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.The core of this track is the flagship course Learning History and Organization, in which lecturers and external experts instruct you how to translate historical knowledge into a tool to analyze organizations. As part of this unique course you will complete an assignment for an organization or company to gain first-hand working experience. You will write a proposal on the basis of a learning history-approach.
The course Masterclass is also characteristic of the track, as
it trains you in various practical skills, such as grant writing
and project management, in preparation of entering the job
market.
You will also choose a number of methodological courses to enhance
your historical skills, such as Quantitative and Qualitative
Analysis and Organizational Sociology and Public Law. Furthermore,
you will develop these skills by taking a research seminar, which
offers an in-depth analysis of a specific topic. The list of
research seminars to choose from links to the expertise of the
lecturers and varies each year. All courses, but specifically
Learning Histories, the research seminar and the methodological
courses, prepare you for the final part of the programme. You will
either write a Master Thesis on a historical subject or conduct a
Master Project, in which you apply historical research by writing a
learning history for an organization related to politics and
policy.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Historical Methods: Organizational Sociology & Public Law (5 EC) | ||||
| Masterclass (5 EC) | ||||
| Onderzoekscollege (10 EC) | ||||
| Historical Methods: Quantitative Analysis (5 EC) | ||||
| Learning History and Organisation (10 EC) | ||||
| MA thesis History (20 EC) | ||||
| Historians in the World (5 EC) | ||||
| Programme options |
|---|
| Master's placement (specialization) During this Master's track, you can do a placement–as an extra course–for 10 ECTS credit points. This placement offers you the opportunity to gain work experience and provides insight into the labour market. You can do a placement at an institution, organization or company in or outside the Netherlands. It is your responsibility to find a placement yourself, but the placement coordinators can help with this where possible. |
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 (part-time) | All Research universities | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| American Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Archaeology | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Communication and Information Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| English Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| European Languages and Cultures | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| History | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Classical Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Information Science | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| International Relations and International Organization | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Arts, Culture and Media | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Art History | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Media Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Middle Eastern Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Minorities & Multilingualism | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Dutch Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
| Linguistics | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:Aangevuld met een facultaire minor Geschiedenis van 30 ECTS (aan de RUG) |
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 |
On completing the Master's track Politics, Organizations and Learning Histories, you are equipped with academic and professional knowledge and skills that are required to work for institutions and (non) profit organizations in the public domain. In addition to being able to apply a distinctive methodological know-how in historical research and methods, our graduates are able to implement their expert knowledge in everyday working environments. The Master's track provides you with the expertise and tools to find positions within administrative bodies, (semi) public institutions etc., giving you a clear advantage on the job market.
Research in the Department of History covers the earliest human history to the present, focusing on regions from a global perspective. The international staff are all involved in teaching the Master’s track Politics, Organizations and Learning Histories, offering you the possibility to specialize in a wide range of topics, and are often involved in the field of politics and policies as well. The track is grounded in long-term research on the way in which organizations can learn from the past to prepare for the future through history (story) telling. This research-driven approach to teaching is exemplified by Rik Peter’s Learning Histories. Getting a grip on your organizational culture (2024), which brings together more than twenty years of experience with this method. You can find more information on the webpages about staff members and their research and about the activities of the Research Centre for Historical Studies.
This wide-ranging expertise of our staff allows students to choose their own thesis subjects on historical topics ranging from international political developments to business histories. It is also possible to conduct a research project, of which recent examples are analyses of the reinvention of the relation between citizen and government by the Dutch Tax Administration (1980-2010), the ethical implications of the use of artificial intelligence by the Dutch Railways, or the Groningen’s District Policies (1970-2015).
Are you interested in a research oriented career? Please also check our Research Master's Programme of History.
