MA in North American Studies
Leiden University
Key Information
Campus location
Leiden, Netherlands
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 year
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
EUR 20,900 / per year *
Application deadline
15 May 2024
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* Dutch, EU/EEA, Swiss and Surinamese students: €2,530 per year | Second Dutch master’s programme: €16,300 per year
Introduction
The master’s programme in North American Studies at Leiden University takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the United States, with a particular emphasis on examining key aspects of American history, culture, and literature.
Why study North American Studies at Leiden University?
The Leiden programme offers a diverse and international learning environment. While the programme focuses on the U.S., you will also explore the role the U.S. plays in the region and in the world, as well as the impact of the region and the world on developments in the U.S. Some of the key areas and major issues in the history, politics, literature and culture of the U.S. that the programme explores in depth and from a multidisciplinary and historical perspective include:
Internship or study abroad
Students are encouraged to do an internship, either in the Netherlands (for example at the Roosevelt Institute of American Studies at Middelburg) or abroad (for example at the Dutch Embassy or Consulate in the U.S.). Opportunities are available for study at a university in the U.S. or Canada.
- Slavery, migration, and emancipation movements;
- The history and politics of international relations and human rights;
- Immigration and ethnicity;
- Identity constructions and memory politics;
- Environmental justice.
An important aspect of the programme is learning how to conduct independent multidisciplinary research, comprehend and apply theoretical insights, learn about and engage with scholarly debates, and take a critical approach to all materials. Critical reflection on U.S. exceptionalism is a recurrent topic throughout the programme.
Join LUNAS
LUNAS (Leiden University North American Studies) is the study association for students in and alumni of North American Studies in Leiden. LUNAS helps new North American Studies students to find their way in and around the university and the city. In addition, LUNAS organises social, cultural and networking events for current students and alumni. For more information
Admissions
Curriculum
The multidisciplinary one-year master’s programme in North American Studies provides students with comprehensive knowledge of North American history, literature, film, and culture and their connection to contemporary social, political, literary and cultural developments in an international perspective.
The master's programme in North American Studies consists of one core course, three elective research seminars, and an MA thesis. You also have the option of replacing one elective course with an internship at an organisation or institution in the Netherlands or abroad.
The Leiden programme offers an international classroom setting: it draws international and internationally oriented students from a range of academic backgrounds and has an international teaching staff.
Exchange programme
You may also choose to participate in an exchange programme at one of the universities in the U.S. or Canada with which Leiden University has an exchange program at the postgraduate (MA) level, for example, Rutgers University or the University of Calgary. Note, however, that the deadline for application for study abroad is December 1 for the following academic year. Participation in an exchange program therefore will normally involve extending your studies for at least one semester. The International Office of the Faculty of Humanities will help you make the right decision for your time studying abroad.
- Thesis Seminar North American Studies 0
- Thesis North American Studies 20
- Major Issues in American History and Culture 10
- Deep Rivers: The great migrations in African-American History 10
- Migration Matters: (Im)migration, Memory, and Identity in American Literature 10
- The United States and the Global Environment 10
- Internship MA North American Studies 10
- Readings in American History 10
- American Climate Fictions 10
- Arsenal of Democracy?: The United States and the World since 1945 10
- Internship MA North American Studies
Gallery
Career Opportunities
Create a world of opportunities with a master's degree from Leiden University
What our graduates do
The master’s programme in North American Studies prepares you for a wide range of careers in which well-developed analytical and other academic skills or specialised knowledge of U.S. history, literature, politics, and culture are valued. Our graduates pursue careers in the international job market in fields including teaching, journalism, IT, business, politics, government policy, publishing and research.
Positions held by Leiden North American Studies graduates since 2014 include:
- History teacher at a high school
- English teacher at a high school or a university
- PhD candidate in American history, University of Edinburgh
- Project Coordinator Funding & Events at TU Delft
- Junior Policy Officer Ministry of Foreign affairs, Brussels
- Policy Officer/Researcher at Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate
- Trainee Information Manager, Ypublic
- Vice President for Client Services, Early American history and interactive programming, ARtGlass, Richmond, VA
- Collections Manager and Curator, John Ruskin Home Brantwood, Cumbria, UK
- Freelance researcher and writer with De Correspondent