting-edge developments. You are encouraged to explore your own interests in depth using the tools and theories we provide you with, culminating in your own research project when you write your MA-thesis in the second semester.... [-]

Master in Philosophy, Bioethics, and Health (Specialization of Philosophy, 2 years)

The Master’s specialization in Philosophy, Bioethics and Health will provide you with the theoretical and practical tools to deal with ethical issues in health care and health-care policy.You will learn how to reflect on practical problems from a medical, moral, legal, political and economic perspective.The need for interdisciplinary reflection is growing as developments within society lead to new challenges in health care. Take the shifts in responsibility for example patients are expected to take greater responsibility for their own health and to ‘manage themselves’ and insurers are becoming responsible for both the cost and the quality of health-care provisions. In addition, there are many rapid scientific and technological developments to take into account: from knowledge of the genetic basis of diseases, pre-implantation diagnosis and IVF, to the use of plastic surgery for aesthetic enhancement. Then there are the problems of just allocation caused by the growing number of treatment options for all kinds of diseases and the growing number of people living well into old age. Such developments cause a change in the medical ethical agenda.... [-]