Cultural History and Heritage

The Master Cultural History and Heritage is a cross-fertilisation of theory and practice, of pioneering cultural-historical research and accessible public history, of academic knowledge and today’s societal challenges. 

Study the culture of the past

In this Master you will study the culture of the past and the use of history in the present. In our programme 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 into products of public history.

During the Master you might go from present debates on the position of historical museums in a postcolonial society, to the history of nineteenth-century sexuality, back again to the influence of mass media on democracies in the first half of the twentieth century. This depends on how you assemble your programme.

Why this programme in Utrecht?

A combination of theory and practice

Central to our Master is the combination of academic theory and societal practice. That is why an internship is a mandatory part of the programme. Many of our students have done their internships at leading institutions such as museums, heritage agencies, and research institutes. 

A vibrant community

The students and lecturers of the MA Cultural History and Heritage form a vibrant community, that meets in the classroom as well as outside of it, during the Cultural Career Seminar, drinks and during the yearly two-day excursion. The past few years we have visited Brussels, the Ruhr area, and 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, media history, (post)colonial history, memory studies, gender history, history of science, history of the body, heritage studies.

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 our training to good use in a variety of fields from foreign policy and and diplomatic work to journalism and the corporate world.

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