Universiteit Leiden

Today, globalization makes us all aware of how closely we are connected to, and often dependent upon, the actions of people who are far distant from us. Human migration and economic liberalization have transformed local communities, bringing the seemingly “distant” into close proximity. Given these developments, how can we devise ways to share resources and negotiate conflicts— without succumbing to fear, xenophobia, racism, or violence? How can we understand the origins and consequences of human differences, be they defined by race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, or any number of other factors? Culture, History, Society major draws insights from the humanities and social sciences in order to help you address the global challenge of living together in peace and equitably in socially diverse communities.

In the World Politics major we examine interactions between states and between states and non-state actors, including multinational corporations, non-governmental organisations, civil societies, diasporas and armed groups. We start from the assumption that political inter-group conflict is a key driver of these interactions, which can escalate into armed conflicts, or could be managed, resolved and transformed into better cooperation.

The major is organised into four tracks, each of which contains courses examining a different aspect of World Politics:

• International Relations and Diplomacy focuses on the political interactions between states and examines how governments pursue their interests using the key tools of statecraft, including diplomacy, trade, and war;
• Globalization and Transnational Politics explores social movements and other non-state actors that transcend borders, cooperating with the state system or challenging it;
• Peace and Conflict Studies examines in more detail inter-group conflicts of various types, why they emerge and escalate, and how they can be resolved;
• International History studies aspects of the human past that transcend any single nation-state, empire or politically-bound territory.

In the specialisation Heritage and Society you explore the role of heritage in society. With our combination of education and research you lay a strong foundation for an (inter)national carreer in heritage management and policy.

Cultural heritage is important for a community. It plays a role in a people's identity and can determine the way they experience history. In this specialisation you will investigate the interaction between cultural heritage and society.

• Reflect on the future of cultural heritage and the preservation choices that are being made;
• Learn about the theoretical and practical sides of heritage policy from an archaeological perspective;
• Dive into topical themes, by, for example, exploring the role of cultural heritage among migrant communities.

Heritage and Society is a specialisation of the Bachelor's programme in Archaeology. You will choose your specialisation at the end of the first year of your Bachelor's studies in Archaeology.

Home to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court and, The Hague is the perfect backdrop to explore conceptions of justice in our global society. Justice issues related to human rights, peace, security and the environment present legal and policy challenges for governmental and non-governmental actors, international institutions, and civil society that extend beyond national borders and single disciplines. In this major, students learn to look beyond the “law in the books” by placing laws and norms in context, and by analyzing how they operate in practice through comparative and interdisciplinary approaches. Dutch speakers can opt for a double degree in Dutch law.

Leiden University College The Hague (LUC) is the international honours college of Leiden University. We offer an innovative Liberal Arts and Sciences programme programme centred around 'Global Challenges': major issues facing humanity and the planet, such as conflict, inequality or climate change. These problems cannot be solved by one nation or perspective alone; they demand interdisciplinary thinking and cooperation.

LUC's students are curious and ambitions, and come from all over the world to follow an interdisciplinary curriculum where they gain broad as well as in-depth knoweldge. After laying a strong foudnation, you can specialize in one of six majors: Earth, Energy and Sustainability; Culture, History and Society; International Justice; Global Health, Innovation and Society; Governance, Economics and Development and World Politics. In small, interactive classes with an average of 18 students from different backgrounds, you'll be challenged to join vibrant discussions and to think outside the box.

For the first two years, you’ll live and learn together on our campus in The Hague: an inspiring community in the international city of peace & justice. LUC is where ambitious students connect knowledge across disciplines, cultures and perspectives to make an impact.

Wrenching poverty, global inequality, violent political and ethnic strife, deadlocked unresponsive or even collapsing governments, growing dissatisfaction with democracy and missed opportunities for innovation – these are merely some of the challenges of governance and development with which our programme aims to teach students to critically engage. The Governance, Economics, and Development major brings together knowledge from multiple disciplines to train you to begin your own journey to understanding the origins, challenges in alleviating, and possible solutions to these challenges.

This major offers several possibilities for specialization:

• Institutional Analysis
• Policy Science
• Philosophy, Politics & Economics
• International Development
• Comparative Politics and Political Economy
• Economics

South and Southeast Asia is one of the world's most dynamic and diverse areas. Understand the complexity of the region's history, languages, and cultures. In the South and Southeast Asian programme you gain a thorough understanding of the history, cultures, politics and languages of the region, home to almost a third of the world's population (and two-thirds of its Muslims) and some of the world's fastest-growing economies. Relevant contemporary issues such as ethnic and religious conflicts, inequality and development, the surge in cultural and political movements and the tensions between modernity and tradition are addressed in lectures and seminars.

Are you interested in human cognition? Are you eager to understand AI, and how the technology works? In the bachelor Data Science & Artificial Intelligence you will develop a strong fundamental basis in computer science, mathematics and statistics combined to advanced machine learning, cognitive science and AI competence.

This programme is aimed at students who have a strong interest in programming, computer science, and have strong mathematical skills, as well as an interest in the human brain and information processing.

Why Data Science & Artificial Intelligence in Leiden?

• Computational thinking and data science: In Leiden we believe: a competent AI engineer, is first and foremost a skilled computer scientist. You will learn to understand how information is created, gain insights into algorithms and learn programming skills.
• Research University: Teaching is directly inspired by current research, students can participate in research projects, and they will be encouraged to engage in critical thinking and develop problem solving skills. Lectures will be given by research staff from LIACS (Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science), Institute of Psychology and Leiden University Centre for Linguistics.

World Archaeology in Leiden encompasses the study of societies, cultures, and human behaviour from the past, aiming to reconstruct and revive them. With our mix of education and research you lay a strong foundation for an international career in archaeology or heritage management.

Make a meaningful contribution to our knowledge of humankind by studying the activities and behaviour of people from the past. With learnings from history, you will gain new insights into our present-day world. You will look at contemporary issues like migration, globalisation, and climate change through an archaeological lense. With this unique angle, you may contribute to the public debate.

World Archaeology is a specialisation of the Bachelor's programme in Archaeology. You will choose your specialisation at the end of the first year of your Bachelor's studies in Archaeology.

Furthermore, the programme offers:

• a strong, global emphasis, with wide networks in international research;
• excellent facilities in the heart of Leiden’s academic community;
• English language teaching by enthusiastic lecturers;
• a lively and sociable study association.

Philosophy is about the Big Questions: do human beings have free will? Is capitalism a just system? Does science provide an objective picture of the world? At Leiden, you will investigate fundamental questions of this sort from a global perspective. Through careful examination of different philosophical world traditions, you will develop the skills to navigate the complex world of the present and to tackle scientific and societal problems.

Why study Philosophy at Leiden Unviersity?

• Leiden is the only Dutch university, and one of only a few in the world, to offer a philosophy programme that combines Western perspectives with those of India, East Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
• At Leiden, our scholars and teachers will lead you on a philosophical journey from China to Europe, and from Antiquity to the present day. On your way, it will show you how to critically engage with key theories concerning the. Nature of reality, our minds, and society.
• You will have the opportunity to tailor the programme to your interests.
• We work with tutorial groups that stimulate in-depth discussion.
• Within the programme, there is the possibility to study abroad for some time or to do an (international) internship.

English is a truly global language, the mother tongue of approximately 380 million people and spoken as a second language by over a billion more. As an English bachelor’s student in Leiden, you will acquire an excellent command of spoken and written English, while also learning to understand the language structure and the mechanics behind language acquisition. Moreover, you will have the chance to study the culture of Great Britain and other English-speaking countries in-depth, while analysing the relation between language changes and societal changes over the ages. Our programme offers plenty of opportunities to read and study the rich literatures of the English-speaking world, from Shakespeare to Derek Walcott, and from Beowulf to Zadie Smith. You will also get a taste of the Middle Ages while exploring texts in their original Old and Middle English.

