Master of History

The comprehensive History programme gives you the freedom to explore a variety of different historical approaches and time periods. Our internationally renowned staff will help you develop the skills and specialized knowledge needed to become a historian.

The Master of History consists of two parts:

• A number of in-depth optional courses. Together with your supervisor you choose a series of elective modules. You can choose to specialise in a particular time period or historical theme such as cultural history, religious history or global history.
• The master thesis; you shape your study program around the topic of your master thesis. As historical research at KU Leuven is organised into four different research groups and you will become part of the same research group as your thesis supervisor, the different available courses are presented according to each reasearch group's foucus.

Core Module

Transitional Measure

• History Thesis

Research Seminar

• Medieval and Early Modern History Research Seminar
• Modern and Contemporary History Research Seminar

Student Profile

• You have a solid academic background in history or a closely related field.
• You want to be able to independently plan execute and communicate historical research.
• You are eager to familiarise yourself with different approaches to history and the past.

History is a well-rounded discipline. You will take all kinds of classes about historical periods, regions and domains. Through different exercises, you learn to think, analyse, offer criticism, interpret, debate, draw conclusions, and express them in writing. You also become familiar with many other disciplines, such as law, political science and economics.

You will develop skills that are invaluable to employers in a variety of sectors, including: government and politics, media and communications, heritage and cultural organisations, and a broad range of private companies.

Historians are therefore valued in a wide range of job sectors. The time when all historians became teachers or archivists has long past.

The courses are fully taught in English nd Dutch.

• Credits: 60 ECTS
• Degree Type: Master
• Specifications: Master of Science.

What sets us apart as a university?

A highly-ranked university

KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. All of KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field. Furthermore, KU Leuven was ranked by Reuters as the most innovative university in Europe in 2016.

Research-based education

Education at KU Leuven is research-based, which means students will learn from the same professors who are performing the ground-breaking research you read about in the press. New insights are instantly integrated into classes and students are encouraged to perform their research. In our FabLab, students can use several high-tech machines to create whatever they want – all free of charge.

Affordable tuition fees

Higher education is highly valued in Belgium and therefore subsidised by the government. This allows KU Leuven to keep tuition fees relatively low, which gives you a price/quality ratio very few top-100 universities can match. We take pride in keeping our programs as accessible as possible to allow the brightest students from around the globe to join our courses.

International student life with respect for diversity

According to Times Higher Education, KU Leuven is in the top 50 of most international universities worldwide with staff and students from over 150 different nationalities. For all our international students, the Pangaea student center is their home away from home. Our university also strives for diversity and inclusion and wants to work together on a pact for more respect.

Learn more about why you should choose KU Leuven.

KU Leuven combines the best of both worlds by hosting both online and live info sessions. You choose how, where and when to get your information in your search for the right program

KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. All of KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field. Furthermore, KU Leuven was ranked by Reuters as the most innovative university in Europe in 2016.