History (research) Leiden University

Overview

The two-year History Research Master programme offers advanced training in historical research across four thematic tracks. You will engage with interdisciplinary methods, conduct original research, and benefit from close mentorship and partnerships with academic and heritage institutions—ideal preparation for a PhD or research-focused career.

Focus on your own research interests

Within the Research Master’s programme, you can tailor your own curriculum to suit your specific research interests and skills. You have the freedom to choose and combine thematic courses across the four tracks offered in the regular MA:

• Ancient History
• Global and European History
• History of Inequality and Power
• Geschiedenis van Nederland in de Wereld

The courses on research design, historical theory and methodology will help you prepare for your thesis. Through external and internal traineeships, the programme enables you to participate in cutting edge projects and to further develop your talents.

What you will learn

Future employers are interested not only in the subject-related knowledge that you acquired during your study programme, but also in the ‘transferable skills’. These include cognitive skills, such as critical thinking, reasoning and argumentation and innovation; intrapersonal skills, such as flexibility, initiative, appreciating diversity and metacognition; and interpersonal skills, such as communication, accountability and conflict resolution. In short, they are skills that all professionals need in order to perform well.

It is therefore important that during your study programme you not only acquire as much knowledge as possible about your subject, but also are aware of the skills you have gained and the further skills you still want to learn. The course descriptions in the e-Prospectus of the ResMA History include, in addition to the courses’ learning objectives, a list of the skills that they aim to develop.

The skills you may encounter in the various courses are:

• Collaboration
• Persuasion
• Research
• Self-directed learning
• Creative thinking

Career prospects

As a graduate of the Research Master in History at Leiden University, you will be qualified to work as a junior academic researcher – either in a semi-academic position or at a university. You will be able to solve complex academic problems independently, critically and creatively, and report on these results with clarity both in writing and verbally.

If you are interested in a career outside of academics you will discover that the depth and scope of the Research Master's in History allows you to successfully venture on a career in education, administration, heritage, journalism, business, and many more.

What our graduates do

• PhD candidate at a university in England
• PhD candidate at a Dutch university
• Assistant publisher at a large publishing house
• Online content specialist at a PR company
• Project officer for video and audio-visual collections at a provincial archive
• Junior researcher at a municipal Court of Audit
• Policy officer at a city council
• Researcher and teaching staff member at Leiden University
• Communications advisor at a consultancy firm
• Coordinating strategy advisor at a ministry of security and justice
• Curator at a gallery

If you are interested in a career in teaching, you can apply for the Dutch-taught teacher-training MA at the ICLON Graduate School of Education after graduating from the master’s programme.

Accreditation

Accredited by NVAO, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.