Europe 1000-1800 (MA)

About the programme

During the Europe 1000-1800 programme you will learn from inspired academics. Find out more about the programme below.

Programme structure

Literature Seminar, 10 EC
Research Seminar, 10 EC
Research Workshop, 5 EC
Academic Skills and Thesis Seminar, 5 EC
Optional Courses, 10 EC
Thesis and Exam, 20 EC

Literature and research seminars

In our literature seminar, you will learn how to work with comparative approaches, comparing and contrasting historical experiences across the globe. You contextualise and test hypotheses drawn from these comparative approaches in research seminars dedicated to conducting original historical research, working on armies and navies, diplomats and rulers, religious and mercantile networks, local and transregional communities in and across Europe, the Baltic and Black Sea regions and the Mediterranean.

Research workshop

Our research workshop takes a hands-on approach, teaching you to identify and interpret primary sources, discuss relevant historiography and design new research questions. In your master’s thesis you apply the insights you have gained, by developing a research project of your own choice. Such theses frequently lead to publications.

Claire Weeda

Researcher and University Lecturer

"Europe 1000-1800 offers multi-faceted research-based seminars in which collective identities are explored in relation to networks of commerce and communication, negotiations between rulers and subjects, and the transfer of knowledge and ideas. This dynamic approach, connecting the regional to global, allows us to unravel complex processes tapping a broad range of primary sources from local to international archives and libraries."

Friendly atmosphere

"One of the great benefits of the Europe 1000-1800 program is the friendly and informal atmosphere. We frequently organize extracurricular seminars and drinks afterwards, which are attended by students and faculty members and where ideas and plans can be discussed. Many seminars are based on own research and this is stimulating to both students and staff."

Career

"Researching European or global history requires a certain set of skills, which in general often seems to be acknowledged by employers in and beyond academia. Some students will go on to write obtain a PhD. Many pursue careers working in journalism, at museums and cultural institutions, publishing houses, as policy advisors or in diplomacy. They often hold intellectually engaging positions that demand analytical, organizational and good writing skills. Students of premodern and early modern history are generally highly regarded for their language skills, their specific and often detailed knowledge and their ability to apply abstract concepts."

Following individual paths

"Past experience has learned that internships in particular motivate students as well as offering them valuable contacts and insights into how to use their skills and knowledge outside of the university. Together we try to find internships that are individually tailored to students’ interests. Researching topics of individual interest is also encouraged in the thesis seminar. I think this is one of the most important aspects of the programme: students are encouraged to follow their individual academic paths, yet are offered a broad itinerary on their way."

Detailed programme

Europe 1000-1800
Course	EC
Comparing and Connecting: Medieval and Early Modern Worlds	10
Comparing and Connecting: Medieval and Early Modern Worlds	10
Gender and Politics in Premodern Europe	10
In the Wings of Power: The Problem & Purveyors of Political Advice,1200-1800	10
Research Workshop: Historical Sources and Questions in the Urban Arena	5
Research Workshop: Historical Sources and Questions in the Urban Arena	5
Academic Skills and Thesis Seminar (semester I)	5
Academic Skills and Thesis Seminar (semester II)	5
MA Thesis History	20

Electives
Course	EC
Comparing and Connecting: Medieval and Early Modern Worlds	10
Debating Ancient Slavery	10
Literature Seminar CMGI: History of Inequality	10
Navigating History: New Perspectives on Maritime History	10
Objects of Heritage, Archives and Knowledge. Critical Approaches	10
Politics, Culture and National Identities, 1789 to the present (semester I)	10
Addressing Authority. The Politics of Petitioning	10
Administration, society and culture in Roman North Africa, 46 BC - AD 429	10
Colonial Knowledge, the ‘Third World’, and Countercultural Activism in the 1960s-70s	10
Do Elections Make Democracies?	10
Gender and Politics in Premodern Europe	10
(In)Equalizers! Social and Economic Histories of Inequality(ies) and Difference(s), 1500-2000	10
Maritime Treasures: Diving into Maritime History	10
The Urban Allure: Leisure and Consumption in the Modern Metropole, 1850-1950	10
Research Workshop: Egodocuments of Politicians	5
Research Workshop: Greek and Latin Epigraphy (5 EC)	5
Research Workshop: Greek and Latin Epigraphy (10 EC)	10
Research Workshop: Historical Sources and Questions in the Urban Arena	5
Research Workshop: Sources in Global History	10
Research Workshop: Unequal Citizenship and Emancipation in the Dutch Atlantic	5
Stuff: Histories of Material Culture	5
Ancient Divination: Omens and Oracles	10
Comparing and Connecting: Medieval and Early Modern Worlds	10
Literature seminar CMGI: History of Inequality	10
Literature Seminar: Environmental History	10
Politics, Culture and National Identities, 1789 to the present (semester II)	10
Arsenal of Democracy?: The United States and the World since 1945	10
Asian Events in Early Modern European Sources	10
Culture and Conquest: the Impact of the Mongols and their Descendants	10
Dangerous Cities? The Risks of the Urban Environment (1750-2000)	10
In the Wings of Power: The Problem & Purveyors of Political Advice,1200-1800	10
Natural Disasters in Antiquity	10
Return Migration to Europe since the 1850s: Histories, Discourse and Research	10
Russia Revisited in War and Revolution (1914-1921)	10
Surinamese Political History: A Special Case of Shared History?	10
Research Workshop: Historical Sources and Questions in the Urban Arena	5
Research Workshop: Money in Expanding Markets: Coinages after Alexander in the Mediterranean East (5EC)	5
Research Workshop: Money in Expanding Markets: Coinages after Alexander in the Mediterranean East (10EC)	10
Research Workshop: Sources in Global History	10
Sources in Intellectual History: Intellectuals and the State in Contemporary Culture Wars	5

Electives

During this programme you can also select an optional course from a wide range of possibilities. For an overview of all or our electives, please check the prospectus.

Please note that this guide applies to the current academic year, which means that the curriculum for next year may slightly differ.

Latest knowledge

All courses are taught by academics who are active researchers. The curriculum is regularly updated to reflect contemporary academic debates and the very latest insights. Regular seminars are held presenting students with our researchers' latest findings. Your research thesis is often linked to one of the research projects of our faculty members, who play an active role in every individual's education, acting as mentors and community builders.