What should be done with statues related to Europe's colonial past? How can historians help tackle problems within organizations? How do societies historically cope with crises, such as flooding or warfare?
These questions are addressed by applying historical knowledge and methods to present-day challenges, which is the core aim of the Master’s programme History at the University of Groningen: to provide insight into current issues from a historical perspective with an emphasis on a practical applications of academic historical knowledge and skills.
The Master History consists of three tracks:
By choosing one of these tracks, you will be trained, for example, to curate a historical exhibition, to apply digital techniques in the field of heritage management, to interpret and evaluate cross-border historical phenomena, to formulate policy advice, or to analyse the consequences of processes of change in organizations and companies.
Students wishing to pursue an academic career may also be interested in the two-year Research Masters Classical, Medieval and Early Modern Studies or Modern History and International Relations, while those wishing to become a secondary school teacher can combine the Master’s programme History with an Educational Master (in Dutch).
You can follow this programme both full-time and part-time.- An academic humanities degree in History with a clear
professional and societal relevance
- A unique emphasis on the practical application of historical
knowledge and methodology
- Three tracks that focus on the necessary academic and
professional skills to increase your employability in the
professional field
- A variety of innovative teaching methods, such as research
seminars, methodological courses, placements, practical assignments
etc.
- Tailor-made: design your own programme that meets your
interests
- An international and pleasant study environment with many
research resources
Each Master's track is characterized by a flagship course and
matching methodological courses that train you both in acquiring
and applying historical knowledge. Another unique course in which
you will participate is the Masterclass, which instructs you in
various professional skills that enhance your employability. You
will take research seminars to gain in-depth knowledge of specific
historical themes, regions, periods and methods. Apart from writing
a Master's thesis, it is possible to graduate with Master's
project, such as an organizational research, an exhibition plan, or
the development of didactic materials for secondary schools.
See the programmes of the individual tracks for more
information.
A placement can be part of the programme or combined with the
Master's final assignment.
| Programme options |
|---|
| History and Heritage Consultancy (track) How does Ukraine protect its monuments in the current war? What policies should Dutch authorities develop concerning art stolen during the Second World War? What should be done with disputed statues related to Europe's colonial past?.These types of questions are pressing in our changing world, in which conflict and inequality necessitate us to rethink our attitudes towards the past and its cultural and material heritage. The Master’s track History and Heritage Consultancy at the University of Groningen teaches you how to expertly approach questions about the meaning and uses of (contested) heritage. The track is unique in its dual focus on historical analysis of heritage and professional skills—such as effective communication, grant writing and project management—required for working in the heritage and public sector. History and Heritage Consultancy offers a broad range of methodological and research courses, which allows for a specialization in your personal field of interest and flexibility in your planning. You learn to interrogate the complexities of history and heritage present in buildings, objects, practices, customs and opinions of the past. You also develop relevant professional skills—for example, by completing assignments for public or heritage institutions, such as the Groninger Museum—which prepare you for immediate employment in the field of history and heritage. You can follow this programme both full-time and part-time. If you wish to enrol to this programme per 1 February, please contact the study advisers. Sign up now for the Master's week from 24-28 March! |
| Politics, Organizations and Learning Histories (track) How can historians help tackle problems within organizations? How can historical knowledge and skills contribute to detecting blind spots in organizations and thereby improve their effectiveness and social impact?.The Master’s track Politics, Organizations and Learning Histories at the University of Groningen prepares you to answer these types of questions about the inner workings of organizations. You are taught how to gain historical insight in long-term problems within organizations and how to solve these, after which you become an expert in using the past to solve current issues. The track is unique in its implementation of historical thinking to all kinds of organizations.The track focuses on the interconnection of politics and policy, democracy and legitimacy, and on the implementation and legal aspects of policy. You will contribute to solving societal problems by implementing historical knowledge and research by developing Learning Histories. This theory-based but practically applicable method requires the writing of a learning history that reveals certain blind spots within an organization’s past by analyzing sources and conducting interviews. During your studies, you will be assigned to an organization to develop and practise these skills in a practical manner.You can follow this programme both full-time and part-time. If you consider to enrol in February, please contact the study advisers. Sign up now for the Master's week from 24-28 March! |
| Un/sustainable societies: Past, Present and Future (track) Could climate change have impacted the fall of the Roman Empire? How do societies historically cope with crises, such as flooding or warfare? How can we understand wealth disparities from a historical perspective?.The Master’s track Un/sustainable Societies: Past, Present and Future at the University of Groningen teaches you to utilize historical knowledge and methods to address contemporary developments regarding the (un)sustainability of societies, thereby making you an expert in this field. The track is unique in its focus to learn historians to comprehend societal challenges and to contribute to related public debates from a historical perspective.Issues such as global inequality, environmental changes and democracy all have a long history. Knowledge of their history contributes to a better-informed public, concrete solutions and more sustainable policies. Therefore, you learn to identify, situate and analyse historical trends, to acquire in-depth historical knowledge as well as advanced skills and methods to conduct historical research, and to interrogate the complex interrelation of the past and present. With the aim of learning how to ask relevant questions and to formulate historical arguments in current debates, you will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for connecting the past to current issues and how to conduct debates on future challenges.You can follow this programme both full-time and part-time. If you wish to start this programme on 1 February, please contact the study advisers. Sign up now for the Master's week from 24-28 March! |
A study period abroad can be combined with the placement and/or the Master's final assignment. You could also follow a seminar at a university abroad.
