Institute for History Annual Report 2010 - O - Universiteit Leiden

The components of the Research Masters Programme
in the first year include a literature
seminar, a research seminar and a seminar on
historical theory in the fall semester, and a tutorial,
a colloquium on historical controversies and a
research seminar in the spring semester. The
second year offers students the possibility to take
classes in a masters programme of another
discipline and at another university (in the Netherlands
or abroad) up to 20 ECTS. The remaining
part of the second year is focussed on the writing
of a substantial research masters thesis based on
original source research and in principal worthy of
elaboration into a PhD dissertation.
The total number of research master students in
the Institute for History in 2010: 58.
PhD Programme
The PhD programme in history is characterized by
a strong international orientation, a broad variety
of disciplinary perspectives, a focus on the use of
primary sources and an incorporation into a
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humanities faculty which is the only such faculty
in The Netherlands to provide the opportunity to
study the languages and
cultures of Africa, Asia and America. PhD
candidates primarily focus on conducting research
and writing their dissertation under the guidance
of their supervisor. In addition, they take a range
of courses relevant to their field of research, which
are offered by the Institute for history and other
institutions, including national research schools in
the field of history. PhD candidates are also
involved in teaching history. To prepare them for
these teaching tasks the candidates follow a
practical educational course. Finally, the PhD
programme provides a timely orientation towards
a career after the completion of the PhD.
The number of regular PhD candidates currently
employed in the Institute for History is 44. Besides,
there are 100 PhD candidates affiliated to the
institute but mostly having their working place
elsewhere.