Programme and Learning Outcomes
Important international periodicals, debates and conferences have served to further strengthen the international perspective among historians. European, comparative and global approaches are gaining ground on the strongly national perspectives which have traditionally been adopted in historical studies and now call for a new generation of young researchers with international outlooks. The Research master in Historical Studies: Ideology, Mentality and Social Practice is a two-year programme specifically designed for talented and highly motivated students with international research ambitions.
This programme allows you to specialise in one of five chronologically and thematically differentiated areas that draw on diverse sources and methods. These areas are ancient history; medieval history; economic, social and demographic history; cultural history; and political history.
This programme also encourages a broad interdisciplinary approach to the humanities. This research master is affiliated with the Institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies (HLCS) and distinguishes itself through the combination of a disciplinary specialisation within historical studies and an interdisciplinary outlook on the humanities.
Criteria Research Master Thesis
The thesis requirements follow from the objectives outlined in the research master in Historical Studies. The thesis is the final component of the research master in Historical Studies. The general goal is to demonstrate your ability to conduct independent scientific research within your selected discipline. This means you can offer a personal interpretation of the selected subject matter and apply this to discipline-specific knowledge and debates. The thesis will reveal your ability to design and execute literary research with minimal supervision and report on the results in publishable form. In addition to a mastery of general scientific skills, the thesis also demonstrates your insight into the specific nature of the (specialisations within the) historical discipline. The thesis is based on relevant sources and current scholarly literature.
Learning objectives: Capable of designing and executing original historical-scientific research at a professional level. This includes:
(1) selecting a topic from the professional scientific discourse and devising a relevant and original research question;
(2) systematically collecting relevant sources and current scholarly literature;
(3) designing a methodologically sound and independent argument;
(4) presenting this argument in a clear and organised manner, in accordance with the rules of scientific accountability.
Method of instruction: The master's thesis will be executed according to the research proposal and under individual supervision.