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
Students with the following academic background are admissible to this Master's track:
|
| language test |
Additional requirements English: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items). Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. Students who gained a Bachelor's degree certificate from an English-taught degree programme, will automatically meet the language requirements. |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| History | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Communication and Information Studies | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Information Science | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Media Studies | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Linguistics | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Archaeology | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| American Studies | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| English Language and Culture | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| European Languages and Cultures | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Classics (part-time) | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| International Relations and International Organization | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Arts, Culture and Media | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Art History | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Middle Eastern Studies | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Minorities & Multilingualism | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Dutch Language and Culture | University of Groningen | Pre-master at previous program
with a maximum of |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| History (part-time) | All Research universities | No additional requirements |
Please use this step-by-step guide for more information regarding your eligibility and your specific application procedure.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 15 August 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 15 January 2026 | 01 February 2026 | |
| 15 August 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| 15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 | |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| 15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
Students with the following academic background are admissible to this Master's track:
|
| language test |
Additional requirements English: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items). Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. Students who gained a Bachelor's degree certificate from an English-taught degree programme, will automatically meet the language requirements. |
Please use this step-by-step guide for more information regarding your eligibility and your specific application procedure.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 15 August 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 15 January 2026 | 01 February 2026 | |
| 15 August 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| 15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 | |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| 15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 |
After completing the Master's programme, you are able to think in a critical and problem-oriented way. You can process a large amount of information and present the outcomes with great clarity. Many historians find work in journalism, museums, at cultural organizations or in publishing. They can go into politics as well, or find jobs in governmental organizations or in business. Our Master's tracks have proven themselves for providing graduates the tools to find employment as:
Our international teaching staff are members of the Centre for Historical Studies, which is devoted to research on a wide range of aspects of historical investigation, spanning from Classical Antiquity to our own time. Research interests are mainly focused on the cultural, social, political and economic diversity of Western societies, but also expand to the non-western world (notably South East Asia and Africa) and cover issues such as post-colonialism and transnationalism.
Three research groups facilitate interdisciplinary research on themes which are at the heart of current debates in historical disciplines and the wider society. Researchers operate interdisciplinary and internationally.
• ‘Sustainable societies: past and present’ studies forms and practices, arrangements, cultures and institutions which explain and contribute to the social coherence and sustainability of societies from antiquity to the present. It is unique in its endeavour to lay bare the historical and cultural roots of the present-day relationship between politics, state and society. It addresses explicitly the role of literary, artistic and religious culture in these processes alongside that of the more familiar political institutions.
• ‘Regions, Networks, Mobility.’ Research in this theme group is based on the idea that money, goods, news, knowledge and beliefs function and become meaningful in networks of exchange within or crossing borders. The complexity of the historical processes involved is addressed interdisciplinary, thereby challenging economic, social, cultural and political historians as well as other researchers in the arts and humanities and beyond to cooperate and develop new and exciting insights and interpretations. The theme is embedded in Groningen’s research strength in the history of regions and in the evolving new research area of the circulation of knowledge.
• ‘Thinking about History and Historical Culture.’ The University of Groningen has a long and internationally recognized expertise in the metahistorical reflection of history and culture. The aim of this research group is twofold: to surpass the limits of one single historiographical perspective and to analyse human memory as it manifests itself in (auto-)biographical writing, historical products of individuals or groups that collect, record or write ‘their own’ history such as game designers, historical novelists and film producers.
Are you interested in a research oriented career? Please also check our Research Master's Programme of History.
