Historical Studies (specialisation)

Entry requirements

1. A completed Bachelor's degree in History or related area
   Your average grade during the second and third years of your BA studies has to have been at least a 7.5 and your Bachelor’s thesis had to have received a grade of at least 8.0.
   

2. A proficiency in English

   In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English.This requirement has been satisfied when the student meets the conditions, listed on our website.

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.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Programme overview

The Master's research programme in Historical Studies focuses on building the necessary research skills to explore the topic of your choice. This programme takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying history, allowing you to build a programme that suits your needs. You will participate in seminars with students from Literary and Cultural studies disciplines, allowing for cross disciplinary exchange.

Teaching takes place in small groups, and students are given personal tutors to help guide them on their research paths. This programme is closely connected to the Research Institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies, meaning you will work with and be taught by experts in the field. You will also be able to take advantage of Radboud's extensive network, and you are encouraged to find study and research opportunities abroad.

Europe and ‘its worlds’

The programme welcomes students with interest in all fields of historical research, but our own research primarily focuses on Europe and ‘its worlds’, including how Europe interacts with and differs from the rest of the world. Our research follows paths in the full range of periods from antiquity to the present day. All our research is performed in collaboration with scientists from other fields within the Institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies (HLCS).

This is a specialisation of the Master's in Historical, Literary & Cultural Studies.

What will you learn?

• Get a background in the leading perspectives, theories, concepts, paradigm shifts and methodological approaches in the field of humanities
• Get valuable experience in designing, conducting and presenting your own research
• Receive thorough preparation for eventual PhD research, including the writing of a publishable scholarly article and a proposal for a PhD project
• Build a professional international network

Career prospects

This programme prepares students for a PhD position and an academic career. Graduates from this programme could also find work in a number of different positions:

• Researcher at a cultural or scientific organisation or research centre
• (Digital) archivist
• Assistant of a senior researcher
• Teacher at an institution for higher education
• Policy-making official in the fields of culture and science
• Editor in the field of historical or cultural scholarship
• Staff member of a publishing company or text agency, usually with regard to scientific, historical or cultural journals
• Curator of a cultural heritage institution or in the museological sector
• Consultant for a political party

If you have any questions, email us here: study-information@ru.nl

Learn more via the Radboud University contact form.

Information for international students

Application deadlines

Non-EU/EEA students

• The deadline for non-EU/EEA students who wish to apply for a scholarship is 31 January prior to the September intake. For the requirements and selection procedure for scholarships, please check our scholarship overview.
• The deadline for those not applying for a scholarship is 1 April for non-EU/EEA nationals for the September 2026 intake. You can apply for the September 2026 intake from 1 October 2025.

EU/EEA students

• The application deadline for EU/EEA students with housing assistance for the September 2026 intake is 1 May, and the deadline without housing assistance is 1 July. You can apply from 1 October onward for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The application deadlines for Master’s starting in February are 1 November for non-EU/EEA citizens and 1 December for EU/EEA citizens.

Fees and funding

Radboud University offers 3 different scholarships that are open to prospective Master's students from non-EU/EEA countries and who want to follow an English-taught Master's programme.

Radboud Scholarship Programme

The Radboud Scholarship Programme offers talented, highly motivated, non-EU/EEA students with outstanding study results the opportunity to be awarded a partial scholarship for an English-taught Master’s programme.

NL Scholarship (for prospective students)

The NL Scholarship (formerly known as Holland Scholarship) is a partial scholarship for non-EU/EEA students who want to do their Master’s in the Netherlands.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

The Fulbright Commission, sponsored by Radboud University, is offering scholarships for talented American students to study at Radboud University.