Why English Language and Culture at Leiden University?

• Our bachelor’s programme is unique in the Netherlands for the width of its scope. It covers English in all its varieties, from the earliest beginning in the Middle Ages to the present day.
• By studying the English language and culture over the ages, you will develop an understanding of why and how society in the English-speaking world changed over tim
• This is a programme with a personal approach, characterised by much interaction between students and lecturers.

Are you fascinated by how globalisation affects world regions? Do you want to really understand other cultures from a wide range of perspectives, and apply this knowledge in your future career? The Bachelor’s in International Studies is a 3-year English-taught programme that offers you the opportunity to study the issues and effects of globalisation by focusing on one of eight world regions. Our multifaceted approach will allow you to interpret and analyse the world from a humanities perspective. In order to be able to do this, you will explore the historical and cultural background of the region of your choice, as well as its political and economic developments. Unique to any Humanities programme, this BA integrates real hands-on experience of working with organisations and businesses into its curriculum.

Why International Studies at Leiden University?

• Study in The Hague, the centre of international politics and policy-making in the Netherlands.
• Analyse the world from various perspectives, focusing on culture, history, economics, language and politics.
• Choose to specialise in one of eight world regions.
• Acquire practical career skills by participating in the PRINS consultancy course.
• Learn about other cultures and develop an intercultural outlook while studying with fellow students from the Netherlands and about 50 other countries.

Want to understand the complexities of today’s gender issues, social media use, food habits, social justice movements, labour relations or religious expressions? Then join our international bachelor's programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology and get insight into people's social and cultural differences!

Our international bachelor's programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology challenges you to explore cultural diversity by seeing the world through other people’s eyes. You will be challenged to examine everyday practices of individuals and groups around the world in relation to complex global challenges of diversity, sustainability and digitalisation.

This programme is definitely for you if:
* you often wonder why people are so different;
* you'd love to learn first-hand why people behave the way they do;
* you empathise with individuals, groups, and communities that constantly cope with pressing issues;
* you are interested in using photo and film in research;
* you relish the challenge and adventure of developing an independent mindset.

Visual art today is strongly interlinked with today’s society, a connection which is reinforced and deepened by social and other media. In Arts, Media and Society, a specialisation of the Art History bachelor's programme, you will explore this relationship and analyse how it reflects and impacts the issues of our time, while also learning practical and academic skills that are invaluable in the current job market.

Why Arts, Media and Society at Leiden University?

• It’s a unique, English-taught specialisation of Leiden’s Art History bachelor’s programme.
• You can study various art forms and artistic media, including the visual arts, film and photography, installation art, bio-art and digital media art.
• Many of its lecturers are affiliated to the LUCAS Institute, an important arts-oriented research centre.
• It’s a small-scale programme in which you will learn from leading academics and guest lecturers.
• Leiden is home to 13 museums and within easy reach of other leading Dutch and European museums.

In the Bachelor Security Studies, you learn to understand and address contemporary security challenges. From terrorism and cybercrime to natural disasters, you explore the political, historical, and social contexts, and examine the role of governance, institutions, and media. You develop a critical, analytical mindset, learn to navigate complex situations, and gain insight into crisis management: making swift, effective decisions in unforeseen events. You study cases such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster (2011) and the SARS epidemic. The programme prepares you for a career in government, international organisations, NGOs, or the private sector, where you can contribute to real-world security solutions. You study in The Hague, the international city of peace, justice, and security, at Leiden University, one of Europe’s leading universities.

Are you interested in international organisations, diplomacy, and issues of peace and security? The BSc specialisation in International Relations and Organisations is just right for you.

You choose International Relations and Organisations (IRO) because you are fascinated by global affairs and the dynamics of international cooperation and conflict, and you prefer in-depth analysis over unsubstantiated opinion. Your open mind, inquisitive and critical attitude, as well as your willingness to invest in acquiring new knowledge and skills, makes that you fit in perfectly with your fellow IRO-students.

Studying IRO means understanding the real story behind today's headlines; working with excellent academic teachers and researchers; developing skills in research, writing and presenting; and being part of an international classroom and community.

IRO is a 3-year BSc degree programme and part of Leiden University's Political Science curriculum. It is taught in The Hague, the city in which politics and international relations converge. The Hague is the third UN city and host to many international organisations, embassies, and NGOs. The city houses many nationalities; as an internationally oriented student you will feel at home.

Preparing you for a wide range of interesting MSc options, IRO is an excellent first step in your international career.

For international bachelor’s students who want to develop true fluency in not just the Dutch language, but also the culture, history and mind set of the Netherlands, there is no better place than the Leiden University Bachelor in Dutch Studies!

Why study Dutch Studies?

The historical, cultural and philosophical impact of the Netherlands and the Dutch language is internationally significant – but while virtually everyone can recognise a painting from Van Gogh, few can properly pronounce his name! Hence the unique Leiden bachelor in Dutch Studies: the only programme in the Netherlands for international students who wish to specialise in the Dutch language (and Dutch culture, history and society) at a high academic level.

Why Dutch Studies at Leiden University?

• The only academic programme in the Netherlands that offers international students the opportunity to specialise in Dutch language and culture.
• Language immersion for rapid proficiency: from the first semester onwards you will attend classes that are taught in Dutch.
• Also, being part of Dutch student life will give you plenty of opportunity to get to know the Dutch and Dutch society.
• Flexible study options depending upon your own ambitions, and the level of Dutch you already have: from zero to relatively advanced.

What if we understood how humanity developed? What if we can safeguard heritage for the future? What if we could get a grip on complicated social processes, past and present?

In the bachelor’s programme in Archaeology, we study humanity’s past in all its aspects. With the knowledge you gain in this multi-faceted programme, you will make an essential contribution to the knowledge of humankind by studying the activities and behaviour of people in the past. Your acquired knowledge of (pre)history will give you new insights into the world of today.

At the start of the 20th century there were fewer than 2 billion people. Now at 7 billion, Earth’s population is on target to reach 8 billion by 2027. How has this dramatic increase in human population impacted Earth’s life support systems and natural resources? What is sustainability? How do we achieve a sustainable society? These are very big questions and very complex topics to cover. The Earth, Energy and Sustainability major operates at the forefront of the field of environmental sciences, with a balance between understanding key concepts within a classroom setting, and applying the gained knowledge in real-life situations. This major is focused on Ecosystem, Earth systems and Resource Management

Linguistics is the scientific study of language, and an important way of understanding what it means to be human. Explore the world through this fascinating lens.
Human language is a unique phenomenon. Think for instance of the following questions: What are the phonetics – the specific sounds of speech – of French and Mandarin, and what are their similarities and differences? How do children acquire their native language? Why are some politicians better at convincing the electorate than others? How has German developed over the centuries? Do you converse differently in English than in Japanese? How and why do languages differ from each other? These are the kinds of questions linguists try to answer.

Despite tremendous advances in the past decades in medicine, education, and food production, public health remains a major global concern. Global Health, Innovation and Society is an ideal major for students interested in health problems attributed to social and cultural inequality, health care access, migration and demographic change, epidemics, natural disasters and environmental change. The goal of the Global Health, Innovation and Society major at LUC is for you to develop a theoretical and applied understanding of the causes and risk factors associated with public health problems, ranging from community to global scales.

