North American Studies

The master's programme in North American Studies consists of one core course (10 EC), three elective research seminars (10 EC each), and an MA thesis (20 EC). You also have the option of replacing one elective course with an internship at an organisation or institution in the Netherlands or abroad. 

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.

The development of in-depth knowledge in the field, and the ability to think independently, critically, and analytically are key goals of this programme. The North American Studies programme will introduce you to the concepts, academic approaches and scholarly debates current in American Studies.

You will learn about these concepts and approaches in ‘Major Issues in American History and Culture’ and apply them in your other courses as well as in researching and analyzing primary and secondary sources. Your thesis work will give you the opportunity to apply these methods to a specific topic and engage with existing scholarly debates in your own research.

As all courses are offered in English and students are trained in speaking and writing in academic English, our alumni have a high standard of English proficiency.