
MA History - Un/sustainable Societies: Past, Present and Future track
DURATION
12 Months
LANGUAGES
English, Dutch
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
EUR 2,530 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* € 2530 (EU/EEA students) | € 18700 (non-EU/EEA students)
Introduction
Could climate change have impacted the fall of the Roman Empire? How do societies historically cope with crises, such as flooding or warfare? How can we understand wealth disparities from a historical perspective?
The Master’s track Un/sustainable Societies: Past, Present and Future at the University of Groningen teaches you to utilize historical knowledge and methods to address contemporary developments regarding the (un)sustainability of societies, thereby making you an expert in this field. The track is unique in its focus to learn historians to comprehend societal challenges and to contribute to related public debates from a historical perspective.
Issues such as global inequality, environmental changes and democracy all have a long history. Knowledge of their history contributes to a better-informed public, concrete solutions and more sustainable policies. Therefore, you learn to identify, situate and analyze historical trends, acquire in-depth historical knowledge as well as advanced skills and methods to conduct historical research, and interrogate the complex interrelation of the past and present. With the aim of learning how to ask relevant questions and to formulate historical arguments in current debates, you will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for connecting the past to current issues and how to conduct debates on future challenges.
Why study this program in Groningen?
- A track in Un/sustainable Societies: Past, Present and Future with a clear professional and societal relevance
- An excellent track that offers a broad array of elective courses and the flexibility to develop your own specialization
- A clear focus on the historical roots of contemporary developments relating to (un)sustainability and the implementation of academic historical knowledge and methods in a practical manner
- A unique focus on employability with courses on methods and professional skills, as well as first-hand experiences through special projects and internships
- An international and pleasant study environment with many research resources
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please contact the university for more information.
Curriculum
The core of the track is the course The History of (Un)Sustainability, which introduces you to the key concepts, theories and methods relating to five key themes: politics, economic inequality, migration, conflict and environmental change. You will also be instructed on how to debate these themes from a historical perspective.
The course Masterclass is also characteristic for the track, as it trains you in various practical skills, such as project pitching, project management and grant writing, in preparation of entering the job market.
You will also choose a number of methodological courses to enhance your historical skills, such as Oral History, The Uses of the Past, Archives or Digital History. Furthermore, you will develop these skills by taking Research Seminars, which offer an in-depth analysis of a specific topic. The list of research seminars to choose from links to the expertise of the lecturers and varies each year. All courses prepare you for the final part of the Program. You will write a Master Thesis on a historical subject of choice to complete your study.
Courses
- Masterclass I (5 EC)
- Introduction into Sustainability (10 EC)
- Research Seminar History (10 EC)
- Historical Methods: Archives (5 EC, optional)
- Historical Methods: Digital Story (5 EC, optional)
- Historical Methods: Oral History (5 EC, optional)
- Historical Methods: Quantitative Analysis (5 EC, optional)
- Historical Methods: Quantitative Analysis (5 EC, optional)
- Historical Methods: The Uses of The Past (5 EC, optional)
- MA thesis History (20 EC)
- MA work placement History (10 EC, optional)
- Research Seminar History (10 EC, optional)
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
On completing the Master's track Un/sustainable Societies: Past, Present and Future, you are equipped with the academic and professional knowledge and skills that are required to work for (non) profit organizations, as you will be able to translate complex problems into accessible information and to analyze these problems from a historical perspective. Our graduates are able to interpret and to reflect on the meaning of the past itself, but also in relation to the present and future. You will learn to structure projects and policy documents, and to negotiate and adopt a diplomatic position. By doing a placement, you will get to know people from relevant fields and build a strong professional network. This Master's track provides you the expertise and tools to find general and specialist positions within a broad array of (non) profit organizations, giving you a clear advantage on the job market.
Job examples
- Policy advisor to businesses or governmental bodies
- Regional specialist in international organizations
- Editor or journalist in various types of media
- Supervisor in an educational or cultural institution
- Manager in an organization
- Policy officer
- Researcher