Study programme
The research Master's programme Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies comprises two years (120 EC). Each year is divided into two semesters, running from September until January and from February until June. A semester is divided into two study periods.
Curriculum
The programme consists of core courses, specialisation-specific (language) courses, electives and a Master's thesis. Check the study schedule (PDF).
Year 1
In the first year, you take six core courses, two research seminars specific for your specialisation and two research seminars shared with other specialisations. The sixth core course ‘Research Design’ prepares you for the second year and the thesis. Within the courses ‘Reading and Interpreting Sources I and II’, you can choose two specialisation specific language courses, e.g. Latin, Greek, Old English or Middle Dutch. Besides this, you may choose two electives of the National Research Schools.
Year 2 | Semester 1
In the second year you can choose for an Academic Research study path or an Applied Research study path. The first one prepares you for an academic career, the second one for a career in which you employ your knowledge and skills in specific societal contexts, think of cultural heritage or policy-making. The first path will result in an academic research thesis, the latter in an applied research thesis. For the Science in Society path, an internship will generally be part of the programme. In both paths there is room for creating your own study programme by taking or Master-Apprenticeships, courses on offer in other specialisations of this programme, or in other Master's programmes at Utrecht University. You can even choose to follow courses at a university elsewhere in the Netherlands, or abroad. You may also opt for one of the general electives on offer in the research Master's programme. The aim of this semester is to invest in knowledge and skills specifically for your personal research interests, in preparation of writing your thesis during the second semester.
Year 2 | Semester 2
The programme is concluded with an academic research thesis or an applied research thesis. The former prepares you when seeking admission to a PhD programme after graduation, the second one for a career outside of academia.
Examples of recent thesis titles
- The public administration of the Merovingian kingdoms in the sixth century
- The Language of Sir John Fortescue: a critical discourse analysis approach to fifteenth-century polemical works
- A Social Network of Knowledge: the Functions of Knowledge in the Correspondence of Giovanni Garzoni (1429-1505)
- Norse loanwords in Old and Middle Irish - a semantic analysis of the Irish-Norse (language) contact situation
- The Enigmatic Enemy. Greek perceptions of and political interaction with the Persian Empire from 404 to 380 BC
- Between Adopting and Adapting: an analysis of the glocalizing identities of early Greek Asklepieia (600-300 BCE)
Educational methods
Educational methods differ from one course to another. The most used methods are:
- seminars (30%)
- group work (25%)
- independent study (30%)
- research internship (15%)
Individual work will also be discussed (for example, in the Master-Apprenticeships).
Internships
You may complete an internship if it includes a clear research component, i.e. an internship in an archive, library, or museum. Internships may involve national or international research projects with Utrecht University scholars or with publishers. In the past our students have done internships at the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden and Brill Publishers. You can also do an internship abroad, at a research project at a university or at an international organisation.
Keep in mind that most organisations in the Netherlands use Dutch as their working language. However, you can also do an internship abroad, at a research project at a university or at an international organisation.
Master-Apprenticeship
During a Master-Apprenticeship, students work one-on-one together with a lecturer on a research project and become a scholar’s ‘apprentice’. The course is an opportunity for students to delve deeper into the sub-discipline of their choosing and, more specifically, into an area of expertise that they ultimately wish to pursue in their own research. The course consists of personal, research-led projects of the AMRS staff.
Apprenticeships can vary in duration and scope (e.g., 5, 10, 15 EC). They are focused on the development of in-depth insight in a specific historical topic, and on the training of research skills required to conduct independent research. For teachers, the apprenticeship offers the chance to work with students on the topic of their own research, and to have students contribute to the research project they are engaged in.
Examinations
- written exams
- take-home exams
- written assignments
- oral presentations
- written reports (on paper and/or electronically)
- participation in discussions
- preparation of symposia
Extra opportunities
Are you looking for an extra challenge?
For students looking for an extra challenge in addition to their Master's, there are several options. Utrecht University offers several honours programmes for students looking for an extra challenge. Honours education is followed on top of your regular Master's programme and goes beyond the regular curriculum. Honours programmes are available at interdisciplinary level and allow you to work on projects that transcend your own discipline.