Do cities fascinate you? Would you like to gain insights into the nature and origin of problems and learn more about, and help solve, cities' health, safety, multicultural and sustainability issues?

Are you unfazed by statistics and economics and excited at the prospect of following an international, English-taught programme? If all these questions elicited a “yes”, then our Urban Studies bachelor's is definitely for you.

Currently, around 50% of the world's population lives in cities and knows all about the opposing aspects of urban life. In the Urban Studies programme you will learn how cities are currently coping with economic growth, social cohesion, safety and sustainability, and how they'll do so in future. And all this in an international classroom in the Netherlands' political capital, The Hague.

We offer our students a broad orientation on psychology in this three-year bachelor's programme as we cover the basics and all subdisciplines.

If you are thinking about choosing for our International Bachelor in Psychology you are no doubt interested in people's behaviour. You are aware that psychology is a science and you have an inquisitive and open mind. You do not take opinions for granted just because they sound plausible and are held by a large group of people. Your English is good, you have a feeling for language, and enjoy studying and reading about all aspects of psychology. You are looking forward to becoming a psychologist: a person who looks at things scientifically and from a distance; is observant and a good listener; is able to think systematically and reason logically.

The International Bachelor in Psychology offers a broad academic development, with knowledge of several subdisciplines, such as clinical (neuro)psychology, developmental psychology, social and organisational psychology, economic and consumer psychology, cognitive psychology and health psychology.

The master's in French Literature and Culture at Leiden University offers an excellent qualification in French and Francophone literature and culture. All classes taught in French, which will greatly improve your fluency in oral and written French. During this master’s programme you will study French literature from France and beyond, ranging from the Middle Ages to the present. The programme offers courses in the ‘traditional’ canon of French literature, but also goes beyond it, focusing on francophone literature from origins as diverse as the Caribbean and the Maghreb.

Customise your degree

You will be able to design your curriculum according to your career goals or interests. Concentrate on French literature from the 20th and 21st century, or on courses related to medieval or early modern literature. You will also be able to combine French literature courses with Masterlanguage and French linguistics courses.

In the Research Master programme in Political Culture and National Identities at Leiden University you will be at the forefront of a new approach to understand how politics and identities in Europe are conceived.

You will be part of a programme that takes a broad, comparative approach to the study of the political and national identities of a number of European countries spanning the period 1800 to 2010. The programme takes an international perspective by looking at the relations between different European countries instead of the more usual nationalistic historiography.

You will examine the evolution of the political culture and national identities of countries such as the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany or Russia – and how these countries influenced each other through 'cultural transfer': the adoption of examples from other countries and the inspiration they engender.

Your understanding of how national identities and political views have evolved will enable you to make a valuable contribution to the debates that continue to dominate both public and academic forums, including discussions about the EU, democracy and populism.

The master's programme in Heritage and Museum Studies at Leiden University focuses on the relationships between past and present, the role of heritage in our society, and how our heritage can contribute to improving the quality of life and the environment.

Seen from an archaeological perspective and in so far as they are relevant to heritage management and modern museum practices, this master's specialisation combines academic and practical aspects of cultural and landscape studies, politics, cultural theory and the environmental sciences.

This fascinating journey will take you through current approaches and ethical issues and allows you to experience some of them in daily practice.

Why Heritage and Museum Studies at Leiden University?

• Study at a Faculty that has quite rightly earned a place in the top ten of archaeology research and teaching institutes in the world.
• Benefit from our large network in international research.
• Gain a solid basis for a national or international career in archaeology, heritage management, heritage policy or the museum world.

How do States settle their international disputes? How is litigation and arbitration at the international law level conducted ? Can investment disputes between a State and a foreign investor or between two States be arbitrated? What is the role of the International Court of Justice and other international courts and tribunals in international society?

Learn how to answer and deal with these and other questions from an international law perspective.

This master allows you to specialise in international dispute settlement and arbitration with a strong emphasis on international law, while at the same time connecting to other related fields of law, such as arbitration in the international commercial law context. It also includes extra-curricular activities such as a moot courts, programme trips and visits, workshops and group exercises.

Leiden University’s two-year MA Japanese Studies offers a unique opportunity to conduct graduate-level research on various aspects of modern and pre-modern Japan, and to spend a full academic year in Japan.

Customised knowledge and skills

A comprehensive range of topics in modern and pre-modern Japan combined with a flexible programme format mean that you can tailor your studies to your interests and career goals.

Join a competitive programme and international classroom

A limited number of talented and highly-motivated students are accepted into this programme. Learn alongside inspired peers from around the world where small-scale classes allow every individual to share their ideas and engage fully in the content. At Leiden, every individual counts, which is why every student receives one-on-one support and mentoring from lecturers.

Study in Japan

Two semesters of your degree will be spent studying at a university in Japan, offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in Japanese culture, language, and society. Develop your fluency in Japanese and gain a host of skills and insights that will prepare you for real-world success after your master's degree.

Applied Mathematics focuses on computational and fundamental aspects of analysis and probability. You will become thoroughly acquainted with mathematics as it is applied in various aspects of life.
The Applied Mathematics master's specialisation focuses on both computational and fundamental aspects of analysis and probability. The specialisation offers courses dealing with diverse topics such as dynamical systems, interacting particle systems, network theory, stochastic differential equations, time series, asymptotic statistics and population genetics. Much of the material is driven by applications in physics and especially the life sciences. The analysis component of this specialisation focuses on topics such as C *-algebras, percolation, and stochastic dynamics.

The research specialisation is particularly interesting for you, if you want to become thoroughly acquainted with mathematics as it is applied in various aspects of life. More in general, Applied Mathematics is an excellent choice if you have the aspiration to pursue a PhD degree. The master's specialisation in Applied Mathematics is an ideal basis for becoming a mathematical researcher within an (international) industrial environment.

In the master’s specialisation Computer Science and Business Studies (formerly known as the MSc programme: ICT in Business and the Public Sector), you combine high-quality research in Computer Science with training in management and entrepreneurship. You will learn about analytical frameworks and skills for managerial decision making. The emphasis of the Business Studies specialisation is on combining research with the management and application of information technology in an organisational context. You will expand your knowledge of computer science and develop business and organisational skills that are essential to becoming a modern IT professional.

Over the last years, rapid changes in computer science and AI have created major challenges and opportunities for all kinds of organisations, industries, and individuals. To thrive in our modern information society, businesses and governmental organisations alike must combine a solid grasp of the evolving technological possibilities with a deep understanding of how to effectively and responsibly apply these in an organisational context.

This specialisation offers you the unique possibility to integrate molecular, cellular and organismal levels of research, but also provides the possibility to specialize in one of these levels.
An important aspect of this specialisation is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying health and disease and how cells and organisms adapt to environmental factors ranging from light, stress and pathogens to ecological and social conditions. Model organisms include bacteria, fungi, plants and animals (invertebrates and vertebrates). The subject areas covered encompass functional genomics, signal transduction, cellular differentiation, development, host-microbe interactions and animal behaviour.
The master's specialisation Molecular, Cellular and Organismal Biology is a good match if you are interested in subjects in the molecular, cellular and organismal levels of research. More in general, this master specialisation is ideally suited as a basis for starting a research career at a university or research institute and for a position in a bioscience-based company.

Increased molecular knowledge of the mechanisms of processes in the cell can lead to better medicines or new methods for combating diseases. Our MSc students in Life Science and Technology (LST) specifically learn to understand the molecular and structural chemical and biological aspects of disease-related processes and to apply chemical and biotechnological tools to the treatment of diseases. The programme offers four specialisations and gives students a great deal of freedom in composing their tailored study programme. The molecular insight of our MSc LST students is highly appreciated by research groups in institutes such as LUMC and ErasmusMC as well as in research institutes abroad.

