Historical, Literary & Cultural Studies (Research Master)
This Research Master's programme combines joint interdisciplinary training with disciplinary courses in one of the specialisations: Historical Studies, Literary Studies, or Art and Visual Culture. It has a distinct focus on research-related knowledge and skills, and places emphasis on the theoretical and methodological aspects of the humanities in order to contribute to academic depth, interdisciplinarity and future flexibility. Students are trained to gain a deep understanding of the complexities of Europe in a changing and globalising world, and of the changing world of which Europe forms a part.
This Master's programme prepares for professional positions that require advanced academic competence. It will equip you with skills requisite for such positions in the Netherlands and abroad, in and outside of academia.
Specialisations
Art and Visual Culture (research). Whether you wish to specialise in canonical artworks or forms of visual production like advertisement or YouTube videos, the Art and Visual Culture specialisation will develop your ability to research and analyse visual culture thoroughly.
Historical Studies (research). The Historical Studies specialisation is dedicated to rigorous historical research in order to obtain a deep understanding of developments of the past and to help us evaluate the merits of modern reinterpretations.
Literary Studies (research). In the Master's specialisation Literary Studies you will learn how to make new discoveries that will contribute to a better understanding of literary texts and how they function within society.
- ECTS transcript – If you are still completing your Bachelor’s degree, upload an ECTS transcript showing the subjects you have studied, your grades, and the number of credits awarded. Your Bachelor’s diploma must be uploaded later, as soon as you receive it.
- Bachelor’s diploma – If you have already graduated, upload your Bachelor’s diploma. A separate ECTS transcript is not required.
Note: Your Bachelor’s degree must be in the same or a related field as the Master’s programme you are applying for. The university will check whether you have completed enough relevant subjects and ECTS credits.
Important! View the full requirements on the university’s official website. Requirements may vary depending where you completed your bachelor education.
Applicants have to prove their English language skills either by an internationally recognized language test or upon previous studies. Usually English language skills can be proved by the following documents:
- TOEFL iBT*
- IELTS Academic
- A Cambridge English qualification
- Higher education degree completed in English
- Secondary education completed in English in a country or school qualification accepted by the university
- An English subject and grade on your secondary school leaving certificate that meet the university’s requirements
- Other
Important: Accepted methods and minimum results depend on study programme and the country where you completed your education. Check the official requirements for your chosen study programme.
*Use the Kastu promo code LTU1000102 when registering for TOEFL iBT and receive a 5% discount.
During the Master’s programme you will gain a broad perspective on the humanities in general because of the collaboration between the specialisations of Historical Studies, Literary Studies, and Art and Visual Culture. Through your personal Master’s research, you will also have concentrated on a very specific phenomenon in your own field. This combination of broad and specific focus will open a lot of doors for you. Our research programme has produced graduates that are appreciated by employees for their research skills as well as their insightfulness and analytical skills, and who have not only learned how to delve into large quantity of data and master it but also how to place their results in a larger context.
In short, at the end of the programme you’ll:
- Have acquired heuristic research skills at an advanced level.
- Have gained general knowledge of leading perspectives, theories, concepts, and paradigm shifts in the humanities and advanced knowledge specifically for own field.
- Be able to engage in the public debates regarding issues in the humanities.
- Have acquired English academic writing skills and have practiced writing a publishable scholarly article and a proposal for a PhD project.
- Have started to build up a professional international network.
Academia and beyond
This programme is initially intended to prepare its students for an academic career, in particular as PhD researchers. About half of our graduates find such a position in the Netherlands or abroad. The other half also do well and often find academic positions with research orientated duties. Examples include:
- Researcher at a cultural or scientific organisation or research centre
- Assistant of a senior researcher
- Teacher at an institution for higher education
- Policy-making official in the fields of culture and science
- Editor in the field of historical or cultural scholarship
- Staff member of a publishing company or and text agency, usually with regard to scientific, historical or cultural journals
- Curator of a cultural heritage institution or in the museological sector
- Consultant for a political party
