Three new Master's specialisations in History: ‘More in line with students’ wishes’
The Master's programme in History at Leiden University is set to change. From September 2026, three of the five specialisations will be replaced by new subjects that are more closely aligned with the field of research and students’ interests. One of these new specialisations will also be taught entirely in Dutch.
In addition to the specialisations in Governance, Migration and Diversity and Ancient History, students will now be able to choose from History of Inequality and Power, Beyond Borders: Global and European History, and History of the Netherlands in the World. Programme chair Ariadne Schmidt explains the choice of these particular subjects: ‘We were no longer entirely happy with the names and clustering of the old specialisations. With “PCNI” (Politics, Cultures and National Identities, ed.) or “CMGI” (Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence, ed.), students didn’t always know what to expect. The new specialisations provide a clearer picture of the programme and reflect the research of our staff more clearly. This is important because our teaching is strongly research-driven. With this new approach, the subjects, themes and approaches are now once again in line with recent developments in our field.’
The Netherlands in a broader context
Another change is the language: the History of the Netherlands in the World track will be taught in Dutch. This is logical, given the theme, according to Schmidt. ‘That programme explicitly places Dutch history in a broader context and also shows how contemporary debates on, for example, Dutch identity, representations of the past and the legacy of colonialism relate to an international historical context. This means we will be working with students using Dutch-language sources. It is therefore important that students have a good command of the language, and it makes sense to teach the programme in Dutch. It also appears that a Dutch-language master's programme meets the wishes of many students.'
Designing your own specialised programme
The Research Master's programme will also change: the various specialisations will be dropped. Schmidt: ‘This will give research students plenty of scope to put together their own specialised programme with courses from the various tracks. It will provide excellent preparation for students who want to continue in research.’
If you would like to know more about the new specialisations, take a look at the websites of History of Inequality and Power, Beyond Borders: Global and European History and Geschiedenis van Nederland in de Wereld.