If you are interested in life science and you are looking for a programme with ample of opportunities to assemble your own study path, our Life Science and Technology programme is the right choice. The programme addresses societal problems on a molecular and cellular level. You can also choose a specialisation in which you combine research in Life Science and Technology with training in business, communication or education.

The research master's in Assyriology, a specialisation of the Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) programme, at Leiden University provides you with a multidisciplinary study of the languages, literatures and cultures of the Ancient Near Eastern world. The Assyriology (Research) programme gives you the opportunity to study with internationally acclaimed academics immersed in the latest research and engaged in actively expanding our knowledge of the field. Your teachers are not only experts in languages and cultures of the ancient Middle East, but also active researchers engaged in innovative projects that constantly build bridges between cutting-edge research and the courses in your programme.

You will be able to tailor your study programme to your personal interests by creating your own combination of courses from the Assyriology programme or from other research master’s programmes within the Faculties of Humanities and of Archaeology.

Study at one of our partner universities

We encourage all student to consider applying for a study time abroad. The Assyriology research master’s programme offers opportunities to follow research programmes at one of our partner universities – including SOAS, University College London, Münster, and Heidelberg.

The programme offers a transdisciplinary approach to tackling urgent environmental challenges. Designed for students from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds, this programme goes beyond traditional learning. On your path to becoming a change agent, you will learn how to integrate governance and environmental science perspectives and to collaborate with non-academic actors. This will enable you to co-create solutions to real-world sustainability issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, water management, and circular economy.

In addition, we will provide you with the skills to integrate different scientific disciplines as well as the knowledge of non-academic actors to bridge the gap between science, policy, and practice.

Do you want to become a change agent, driving systemic transformation towards sustainable development? Do you want to learn how to bridge scientific disciplines, and become an intermediary between policy actors, the private sector, scientific experts and citizens? Are you keen to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, to design and implement governance solutions that address complex, interconnected sustainability challenges? Are you excited at the prospect of studying and working together with students coming from different disciplinary and cultural backgrounds? Then our Governance of Sustainability programme is designed just for you.

Why study Classics (research) at Leiden University?

Classics at Leiden University ranks among the best programs in the world. The seminars are taught by enthusiastic teachers, who invite you to be involved in innovative research on Greek and Latin literature, ancient history and philosophy. Leiden University, with a Classics tradition that goes back to 1575, has a great library and excellent research facilities.

Learn from internationally acclaimed scholars

The programme is taught by academic staff internationally renowned for their research. External lecturers are regularly invited to teach on specialized topics. And, every semester, a number of national and international speakers - both well-known experts and promising young researchers – are invited to speak in the lecture series Forum Antiquum. You will also benefit from the collaboration of classicists from different Universities in the National Research School in Classics (OIKOS).

Develop your skills and knowledge

You will develop your skills and knowledge across the full range of traditional Classics topics, including Greek and Latin Literature, Linguistics, Rhetoric, Aesthetics, Ancient Philosophy, Ancient History, and Renaissance Latin; but the programme also introduces you to more innovative approaches to classical texts, including Cognitive Theory and Digital Classics.

The master's specialisation Mathematics and Science Communication and Society focuses on the interaction between science and society.
Increasingly, the general public wants to be and needs to be informed about scientific topics. At the same time, scientists need to show accountability to the general public about their research. In this specialisation you bridge the gap between experts and the public by combining high quality research in mathematics with extensive training in science communication. After completion, you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to either become a science communicator with a strong mathematical background, or a scientist with a communicating mindset.

Do you want to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public? Want to combine high quality research in mathematics with professional science communication? Then, this master's specialisation is an excellent opportunity for you. You will be prepared for a career as a science or health communicator, policy maker, PR officer, science journalist, health officer, museum educator or a mathematics researcher with a communicating mindset.

Why does governance so often fail to effectively address societal problems? Why does the success of policy solutions vary so strongly across countries and policy domains? The specialisation Public Management and Leadership develops a theoretical and practical understanding of how management and leadership behavior is at the heart of understanding – and improving – public governance. The programme provides an internationally comparative perspective on how the actions of political executives, top-level bureaucrats, managers in government agencies, and front-line professionals ultimately determine successful governance. This expertise prepares you for a career in an (inter)national public organisation or management consultancy. Public governance broadly refers to the structures, processes and institutions used by government to address urgent societal problems. However, to understand what makes public governance work in practice, it is necessary to look beyond the structures and processes of government, and pay attention to the behavior of organisations and the individual actors that operate within them. This master specialisation uses management and leadership theory to critically analyze how the decisions and actions of public managers ultimately determine successful governance. In doing so, the programme has an internationally comparative and practice-oriented perspective.

The Master’s in Asian Studies at Leiden University is your opportunity to earn a specialised qualification from one of the leading centres for Asian studies in Europe. The Asian Studies master's programme offers one-year specialisations in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the History, Arts and Culture of Asia, and the Politics, Society and Economy of Asia, as well as two-year specialisations in China, Japan*, Korea. Expertise on Asia at Leiden University is internationally renowned and spans the whole of Asia. Small classes give you direct and regular contact with your lecturers, many of whom are at the leading edge of Asia-related research worldwide.

Customise your degree

With an expansive curriculum and flexible programme format, the MA in Asian Studies allows you to tailor your degree to reflect your interests or career ambitions. Choose to focus on a language and a single country, or on a specific discipline and region, with access to an unmatched range of diverse electives.

Develop your language fluency

During your studies you have the opportunity to develop your fluency in a classical or modern language. You also have the option to take an intensive modern Indonesian language course.

The interdisciplinary programme Governance of Migration and Diversity offers you the expertise from various disciplines and from three universities: Leiden University, Delft University and Erasmus University Rotterdam (LDE). You will attend courses at all three universities and become an all-round migration expert who is able to analyse and assess migration and diversity from multiple angles (history, sociology, politics, international development and urbanism).

Explore migration within a wider context

The programme aims to frame the historical study of migration in a wider interdisciplinary context. You will be trained to contribute to the governance of migration and diversity in the context of very different organisations. You will address questions such as:

• What are the opportunities and challenges for the governance of migration?
• How have societies changed in terms of diversity?
• How are newcomers incorporated?
• How can discrimination be prevented?

Why choose Governance of Migration and Diversity?

• You will gain knowledge helping you address governance issues related to migration and diversity.
• You will take part in courses offered by leading scholars from three universities and five academic disciplines.
• The course content of the programme directly relates to current issues and trains you to contribute to the governance of migration and diversity.

How did people in the past negotiate social, economic and political inequalities? How do inequalities emerge, transform, and disappear? In the MA History specialisation History of Inequality and Power, you will learn to find answers to these questions by looking at historical developments around the world from the Middle Ages until today. Understanding historical inequality equips you to better interpret and address current societal issues related to justice and identity.

In the master track Violence, Interventions, and Policing, you study various forms of interpersonal violence, such as men’s violence against women, criminal-related violence, and violence between citizens and police during public disorder. You explore the causes, consequences, and social contexts of violence, and learn how interventions and prevention strategies work. You also examine the role of police and other security actors in maintaining internal security and the legitimate use of force. In four specialised courses, you develop academic knowledge and research skills: analysing theories, collecting and evaluating data, and critically assessing policies. This track equips you to design effective strategies to reduce violence and improve prevention programs. It prepares you to contribute to the work of municipalities, victim organisations, educational institutions, and public or private security organisations, while gaining insight into the societal, political, and legal impact of violence and interventions.

