Cultural History and Heritage

The Master’s programme Cultural History and Heritage is a cross-fertilisation of theory and practice. In this Master's you are immersed in pioneering cultural-historical research and groundbreaking public history projects, and you will learn to deepen and apply your academic knowledge in engagement with today’s societal challenges. We provide you with insights in current debates within critical heritage studies, always with a solid grounding in cultural history.   

Study the culture of the past

In this programme you will study the culture of the past and the uses of history in the present. You will learn to approach heritage issues from the perspective of cultural history and cultural theory. At the same time, it is our goal to turn our work in cultural history and heritage into products of public history.

During the programme you might go from engaging with debates on the position of museums in a postcolonial society, to a deep-dive into the history of digital culture, back again to studying the role of memory in the aftermath of mass violence or learning about hiphop and the archive.

Why this programme in Utrecht?

A combination of theory and practice

Central to our Master's programme is the combination of academic theory and societal practice. A unique feature of our programme is the integration of internship and thesis in the graduation project: students graduate with a project that is designed and executed in collaboration with a societal or cultural institution (such as a museum, heritage agency or research institute) and an experienced academic supervisor, responding to a problem or task set by the institution. The graduation project can take various forms, such as an exhibition plan, a podcast, an advisory report or an article for an academic journal. This way, the academic knowledge and skills acquired in the programme are immediately put into professional practice.

A vibrant community

The students and lecturers of the MA programme Cultural History and Heritage form a vibrant community, that meets in the classroom as well as outside of it, during the Cultural Career Seminar and Cultural History Seminar, drinks and during the yearly two-day excursion. The past few years we have visited Brussels and Leuven, Antwerp, Berlin, the Ruhr area, Ghent, and Ypres. 

Areas of expertise

You will be taught by internationally renowned cultural historians and experts with practical experience in heritage and public history. Their knowledge and expertise is leading in the teaching we offer. Our expertise covers global cultural history from the early modern period up to the present. Some specific areas of expertise are: popular culture, digital history and heritage, media history, (post)colonial history and heritages, memory studies, gender history, history of science, environmental history, history of the body, heritage studies, community engaged learning and public history. 

After graduation

Students emerge from the programme with skills in history, in analysis and writing, and with professional work experience. Our attention to public history and heritage has helped many graduates find jobs in these fields. Other students put their training to good use in a variety of fields from foreign policy and diplomatic work to journalism and the corporate world.

I particularly liked the fact that an internship was part of the Master's degree.