This specialisation is part of the Research Master programme History: Societies and Institutions.
New MA-students (including those still in the admittance procedure) are required to attend the MA introduction on Tuesday 7 September, 15-16h, in the LIPSIUS building / room 002, 15-16h.
Literature Seminar [10 ECTS]
Students start their programme with a Literature Seminar.
Research Seminar [20 ECTS]
Students follow one 10 ECTS Research Seminar in the first semester of their programme and another one in their second semester.
Historical Methodology [10 ECTS]
All students in the Research Master-programmes follow the course Historical Methodology in the Fall Semester of their first year.
Tutorial [10 ECTS]
In the second semester of their first year, students follow the Tutorial.
Historical Controversies [10 ECTS]
In the Spring Semester of their first year, all students in the Research Master-programmes follow the course ‘Historical Controversies’.
| Course | EC | Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Controversies | 10 | ||
| Historical Methodology | 10 | ||
| Tutorial (all specialisations) | 10 | ||
|
Literature Seminar |
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| Current Debates in Medieval and Early Modern European History | 10 | ||
|
Research Seminar |
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| Mars and Mercury. The effect of violence and war on international trade, 1400-1650 | 10 | ||
| Martyrs, myths and miracles. Religious minorities and their past in the Dutch Republic | 10 | ||
| Sexuality in Medieval and Renaissance Europe | 10 | ||
Optional Courses [20 ECTS]
Students take two to four optional courses, you can follow courses of 10 ECTS or of 5 ECTS. All courses offered at level 500 and up can be taken as ‘Optional Course’. These include the courses offered by the Dept. of History (subject to availability of space), but also may comprise MA-courses of other departments and universities. It is advisable but not obligatory to take these courses in the first semester of the second year of the programme. In many cases it is advisable to follow these courses abroad or to do an internship.
Thesis and exam [40 ECTS]
The Research Master’s Programme will be concluded by a thesis which will be based on original source research and which will be ca. 30.000 words in size. The Research Master’s thesis plus examination will take up 40 ECTS. The level of the thesis will have to meet high standards. In principle, the (shortened) thesis will have to be worthy of publication in an academic journal. During the examination the student will have the opportunity to present his or her research results in ca. 20 minutes. On this thesis and on required reading, the student will then enter into a 40-minute debate with an examination committee consisting of the supervising professor and at least one other lecturer of the Department of History with examination authority.
Literature Seminar [10 ECTS]
Students start their programme with a Literature Seminar.
Research Seminar [10 ECTS]
Students follow a Research Seminar in the first semester of their programme.
Tutorial [10 ECTS]
In the first semester of their first year, students follow the Tutorial.
Historical Methodology [10 ECTS]
All students in the Research Master-programmes follow the course Historical Methodology in their second semester.
Optional Courses [20 ECTS]
Students take two to four optional courses, you can follow courses of 10 ECTS or of 5 ECTS. All courses offered at level 500 and up can be taken as ‘Optional Course’. These include the courses offered by the Dept. of History (subject to availability of space), but also may comprise MA-courses of other departments and universities. In many cases it is advisable to follow these courses abroad or to do an internship.
h3 Objectives
General
After a five-year programme, the Research Masters student will have to be able to function as a beginning academic researcher, either in a semi-academic position, or at a university; the student will be well prepared to conduct PhD research successfully within the time limit. In other words, he or she will be trained as a fully-fledged academic able to solve complex academic problems independently, critically and creatively and to report the results with clarity both orally and in writing. The following end criteria will have to be met:
Knowledge and insight
1.Thorough knowledge of and insight into the content of the specialisation, and its basic concepts, apparatus, research methods and techniques and into the historical development of the specialisation.
2.Thorough knowledge of and insight into the interdisciplinary aspects of the specialisation, both with regard to other historical specialisations and to related fields (Law, Economics and Social Sciences).
3.Insight into the relevance of the specialisation in society.
Skills
1. The ability to independently identify and collect the literature and historical sources of the field using traditional and modern techniques.
2. The ability to independently study the literature and historical sources of the field and to judge their quality and reliability.
3. The ability to formulate a clear and well-founded thesis and to subdivide it into convenient and manageable parts of the problem.
4. The ability to give a clear and well-founded oral or written report of research results meeting the criteria of the field.
5. The ability to initiate and conduct a research project under expert supervision.