COURSE CURRICULUM

The Research Master’s program in History at Leiden University is structured to provide students with rigorous training in advanced historical research while allowing them to specialise in their chosen field. The program begins with an intensive Literature Seminar, in which students examine key debates and recent insights in areas such as Cities, Migration, and Global Interdependence. This is followed by two Research Seminars, where students carry out independent research using primary source material or published documents. One seminar is taken in the first semester, while the second can be pursued in Leiden during the second semester or abroad in the third semester, giving students valuable international experience. All Research MA students also take the compulsory Historical Theory course, which engages with major debates in historical theory and philosophy of history, covering topics such as narrative, objectivity, representation, paradigms, and ethics.A central feature of the program is the tutorial, which offers one-on-one engagement with Leiden’s expert faculty. This allows students to refine their research interests, develop specialised knowledge, and determine the subject of their thesis. Alongside this, students take at least 10 EC of courses from a national Research School, which provide further methodological and thematic training within their chosen field. Another compulsory component, Developing Research Proposals, focuses on enhancing research skills and guiding students through the process of designing a professional research proposal, often connected to the work of senior scholars.Students can also take up to 20 EC of optional courses, which may be pursued at Leiden or abroad, offering flexibility and opportunities for broadening academic horizons. The program culminates in the Research Master’s thesis, an original piece of scholarship developed under close supervision. Students defend their thesis in a final ceremony, marking the completion of an intensive and rewarding academic journey.