Prospectus

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History (Research): Colonial and Global History

Master

Although the main focus of the ResMA Colonial and Global History is on your chosen specialisation, it also includes a number of courses enabling you to acquire a better understanding of theories on historical processes, historical debates and methodology of historical research. In the first semester, you will follow a course in Historical Theory (10 EC), in the second semester a course in Developing Research Proposals (10 EC). The rest of the courses (two Research Seminars (2 x 10 EC), one Literature Seminar (10 EC), 10 EC worth of courses from other Research Schools, 20 EC’s worth of Optional Courses, a Tutorial (10 EC) and a Research Master Thesis (30 EC) are very flexible. The student must get in touch with the Coordinator of Studies if any deviations from the ideal study plan occur.

Research Schools

See this link for the overview of the Research Schools. How to enroll?
1. Student must notify the Coordinator of Studies on which Research School course the student wishes to take
2. The Coordinator of Studies will then register the student
3. The student applies for the course by sending an e-mail to that Research School’s administration desk.

Upon completion, the student is required to hand in the official documentation stating EC’s, grade, and courses at the Huizinga Education Administration Office.

Tutorial

The tutorial is an individual course that consists of a series of talks with the thesis supervisor or other researchers. The tutorial is not meant as the start of work on the Thesis proper, but as a course in which students explore the larger historiographical and/or archival context in which the thesis can/will/should/may be embedded. The student must approach the tutor. If the tutor agrees, they together will plan the tutorial sessions during which the prescribed literature will be discussed. Upon completion, the supervisor notifies the Huizinga Education Administration Office of the pass/fail.

Year 1 & 2

Note: starting the Research Master in February means that the programme is followed in a different order. We strongly advise students to set up their study plan in consultation with the Coordinator of Studies before the start of the programme.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Year 1

Literature Seminar
Navigating History: New Perspectives on Maritime History 10
Circulation of People, Commodities and Ideas in the Indian Ocean World (1500-1800) 10
Decentering Global History 10

Research Seminar
The Business of Empire: Colonial and Imperial Entrepreneurship, 1415-1974 10
From Dawn to Sunset: The Rise and Fall of Iberian Empires, 1415-1999 10
Maritime treasures. Diving into maritime history and archaeology 10
Negotiating Power in Africa 10
You Are What You Eat: Gender, Class, Ethnicity and Food Culture 10
Culture and Conquest: the Impact of the Mongols and their Descendants 10
Connecting Dreams: Europe in Africa, Africa in Europe 10
The Decolonization War in Indonesia, 1945-1950: Written and Oral Sources 10
Asian Events in Early Modern European Sources: Information Transfer and Genres in the Production of Knowledge 10
Decolonizing orientalism, religion and heritage practices in colonial and postcolonial Indonesia. Local and global dimensions 10

Compulsory Courses
Historical Theory (ResMA History) 10
Developing Research Proposals (ResMA History) 10
Tutorial (ResMA History) 10
Research School Courses (ResMA History) 10

Year 2

Optional Courses (20 EC)
Optional Courses (ResMA History) 10

ResMA Thesis
ResMA Thesis History & Final Exam 30

More info

Objectives

The programme has the following objectives:

  • 1) To broaden and deepen the students’ knowledge, understanding and skills, and train them in the use of scientific methods in the field of history;

  • 2) To enable students to develop the following academic and professional skills:
    The ability to solve academic problems independently, critically and creatively;
    The ability to analyse complex problems;
    The ability to clearly report academic results, both in writing and orally;

  • 3) To prepare students for an academic career at a university for postgraduate programmes;

  • 4) To prepare students for a non-academic career in the public or private sector for which advanced research skills and practical research experience are a prerequisite.

Programme

The Research Master programme in History (120 EC) offers you the chance to determine a study based on your own particular interests and ambitions. With several specialisations on offer – each containing a number of specific subjects.
The two-year programme will provide ample opportunities to acquire general disciplinary knowledge and skills at master’s degree level as well as specific research skills. Much attention will be paid to the development of theories on historical processes, argumentation, historiography and methodology of historical research. The research master’s thesis should provide the basic components for a future PhD-thesis.

Structure

Literature Seminar 10 EC
Research Seminar 20 EC
Historical Theory 10 EC
Research Proposals 10 EC
Research School Courses 10 EC
Optional Courses 20 EC
Tutorial 10 EC
Thesis and Exam 30 EC

Specialisations

The History Research Master consists of the following specialisations: Ancient History Colonial and Global History Europe 1000-1800 Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence Political Culture and National Identities

Coordinator of Studies

Send an e-mail to mahistory@hum.leidenuniv.nl.