Master of Arts [M.A] [Humanities Research - Global History] From Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

In the Global History track, students will learn to investigate the dynamics and long-term developments of the global interconnection of goods, ideas, and people, and the role of power, religion and affects in such constellations. In research-intensive courses, students will collaborate with renowned researchers and research groups in the fields of migration studies, history of capitalism, knowledge, and religion, material culture and heritage, emotions and senses, and environmental history. The program has an interdisciplinary perspective that includes concepts and methodologies from the social and environmental sciences, philosophy, and law. It also offers students the opportunity to develop skills in digital analysis and reflect on the possibilities of emerging digital humanities techniques and e-Humanities approaches.

The Global History track focuses on the study of politics, culture, religion, economy, and daily life from a historical, theoretical, and 'new' world history perspective. In a globalized and highly digital world, long-term perspectives are needed to analyze the complex phenomena of our time: perspectives sensitive to deep-rooted mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. Disciplinary boundaries need to be questioned and challenged, and new methods explored. In order to rise to these challenges, VU Amsterdam needs researchers who are trained in finding and interpreting compelling source material, critical reflection, and in detailed reporting. This track will give students these skills and more. Students will develop a critical attitude and learn to arrive at original lines of questioning based on a profound knowledge of their research subject. Students will develop their own, unique, expert knowledge, enabling them to start a successful research career.

You’re encouraged to make use of the staff’s intensive networks with heritage and research institutions (International Institute for Social History, Huygens ING Institute for Dutch and Global history, Amsterdam and national Musea and Archives), governmental organisations and NGOs (e.g. UNESCO) and business partners (banks, creative industries), to set up embedded research projects that could act as a stepping stone for the next move in your career. The Global History track offers a dynamic international context where students from the Netherlands and elsewhere exchange views, experiences and historical research questions. Taking part in exchange programmes with universities abroad for up to three months are encouraged, with financial support from the Graduate School of Humanities.