Leiden University’s Master of Laws in Advanced Studies in Law and Digital Technologies explores the law and governance relating to the internet, computers, mobile devices, persuasive technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, etc. These digital technologies present unprecedented challenges to the law. They raise questions about their governance (e.g., in relation to the global reach and jurisdiction) and can both promote and threaten long-held fundamental values and rights, such as the right to privacy. Moreover, they can be effective tools for (cyber)crime, or impede government accountability if not used according to legitimate procedures. While the legal system is challenged by digital technologies, it is also the most powerful tool for regulating them. In this programme you will explore the multi-dimensional relationship between law and digital technologies with academic and professional experts in the field. Coursework focuses on regulatory theory (internet governance and techno-regulation) and national, European and international law (hard law, soft law and case law), but also on exploring broader ethical, societal challenges of digital technologies and gaining insight into the technology.

The MA Ancient History is your opportunity to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the history of the Greek and Roman periods, with a focus on the mentality and social and economic history of the period between 400 B.C. and 400 A.D. This programme will give you a thorough grounding in several key periods of ancient history. These include: the complex history of the Roman Republic; civic life in Italy, Asia Minor and Egypt; Graeco-Roman religion; Late Antiquity; and the rise of early Judaism.

During the Ancient History programme you will collaborate with outstanding scholars from the Ancient History department, as well as those active in other fields of history or the related fields of the classics, ancient philosophy, classical archaeology, religious studies and near-eastern cultures.

The study of ancient sources

The Ancient History MA programme has a particularly strong focus on primary sources, offering a wealth of information about ancient Greek and Roman societies. You can pursue interests in documentary texts (inscriptions and papyri) and archaeological material. You will not need extensive knowledge of Latin and Greek because you can work with translations. Furthermore, you can study the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities and work alongside papyrologists at the Leiden Papyrological Institute.

The Politics of Artificial Intelligence is a one-year, non-technical specialisation designed to equip students with practical literacy in AI and the ability to critically assess its political applications and consequences. The curriculum emphasizes foundational Political Science theories while addressing cutting-edge developments in AI.

In the Master's specialisation in Social and Organisational Psychology you study behaviour in formal and informal groups, such as sports or work teams.
The one-year programme has a core curriculum that integrates social and organisational theory and practice. Building on this common body of knowledge, you have the option to focus on different issues.
You will choose specific topics for your course assignments, thesis and internship, or select specific elective courses, depending on your interests and ambitions.

The specialisation offers a wide range of topics, with the option to participate in research programmes on cultural diversity, leadership, economic decision-making and environmental behaviour.

The Chemistry and High-Tech Innovation specialisation is for MSc students who are interested in interdisciplinary technologies and research related to /important for high technology industries, e.g. the semi-conductor industry or nano-fabrication. In addition to Chemistry, students learn basic analytical frameworks and skills that enable them 1) to design and develop novel semi-conducting nano-materials, 2) develop instrumentation for high-precision measurements and/or 3) develop software and hardware for integration and design. In the specialisation High-Tech Innovation students combine high quality research in their field of study with experience in a scientific business environment comprising development from idea, to prototype, to application.

The specialisation High-Tech Innovation aims to introduce students to a broader array of exact sciences beyond Chemistry with an emphasis on innovative technologies. In addition, students will gain practical experience in applying their knowledge and skills through completing a research project in collaboration with an industrial partner.

The specialisation emphasises interdisciplinarity across fields of study that connects with industry practices. Students will learn through real-life industrial case studies, lectures by industrial guest speakers, and teamwork in multidisciplinary problem solving.

The master's programme in Modern European Philosophy at Leiden University focuses on the philosophical reflection on human nature and culture, both from a systematic and a historical perspective.

As the oldest university in the Netherlands, Leiden University has always maintained an active interest in the study of philosophy in all its facets. The master’s programme in Modern European Philosophy spans the whole gamut of modern post-Kantian philosophy.

Taught by Leiden University's internationally-acclaimed faculty, the programme investigates the basis of our understanding of human nature and culture. You will be taught to think philosophically about what it means to live in a human world. The programme combines systematic with historical approaches.

This challenging programme attracts talented and highly-motivated students. In-class discussions with fellow students will help you develop analytical and communicative skills. Classes are kept deliberately small to allow for a high level of contact between students and lecturers, many of whom are leading researchers in their fields.

In the track Cognitive Neuroscience we focus on the investigation of the psychological, computational, and neuroscientific bases of human cognition by means of mind and brain research.
This two-year master's programme has a strong hands-on approach with numerous practical courses. You will play an active role in ongoing behavioural and neuroscientific research.

The programme offers a thorough training in the methodological and practical skills necessary to carry out scientific research on human behaviour. You will have ample opportunity to get in touch with and work with top researchers and excel in the area of your choice. In addition, you will be trained in a multi-layered, theory-driven approach to processes of self-regulation.

In this specialisation you will develop all the practical and intellectual skills necessary to apply psychological knowledge to real-life problems in working environments and organisations.
In this one-year programme the emphasis is on translating theory into practice. Areas covered include cognitive enhancement and cognitive ergonomics.

The knowledge you acquire can be used for optimising the cognitive capabilities of people of all ages, for giving advice on the optimal circumstances for performance and learning and for study of the effects of drugs on human performance, as well as for developing accident-prevention programmes or user-friendly tools and interfaces as well as for improving decision-making processes.

The MA Middle Eastern Studies at Leiden University offers one of the most interdisciplinary programmes in the Netherlands, stretching the breadth of humanities and social sciences and involving multiple languages of the Middle East. Our research and teaching covers periods from the late antique and medieval to the premodern and contemporary times, and with a regional diversity stretching from North Africa and Central Asia, including the Levant, Asia Minor, the Arabian Peninsula and the Iranian Plateau, and their transnational and global interactions. Courses are offered and faculty members conduct research in a wide range of fields including history, politics, religion, anthropology, political economy, international relations, heritage, material culture, literature, philology and cultural production, among others.

Our research and education are further grounded in Arabic, Hebrew, Ottoman Turkish, Turkish and Persian studies. You will develop research projects supervised by faculty across this range of specializations, as evidenced by the wide variety of thesis topics submitted every year. This programme is definitely for you if want to take a deep dive into the diversity, nuance, beauty and challenges of studying this large, intercultural regional space and its rich history.

The master's specialisation Global Asian Studies is designed for students interested in examining Asia from a regional or thematic perspective. With an expansive curriculum, this one-year master's gives you the opportunity to delve deep into your specific disciplinary area of interest within the field of Asian Studies. Explore the countries of your choice from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, including history, literature, art history, critical heritage, philosophy, religion, political economy, International Relations, sociology or anthropology. Knowledge of an Asian language is not required for this specialization.

The two-year Master's programme in Philosophy at Leiden University investigates the fundamental principles underpinning human knowledge while cultivating your capacity for reason and sound argumentation.

This demanding and high-level programme is ideal for students who wish to enhance their knowledge of a particular discipline with complementary understanding of its philosophical foundations combined with further honing of their analytical thinking skills.

The master in Philosophy offers you the choice of three specialisations: Philosophy of Humanities, Philosophy of Law, Governance, and Politics Philosophy in World Traditions. Each specialisation delves deep into the philosophical foundations and methodological approaches underpinning that discipline. Content incorporates the very latest academic theory and the field’s historical development across a number of branches of philosophy.

