Politics, Culture and National Identities, 1789 to the Present (MA)

About the programme

During the one-year master’s programme in Politics, Culture and National Identities, 1789 to the Present you will be studying an academic field that is an entirely new research area, putting you at the forefront of a new way of thinking about European history.

Admission and Application

Do you want to find out if you are eligible for this Master's Programme?

Check the entry requirements

Eric Storm

Researcher and University Lecturer

"The History Department of Leiden University has an excellent international reputation. We have a large staff with experts for almost all periods of history. We teach in small groups and highly value freedom of choice. The specialization Politics, Culture and National Identity deals with the period from the French Revolution to the present. We assume that politics, culture and national identity are closely interrelated and study these topics accordingly. Most courses deal with politics and culture of one national context in Europe or North America, however, we also try to overcome a traditional inward looking approach by adopting a comparative perspective."

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 online studyguide.

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

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

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.

Detailed programme

PCNI
Course	EC
Politics, Culture and National Identities, 1789 to the present (semester I)	10
Politics, Culture and National Identities, 1789 to the present (semester II)	10
Addressing Authority. The Politics of Petitioning	10
Do Elections Make Democracies?	10
A Water’s History of the United States	10
Arsenal of Democracy?: The United States and the World since 1945	10
Russia Revisited in War and Revolution (1914-1921)	10
Return Migration to Europe since the 1850s: Histories, Discourse and Research	10
Surinamese Political History: A Special Case of Shared History?	10
Research Workshop: Egodocuments of Politicians	5
Stuff: Histories of Material Culture	5
Sources in Intellectual History: Intellectuals and the State in Contemporary Culture Wars	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
Dangerous Cities? The Risks of the Urban Environment (1750-2000)	10
Culture and Conquest: the Impact of the Mongols and their Descendants	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