Historical and Comparative Studies: Utrecht University

About the programme

The research Master's programme in Historical and Comparative Studies of the Sciences and Humanities offers students thorough training in the history of reflection on Western culture, science and society from 1500 A.D. to the present. It combines a universalistic perspective and an interdisciplinary approach in order to integrate the knowledge and methods of the various disciplines in the history of science.

Career Opportunities

The MA graduates are qualified to embark on a doctoral programme in Comparative History of Science, either in Europe, the USA or elsewhere. Even when graduates opt to pursue a doctoral degree within one of the traditional disciplines, their Master’s degree in the field of comparative history of science will have attuned them to the many alternative methods and approaches applied in other disciplines, allowing a considerably richer contextualization of the PhD research.

Entrance Requirements

For admission, students must:

• have a BA degree earned at a Dutch university, or a BA or equivalent degree earned at a university abroad;
• have demonstrable knowledge of the main types of research questions and methods in the field of the History of Science, as well as a working knowledge of the basic concepts used in the discipline; as candidates from a wide range of disciplines are envisaged, no specific field knowledge is required. The quality of the prospective students dossier of grades will be of decisive importance;
• have demonstrable research skills and above average scores. Candidates must be able to prove by means of their grades and references that they were in the top 20% of graduates in their BA program;
• be highly motivated to do academic research. This must be apparent from their written letter of application as well as their admissions interview;
• be sufficiently proficient in oral and written English to perform comfortably in international academia. Dutch students must have a VWO English level, while foreign students from non-English speaking countries must present the results of their TOEFL test: a test score of at least 580 (paper-based) or 237 (computer-based) is required.

Proof of profiency in English

All other applicants, including applicants who hold a Dutch HBO diploma (diploma of higher professional education), must provide proof of proficiency in English. To do so, you are required to take one of the following English language tests:

• IELTS, Academic Module. Minimum score: 6.5 overall band, at least 6 for writing. IELTS is the test preferred by Utrecht University.
• TOEFL, Internet based. Minimum score: 93. Institutional scores are not accepted. The TOEFL institution code for Utrecht University is 9062.
• Cambridge Certificates
  • Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English at least a B grade.
  • Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English at least a C grade.