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Humanities: Environmental Humanities (Research Master), MA, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

the Netherlands

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The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
MA	find out	2 years	September	EUR 2694 per year	EUR 17480 per year

About Humanities: Environmental Humanities (Research Master), MA - at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Keen to develop in-depth knowledge of the theories, methods and techniques of your research field, connecting them with other disciplines? Curious to find out how your research relates to societal issues? Make the connections that lead to inspiring humanities research.

The Humanities (Research) Master is a unique programme that provides extensive training in research design, in an inspiring and sustainable interdisciplinary research environment. The programme offers excellent preparation for an internationally oriented academic career or for other research-related positions.

The Environmenntal Humanities research master track focuses on the entanglements of nature and culture. In our international and interdisciplinary classroom, we interrelate perspectives from within and outside the Humanities to understand and responsibly inhabit the more-than-human world.

The Environmental Humanities track is open to talented students from the Humanities as well as from related fields, who are looking for ways to analyse ecological questions in their full historical and cultural complexity.

The Humanities are vital

If questions of climate change, species extinction, pollution, or the exploitation of natural resources have in the past mainly been analysed from the perspective of the Natural Sciences, it is becoming more and more clear that humans and their cultural, economic and political systems play a major role in these issues. The Humanities are therefore vital in making sense of these complex problems.

First of its kind

In our core courses, we bring these humanities approaches into contact with perspectives from the Natural and Social Sciences, and engage with the views of artists and activists, to shape a transdisciplinary approach.

Environmental Humanities is one of the tracks of the Master's programme in Humanities (Research). The track is the first of its kind in The Netherlands.

Summer School

Apply to VU Amsterdam Summer School and develop your academic skills in a focused and inspiring study abroad experience.

Learn more about Humanities: Environmental Humanities (Research Master), MA - at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

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Entry requirements

1. Academic requirements

Your previous education needs to be deemed equivalent to at least a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) obtained at a research university (nominal duration 3 years).

2. Programme specific requirements

The Humanities (Research) Master programme is aimed at talented students who are exceptionally motivated to be trained in academic methods in their specific field of humanities. The two-year (Research) Master's is a good option for students who are interested in pursuing a PhD after their MA, but also more in general for students who cherish critical attitude, arrive at original lines of questioning based on a profound knowledge of their research subject, and wish to develop their research skills.

To be eligible to the Humanities (Research) Master programme, students should have a Bachelor’s degree in one of the Humanities disciplines History, Philosophy, Linguistics, Literature or Art, or an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s programme (such as Liberal Arts & Sciences, Arts and Culture Studies, PPE, PPLE, Political Sciences, Anthropology, European Studies, American Studies, Global Studies, Digital Society, Computer Sciences, Digital Humanities, or Environmental Humanities or Environmental Studies.

For the track Environmental Humanities, students must also meet the following requirements:

knowledge: a background in literature, art history, history, linguistics, or philosophy, or in an ecological science with a minimum of 30 EC in one of the fields of literature, art history, history, linguistics, or philosophy;
understanding: an understanding of methodologies in the fields of literature, art, linguistics, history, or philosophy;
skills: an ability to critically analyse a diversity of primary sources (e.g. literary texts, archival maps, artworks); an ability to find, process, and critically reflect on secondary literature; the capacity to present analytical and critical arguments (orally and in written form).

Admission is also based on strict selection criteria:

proof of excellent study results: outstanding grade for your bachelor’s thesis or similar final work (7.5 or higher), and an average of no less than 7.5 for a relevant selection of your bachelor’s programme (to be decided by the Admission Board).
and clear motivation for doing academic research: showing evidence of enthusiasm, commitment, intellectual curiosity, genuine interest, perseverance, and capacity for sustained study

The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application.

3. English-language proficiency requirements

You will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency. You can find an overview of relevant information to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page.

Fees, Funding and Scholarships at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

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Masters Webinar

Each year, we organise an online session for aspiring Master's students that covers everything you need to know about the application process and beyond. This year, the International Master's webinar took place on Tuesday, October 15, at 16:00 (CET). You can watch the recordings all year.

During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to:

Discover what it is like to study at VU Amsterdam;
Learn everything you need to know about the admission and application process;
Get the latest insights on scholarship opportunities;
Hear first-hand experiences from one of our current international students about being a student in the Netherlands' dynamic capital city.

Bachelors Webinar

Each year we organise an online session for aspiring Bachelor's students that covers all you need to know about the application process and beyond. This year, the International Bachelor's webinar took place on Thursday 24 October at 16:00 (CET). You can watch the recorder version all year.

During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to:

Discover what it is like to study at VU Amsterdam;
Learn everything you need to know about the admission and application process;
Ask all your questions about the housing market in Amsterdam;
Hear first-hand experiences from one of our current international students about being a student in the Netherlands' dynamic capital city.