The intellectual tools yielded by the study of philosophy are typically transferable skills to complement any given profession. The master in Philosophy will train you to become an outstanding critical thinker, capable of breaking down the most complex ideas and evaluating the principles upon which various positions are based. During your master, you will study, analyse and discuss primary philosophical texts while learning how to develop and communicate your own theories and ideas.

The Chemistry and Science Communication and Society master's specialisation focuses on the interaction between science and society.
Increasingly, the general public wants to be and needs to be informed about scientific topics. At the same time, scientists need to show accountability to the general public about their research. In this specialisation you bridge the gap between experts and the public by combining high quality research in chemistry with extensive training in science communication. After completion you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to either become science communicator with a strong chemistry background, or a researcher with a communicating mindset.

Do you want to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public? Want to combine high quality chemistry research with professional science communication? Then, this master's specialisation is an excellent opportunity for you. You will be prepared for a career as a science or health communicator, policy maker, PR officer, science journalist, health officer, museum educator or a researcher with a communicating mindset.

The master's specialisation Physics and Business Studies, you combine high quality research in Physics with training in management and entrepeneurship.
Business Studies bridges science and business by focusing on areas such as technology management, innovation, entrepreneurship, operations and decision-making. In this master's specialisation you combine Physics research with Business Studies. You will learn about analytical frameworks and skills for managerial decision-making. The emphasis of the business specialisation is on the application of these frameworks and skills in the context of R&D-intensive organisations. After completion, you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to take on managerial responsibilities in your work.

Do you pursue a management career in industry from a physics research perspective? Do you want to learn all about technology commercialization and business development? Then, Physics and Business Studies is the master's specialisation of choice for you. It enables you to broaden your scope outside physics research. The specialisation offers training that is analytically rigorous and connected to practice through class discussions based on real-life business cases, company visits, guest speakers, and an internship experience.

The master’s programme in Book and Digital Media Studies introduces you to the history of the written and printed word, and to theories and practices of publishing as well as digital textual media.

The master’s programme in Book and Digital Media Studies offers three specializations:

Digital Access to Cultural Heritage

You focus on the various ways in which cultural heritage institutions offer access to their digital collections. The course concentrates on topics such as crowd sourcing, digital preservation, support for digital scholarship and intellectual property and how these are transforming textual media.

History of the Book

You explore different aspects of the history of textual communication. We look at innovations in how books were made in the medieval and early modern period. You will conduct research using the rich primary sources contained in the special collections of libraries and archives in Leiden.

Dynamics in Scholarly Publishing

You will look at the wider role and function of academic publishing, a large, international, and technologically innovative business, in society. The course covers the full publishing chain, from the work of authors, via the activities of publishing houses, to libraries and readers.

The major aim of the Developmental Psychology research master programme is to understand the various neural, cognitive and behavioural changes that occur during development.
In this two-year research master's programme you will gain hands-on experience with various assessment procedures: self-report, behavioural observation, experimental manipulations, psycho-physiological assessment (skin conductance, heart rate, cortisol, etc.), EEG, and fMRI.

Hence, multi-method approaches are used to address the complex and dynamic interplay between emotion, cognition and the developing brain.

In this specialisation you focuse on legitimacy and justice, political philosophy's core themes. Immersing yourself in theories, methods, and complex cases, you will make the leap from opinion to analysis.

Some think that political legitimacy and justice are synonyms; others argue that they are not necessarily the same and can even contradict one another. You will investigate these concepts and their implications—systematically and logically. You will be confronted with challenging cases and learn to tackle these analytically and thoroughly. As you will discover, asking the right questions and employing proper argumentation are just as important as your conclusions. The programme addresses questions that are fundamental to every society. How do we arrive at ethics and morals of what is 'good' and what is 'right'? How do communities balance protection of the public and the private spheres? What to do when individual rights seem to run counter to collective interests? How to conceptualise freedom and equality? Our Master specialisation Political Legitimacy and Justice does not offer all the answers, but it surely will help you developing and sharpening your own perspective.

You study in one of the most highly ranked departments of its kind in Europe. Your lecturers are scholars from many countries with expertise in various areas of political science.

The mission of the 'Child and Adolescent Psychology' master's specialisation is to facilitate children's and adolescents' optimal development.

During this one-year programme we empower students to then empower young people to successfully negotiate the hurdles inherent to development. This requires accounting for the young person's family and school contexts and the other contexts in which they live (e.g., culture and free time).

Comparative Criminal Justice explores contemporary criminal justice developments and challenges from legal and criminological perspectives. It's unique in its cross-national & multidisciplinary scope.
Students will thoroughly study the concept of criminal justice: the system of principles, rules, practices and institutions through which the state administers sanctions against socially undesirable behaviour. The programme addresses key institutions, processes and cross-national issues on crime and crime prevention, law and policy. It distinguishes itself by its international comparative perspective, analysing criminal justice systems, legislation and policies in common law and civil law countries.

Students will explore the social and legal dilemmas that political and legal institutions face while governing security, guaranteeing safety and handling (inter)national crises. While the course devotes attention to all traditional actors in the criminal justice process, it also considers how crime control is shaped by other (non-state) actors and outside the criminal justice process. Our programme is taught by academic staff as well as by professionals working in the criminal justice sector. Apart from following lectures, you will also participate in field-trips to Dutch and international institutions such as the Netherlands' Council of State, Europol and the European Parliament.

In the master's specialisation Mathematics and Science Based Business, you combine high quality research in Mathematics with training in management and entrepreneurship.
In close co-operation with senior research staff, you will do your own research project. Courses on theory on the frontier of science will further enhance your knowledge. In a networked and case-based programme on management, business and entrepreneurship you will learn about running science-driven companies and exploiting business opportunities created in research. Your newly acquired knowledge and skills you will apply and enhance further in a company internship or business assignment.

The Master's programme Italian Language and Linguistics at Leiden University is a specialisation of the MA Modern Languages and draws on diachronic and synchronic perspectives to bring you an advanced qualification in Italian linguistics.

Italian Language and Linguistics focuses on the most relevant aspects of Italian linguistics: how it connects to social and cultural issues; how it varies across time and place; how it is transmitted, taught and learned. An important aspect of the programme is exploring the dynamics that led to the literary language of Italian becoming the country's national language.

All courses take a global and comparative approach: you will learn how to critically assess an issue from multiple perspectives. You will also acquire the skills to design an optimal language training plan by studying and comparing current language teaching methods.

Industrial Ecology: the science of sustainability

Our planet needs urgent solutions to challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and other environmental threats. Sustainability is key to tackling those global challenges, and this is where Industrial Ecology (IE) comes in. One could define IE as the ensemble of methods to systematically assess the interactions between human activities and the environment, offering a holistic and practical approach towards sustainability. As the science of sustainability, Industrial Ecology focuses on optimising resource use, minimising waste, and reducing environmental impact across the life cycle of products and processes.

Now more than ever, our MSc programme is crucial in finding an answer to the needs of both the planet and society. With the effects of environmental change on our societies becoming more evident to businesses and governments, demand for our graduates continues to rise in the job market.

The interdisciplinary programme, offered jointly by Leiden University and TU Delft, is a true powerhouse for sustainability solutions. As a student you will acquire essential knowledge and tools, while being part of a closely-knit international academic community with shared values and a shared purpose.

Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology: Specialisation Sociology of Policy in Practice
Are you eager to conduct policy-oriented research on issues of relevance to organisations? Do you want to combine ethnographic research with a 3-month internship?

Do you have excellent analytical, organisational and communication skills? Are you flexible and hard-working?

