Are you a talented student and interested in modern history and international relations? Is a career in research something you aspire to? Then this track is exactly what you are looking for.
You can take the Master's track in Modern History and
International Relations as a track within the Research Master's
degree programme in International Relations.
The two-year Master's track in Modern History and International
Relations teaches you to carry out independent academic research in
the fields of modern history and international relations. You will
explore recent developments in these fields and study relevant
theoretical and methodological backgrounds. You will learn about
subjects such as international political economy, the history of
cultural identity and European cooperation and integration.
As a student of this programme you work in small groups and are
supervised by highly qualified researchers. The programme is
closely related to the research carried out at the Groningen
Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG) and the N.W.
Posthumus Institute.
Read moreResearch Fellow at Clingendael Institute
Five years ago I enrolled in the Research Master's programme in Modern History and International Relations at the University of Groningen. It was a small-scale programme that gave you the opportunity to develop further in a specific field of research in a group of 10 students. That appealed to me, as did the interesting modules that were offered alongside the regular programme, such as 'Euroculture' and the summer school 'Democracy and Transitional Justice'.
With the combination of academic depth and the option of
doing a placement, the Research Master’s programme was a good
preparation for the job market. Before I finished the programme I
had already found a job as public relations officer for the Dutch
Labour Party’s MEPs in Brussels. The flexibility of the
programme and my thesis supervisor’s good supervision made it
possible for me to graduate with honours alongside my work.
I currently work as a research fellow for Europe at
Clingendael, the Netherlands Institute for International Relations
in The Hague. With the European Union facing significant
challenges, it is a special time to be working at the Europe
cluster at Clingendael. My research is on European administration,
European integration and European Neighbourhood Policy. In the
future I would like to do a PhD on one of these topics.
Read moreInternship at United Nations Women South Asia Regional Office in Delhi
I gathered a lot of new 'intellectual' knowledge during my internship, as the viewpoints and issues you learn about in an UN office in India are very different from what you learn at a Dutch university and in the Western culture. Moreover, I developed my ability to work individually as a researcher, but also as a colleague in a multicultural team.
What I also find very valuable is my personal learning. For example, I learned how to - as an intern and a foreigner - adapt to and behave in a demanding working environment and to live in a country and culture I did not know and sometimes found incomprehensible or even awful. Hence, I think students should do an internship, if possible abroad, because it is one of the biggest boosts you can give to your personal as well intellectual development, which makes it challenging, but also very interesting, valuable and useful.
I really liked that I was moving out of the ‘ivory tower’ into the ‘real world’ for a bit and got an insight into a part of the international political (development) system in practice. This allowed me to further my ideas about what future career I might want to pursue. I also very much liked that I could use this opportunity to investigate a topic which I find really interesting, but that I also got tasks from my boss that dealt with topics I would never have delft into myself. Furthermore, I was really lucky, because I got many opportunities to meet interesting people, to participate in conferences and seminars and to travel in order to better fulfill my tasks. Of course I also enjoyed the periods of travelling prior to and after my internship a lot - India has much to discover! Read more
Read more"The content of the program is supplemented by the diverse backgrounds of the participating students."
I am a second year student in the ReMa Modern History and International Relations. Thus far, the program has met the expectations I had prior to my arrival in Groningen: academic and intellectual rigor, freedom to pursue personal interests in depth and the acquirement of the methodological tools imperative to conduct high-quality research.
The interdisciplinary nature of my program appeared as a natural continuation of my growing interests. Having arrived in Groningen with little or no knowledge of IR theory, I was quickly immersed in it and immediately recognized its value to my own interests. The content of the program is supplemented by the diverse backgrounds of the participating students. We all approach the same topic from divergent perspectives, providing fruitful debates that challenge our preconceived notions of our disciplines and encourages critical thinking.
Are you an international student from a non EU/EEA member state starting a Research Master's programme or Erasmus Mundus Master's programme at the Faculty of Arts? If so, you could qualify for the Holland Scholarship, a partial scholarship which helps you to finance your studies.
Read more on the Holland Scholarship.
University of Groningen Orange Tulip Scholarship/Talent Grant of Faculty of Arts
Are you a non-EU/EEA student from Russia, India or Indonesia, starting a Master's programme at the Faculty of Arts? If so, you could qualify for the University of Groningen OTS/Talent Grant, Faculty of Arts, a partial scholarship which helps you to finance your studies.
Read more about the OTS/Talent Grant Faculty of Arts.
The Faculty of Arts also offers one year master’s degree programmes in History and International Relations.
