Historical, Literary & Cultural Studies

Entry requirements

1. A completed Bachelor's degree
   In a relevant field (check the specialisation websites for information about relevant Bachelor's degrees)
2. Proficiency in English
   In order to take part in this specialisation, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English. Non-native speakers of English* need one of the following:
   • A TOEFL score of ≥600 (paper based) or ≥100 (internet based)
   • A IELTS score of ≥7.0
   • Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of C or higher
3. Strong motivation
   You have to be able to demonstrate your motivation for and affinity with international academic research. A selection committee will review evaluate the motivation of each applicant separately.
4. Letter of recommendation
   

   We also ask that your BA thesis supervisor (or other relevant teacher) sends us a letter of recommendation by mail.

   * Applicants are considered to be a native speaker of English if they are from Australia, Canada (with exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA or South Africa.

Months of entry

February, September

Course content

Radboud University offers three research Master’s specialisations in the field of Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies. All three research Master’s underscore the theoretical and methodological aspects of the humanities in order to contribute to academic depth, interdisciplinarity and future flexibility that extends beyond a single field. Within this programme you will learn about the relationship between cultural products, such as visual art and literature, and how we can better understand the past through these traces left behind.

The programme has a diverse staff, and is closely connected to the Research Institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies (HLCS) and its theme of 'Europe and its worlds', which attempts to understand Europe through its relation to other worlds. You will have support of academic advisors and researchers in designing your own research projects.

These programmes will prepare you to conduct original research in which you consider complex problems with a multidisciplinary outlook. It’s an indispensable stepping stone for students wanting to pursue an academic career as many of our graduates go on to become PhD candidates.

What will you learn?

• Take a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the history through different cultural products
• Learn how to examine history through a critical lens in order to better interpret the historical record
• Choose to investigate literary texts or visual arts
• Gain valuable experience designing, conducting and presenting your own research

Specialisations

The following three research Master’s are closely related and offer the student a coherent Master’s in which the different disciplines are interlinked as well as presenting the individual specialised disciplines:

• Art and Visual Culture

The research Master’s in Art and Visual Culture studies the relationship between art, the past and the present from various angles, including the interpretation of the cultural contexts of visual expressions and their transformations throughout the ages up to now.

• Historical Studies

The research Master’s in Historical Studies brings historians together with literary, art and cultural scientists to construct critical histories of both the past and the present. We recognise that historical enquiry has important transformative potential on not just our ideas about the past but also on present day societies.

• Literary Studies

The research Master’s in Literary Studies will teach you how to approach historical and contemporary texts from an international perspective, as well as how to examine the current societal significance of literature. By the end of the programme, you’ll be able to discuss literary texts and scholarly approaches with other scholars at the highest academic level.

Career prospects

These research programmes will prepare you for PhD research as your training includes the writing of a publishable scholarly article and a proposal for a PhD project. Roughly half of the programmes graduates find a PhD position, others may find research oriented positions in other institutions. Graduates from this programme can find a variety of jobs:

• Researcher at cultural, scientific or research centre
• Teacher in higher education
• Policy maker in cultural or scientific fields
• Editor in historical or cultural scholarship
• Curator at heritage institutions
• Political consultant
• Journalist or ciritic

To apply for this course, please contact us by e-mail.

Learn more via the Radboud University contact form.

Fees and funding

There are various scholarships available for studying at Radboud University. Some of the opportunities are described below. A full list, including detailed information, can be found on our scholarships and grants page at our website.

Radboud Scholarship Programme

Open to a select number of excellent international students. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,209). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Open to students from Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, South-Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,209). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Radboud Faculty of Arts Study Funds

Students who receive either the Radboud Scholarship or the Orange Tulip Scholarship are eligible for an additional grant to assist with study costs. The grant consists of 2,500 euros paid in 10 instalments throughout the year.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

Open to excellent American students. The grant will be paid in 12 monthly instalments of 1,050 euros. International travel and the cost of the residence permit will be covered, and an extra allowance of €1150 will be paid on arrival.

Sino-Dutch Bilateral Exchange Scholarship

Open to excellent students from China. Consists of a contribution of € 16,113 towards the total costs of one year of study or research in the Netherlands.

DIKTI-Neso Scholarships

Aimed at lecturers at higher education institutions in Indonesia who wish to pursue a PhD or Master's at a university in the Netherlands. A DIKTI scholarship includes allowances for living expenses, insurance, travel costs, tuition fees and more.

Indonesian Education Scholarship (LPDP)

Open to excellent Indonesian students under the age of 35. Involves a full scholarship.

Holland Scholarship Programme

Open to excellent students from Canada, America, India and Turkey. Scholarship consists of 5,000 euros payed at the start of study.

Dutch Student Finance

EU/EEA students and Swiss students under 30 years of age are eligible if they are working at least 56 hours per month in the Netherlands, or have been living in the Netherlands for five years or more. Dutch student finance consists of four components: a basic grant, a supplementary grant (depending on the parental income), a student travel product, and a loan.