Then Policy in Practice is the right specialisation for you! The master's specialisation in Policy in Practice aims to address challenges faced by NGO's, government bodies, and commercial companies in relation to culture and diversity in today's globalised world. Particular emphasis is placed on complex processes of diversity, sustainability and digitalisation.

This specialisation enables you to gain relevant working experience by conducting a 3 month research internship in the Netherlands, Ghana, The Philippines, or another country.

The master in Italian Literature and Culture at Leiden University offers a multifocal approach to the study of Italian literature. Students will be involved in ongoing research of the lecturers:

• from the Middle Ages to the Early modern period. Examples of subjects: iconography in and around poetry, ethics in war literature, nature in narratives;
• From Modern times up to the present day. Examples of approaches: literature is taught in combination with film or with journalism in 20th Century Italy.

In all courses students gain hands-on experience through active participation in activities and assignments (e.g. organizing a conference, creating a film set, inviting a lecturer, interviewing an author etc.).

MA students with a special interest in Italian literature can opt for an entire “Italian track” by choosing up to 4 Italian-language electives or specialization courses.

Choose from a broad selection of Italian-language courses

This master's programme offers you a broad selection of Italian-language courses in the Netherlands. Leiden University is an international centre of expertise in the Humanities, which means that you learn from scholars at the leading edge of their fields.

The primary focus of the master specialisation Applied Neuroscience in Human Development is on how knowledge about brain functioning and stress regulation can contribute to educational practice, clinical work, family interventions, and – conversely – how these applications can contribute to optimal neurocognitive and biological functioning.

As a graduate you will have acquired knowledge and skills in:

• The basics of the functional anatomy of the brain, the development of the brain and nervous system, and genetic and environmental factors influencing cognitive development and functioning;
• Methods and instruments for measuring and studying the quality of the (central) nervous system, such as EEG, brain imaging techniques such as MRI, parameters of the arousal system such as heart rate and skin conductance, eye tracking, genetics and the hormone system;
• Possibilities for prevention and intervention aimed at optimizing brain functioning and the regulation of thought, emotions and behavior.

This programme focuses on the link between theory, research and practice. Students are taught to seek evidence-based solutions to problems occurring in child-rearing and education.
At the start of this one-year programme, you will choose a specialisation. All specialisations have one course in common, in which you will learn about the practice of empirical research.
The rest of the year you will spend deepening your scientific knowledge in the field of your choice. You will fulfil an internship and complete your master's project in which you will undertake your own research and prepare a written report of this research project.

The master’s specialisation Advanced Computing and Systems offers future-oriented topics in computer science with a focus on high performance computing, embedded systems, cloud and distributed computing.

This includes the driver of the internet of things, such as high performance computers capable of simultaneously processing huge volumes of data,

cloud computing and large database systems satisfying today’s demands on data analysis more than the more conventional transactions do, and embedded systems in which sensors and processors are integrated, making them ‘smart’ and sensitive to the change of the environment.

The specialisation Culture and Politics encourages critical perspectives on complexities of culture as an inextricable part of global politics. The Culture and Politics specialisation considers the cultural dynamics of power, dominance, and resistance. As part of the specialisation you will study the relationship between political concepts and a large variety of cultural forms. The specialisation also examines the transnational production, distribution, and consumption of culture, problematising “national” cultural and “soft power” policies. You will learn methods drawn from fields like linguistics, media and cultural studies which will be useful for analysing the political significance of material and phenomena both conventional and unconventional to the study of international relations.

With an MA in International Relations from Leiden University you are eligible to apply to the second year of the prestigious MA in International Affairs at the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, Bologna, Italy. Admitted candidates receive a full year’s credit towards this two-year MA. The MA in International Affairs is a research-focused programme where students have the flexibility to personalise their curriculum and focus on those contemporary issues in international affairs that are of the greatest importance and aligned with their career interests.

In this specialisation you investigate why and how people mobilise around group identities, as well as the institutional arrangements for resolving or reducing ethnic conflict.

Organising diversity is one of today's main challenges. Ethnic, racial, religious, or cultural differences are on the agenda worldwide, often because of the violent conflicts that ensue. Why and how do these conflicts arise, where do these turn into bloodshed? What are the mechanisms for fostering stability and peace, both within and between states? How should we understand phenomena such as nationalism, federalism, multiculturalism and separatism? A multidisciplinary and international team of social scientists will work with you in order to clarify and explain these issues, each from his/her own expertise.

You study in one of the most highly ranked departments of its kind in Europe. Your lecturers are scholars from many countries with expertise in various areas of Political Science.

The master’s programme of Latin American Studies supports the teaching and research of the social, cultural, historical, and linguistic diversity of contemporary Latin America, a region of mind-blowing diversity and global impact.

We offer the unique opportunity to specialise in the Latin American region, including a global perspective and offering unique combination of multi-disciplinary expertise for the Netherlands in the field of Brazilian studies. In fact, students can chose to focus on any of the countries in the region, depending on their research interests.

Taught by scholars from Leiden University's internationally-acclaimed Faculty of Humanities, and including collaboration from visiting experts on Latin America, the master in Latin American Studies explores the most current social, political, linguistic and cultural developments shaping Latin America today. You may choose from one of three disciplinary tracks:

• Cultural Analysis in Latin America
• Public Policies in Latin America
• Language Variation and Bilingualism

Three broad tracks ensure a deep theoretical and methodological underpinning, allowing students to specialise in their areas of interest.

Fieldwork

A research trip to Latin America immerses you in one of the Latin American cultures and languages, while developing your ability to conduct high-quality scientific research and communicate professionally and effectively.

The master in Media Studies is a one-year programme with four specialisations. Each specialisation explores a different medium in-depth, including how it interrelates with other media forms. You will also get the opportunity to investigate the roots of this relatively new academic field.

You are able to choose from four specialisations:

• Book and Digital Media Studies: focuses on the dynamic process of the transmission of knowledge and information through handwritten, printed, and digital texts.
• Cultural Analysis: Literature and Theory: is devoted to the study of literature from a comparative and theoretical perspective.
• Film and Photographic Studies: offers you a challenging academic study in the field of ‘lens-based’ media, comprising photography, film and video.
• Journalistiek en Nieuwe Media (taught in Dutch): provides you with strong editorial skills, a journalistic attitude and a strong academic background.

All programmes are taught across two semesters and comprises compulsory courses, elective courses, and the writing of an MA thesis.

Experiential learning

Some of the Media Studies programmes encourage students to get involved in projects for external clients. These projects provide students with the opportunity to apply ideas in practice, develop new contacts, and gain invaluable professional experience.

Designed for high-achieving students, Leiden University's Master's in Middle Eastern Studies (Research) offers you unmatched resources and expertise. Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Leiden University has a reputation for its breadth and depth of expertise that is unmatched in Europe. You can explore subjects that span virtually the entire Middle East both in time and geography.

The two-year research Master's allows you to freely combine subjects from seven specialisations: Turkish Studies; Arabic Studies; North African Studies; Persian Studies; Islam; and Modern Middle East Studies. You can decide to focus on a region such as the Arab world, North Africa or the Persian world, or on a discipline such as history, politics, literature or languages. A key feature is our comparative approach to learning, which includes intra-Middle Eastern comparisons, as well as comparisons of the Middle East with other regions in the world.

The courses in the first year of the programme develop your academic skills to an advanced level. In the second year, you will do research on a topic related to the Middle East and, where appropriate and possible, in the Middle East. You may also combine this research with attending courses at another top university, here or abroad.

In the master's programme Europe 1000-1800 at Leiden University you will learn to think comparatively about practices of power in premodern Europe in its global context. The courses are designed by leading scholars who work on comparative approaches to concepts such as dynasty, holy war, and citizenship, contrasting historical experiences across the globe. With this training students develop their own ideas focusing on communities, states and networks in and across Europe and the Mediterranean between 1000-1800.

Our courses explore how premodern practices of power, and the knowledge cultures that supported them, developed, were communicated and challenged.

Learn from leading scholars

The programme is taught by inspired academics currently engaged in large-scale research projects on issues directly related to the master in Europe 1000-1800, including feuds and factions, the Burgundian nobility, war memories and identity formation. They will teach you how to think comparatively about the transformations in politics, culture and religion that took place during 1000-1800. You will also engage closely in current scholarly debates, honing your ability to analyse and critique the latest academic ideas and theories.

The two-year master's programme Statistics and Data Science provides you with a thorough introduction to the general philosophy and methodology of statistical modelling, data analysis and data science, with a focus on applications in the life and behavioral sciences!

The master aims to educate multidisciplinary researchers and professionals that can combine theory and application. The programme consists of a core set of courses shared by all students and elective courses which allow students to specialize in a certain application area or research domain such as Medical Statistics, Data Science, Psychometrics and Sociometrics and Official Statistics (the EMOS specialization).

You will gain knowledge of statistics and data science methods as used in the life and behavioral sciences, and obtain practical skills such as programming, consultation, and written and oral communication of research results.

This programme is a joint collaboration between three faculties of Leiden University: The Faculty of Science (FWN), the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Science (FSW), and the Biometris institute of Wageningen University & Research (WUR).

Together these institutes have expertise in a wide area of statistics and data science.

Theoretical Physics is at the core of our scientific enquiry into the fundamental properties of the physical world. It aims to describe and understand a broad range of physical phenomena.
The Research in Theoretical Physics master's programme is specifically designed at preparing you for a career in scientific research in fundamental physics. Its primary aim is to allow you to continue towards a PhD in a broad range of topics. Leiden University's MSc program stands out in that we emphasize an education focused on the core of Theoretical Physics used in widely differing subdisciplines from High Energy Particle Physics and Cosmology, to Theoretical Physics of Life Processes and Condensed Matter Theory.

The MSc student is free to tailor his/her study program to the specific directions of interest, while simultaneously learning the wide applicability of universal Theoretical Physics concepts in other directions.

Theoretical Physics is the study of choice if you want to obtain a thorough experience on the frontline of physics research and a practical training of communicative and computer skills required to function in any of the modern high demanding data oriented careers in industry, society and research. Part of the research will be developing theoretical models and simulations of physical systems across different length scales, from cosmology to quantum systems.

In this specialisation you will learn to find solutions for complex societal problems as encountered in personalized medicine, chemical biology and sustainable use of biological sources.
In recent decades, life science research has enabled enormous breakthroughs in our understanding of fundamental molecular and cellular processes and mechanisms of life. Knowledge about genomic organisation, studies of protein-protein interactions and the characterisation of molecular structures have become central in modern life science research. Knowledge of chemical biology forms the basis of the molecular understanding of health and disease. It finds important applications in innovative health care, in the pharmaceutical industry and in so-called 'red' biotechnology, and is the focus of the Leiden programme.

If you want to understand the outcomes of molecular and structural chemistry in-depth and gain insight in basic processes underlying various diseases our master's programme is the right choice. More in general, this research specialisation is the best choice for you if you aim for a career in life science research or if you have the aspiration to pursue a PhD degree..

The research master in Hebrew and Aramaic Studies is delivered by internationally-acclaimed experts at Leiden University. Leiden University’s Chair of Hebrew and Aramaic actively contributes to scholarship in the field, and classes regularly reflect ongoing research. You will benefit from a broad range of relevant adjacent disciplines for the study of ancient languages and civilisations – many of them rarely taught elsewhere – as well as from Leiden’s famous up-to-date library resources.

Focus on your area of interest

The programme can be tailored towards your specific needs and is known for its close attention to individual interests. Languages and primary sources constitute the backbone; they equip you with a lasting set of tools. You may focus on the literature and culture of Ancient Israel against the backdrop of the world of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible/Ancient Judaism, from its emergence in around 1200 B.C.E. until its disappearance as a political entity in 135 C.E.

Expanding your scope

You may also expand your scope by putting a stronger focus on cognate languages: a great variety of pre-modern forms of Aramaic, Phoenician, Ugaritic, and other small corpus idioms, and their contribution to the region's wider cultural history. Electives from other fields offer additional possibilities for specialisation (e.g., Linguistics, Ancient History, etc.).

In this specialisation you combine high quality research in chemistry with training in management and entrepreneurship.
Business Studies bridges science and business by focusing on areas such as technology management, innovation, entrepreneurship, operations and decision-making. In this master's specialisation you combine chemistry research with Science Based Business. You will learn about analytical frameworks and skills for managerial decision-making. The emphasis of the business specialisation is on the application of these frameworks and skills in the context of R&D-intensive organisations. After completion, you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to take on managerial responsibilities in your work.

Do you pursue a management career in industry from a chemistry research perspective? Do you want to learn all about technology commercialization and business development? Then, Chemistry and Business Studies is the master's specialisation of choice for you. It enables you to broaden your scope outside chemistry research. The specialisation offers training that is analytically rigorous and connected to practice through class discussions based on real-life business cases, company visits, guest speakers, and an internship experience.

This specialisation focuses on the various aspects of European Law, as well as the European protection of human rights. You will study topics ranging from EU competition law to EU external relations law, from European social policy to internal market regulations and EU institutional law. You will gain in-depth knowledge about these aspects, while at the same time developing the professional skills needed in a EU-related legal career.
This one-year programme is designed for students who wish to specialise in the important and rapidly developing field of European law. The programme is taught in English and attracts students from around the world.

The content of the master's programme is connected with that of the Law Faculty's research programme: Securing the Rule of Law in a World of Multi-level Jurisdiction. Briefly stated, the research programme addresses the question as to how the rule of law (i.e. democracy, protection of human rights, adequate legal remedies) can be maintained when the law is formed at several levels.

Clinical Psychology at Leiden University is a master's specialisation at the interface of science and practice. The aim of this programme is to offer you a balanced combination of theory and skills training.

The content of our teaching is informed by the department's research programme, which focuses on mood disorders, anxiety disorders, traumatic stress and personality disorders.

In the unique two-year international joint Master’s programme in European Politics and Society (EPS) you will be able to study at four major European research universities in four beautiful cities: Prague, Leiden, Krakow and Barcelona.

The EPS Programme gives you the possibility to acquire high-level pluri-disciplinary knowledge and skills, with a central focus on the societal, political, and economic processes that have formed contemporary Europe and determine its role in the international environment.

Through its student population the programme fosters exchange among diverse European and non-European cultures, and offers a unique learning experience to both EU and non-EU students.

Multidisciplinary two year joint Master at four top European Universities

You will start this programme with a range of introductory courses in Prague, the second semester focuses on EU related courses and language tuition, and will be taught in Krakow or Leiden. In the third and fourth semesters, you will be able to choice between four different study tracks reflecting the diverse expertise of the Consortium members (Prague, Krakow, Barcelona, and Leiden). Each track combines various elective courses, research methods training, and an internship with an advanced research dissertation supervised by key staff from each Partner University.

Law and Society: Governance and Global Development (MSc) is a one-year master's degree at the internationally renowned Leiden Law School of Leiden University. This master’s degree is organised by the Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance and Society, in collaboration with colleagues from the Department of Criminology, the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, the Faculty of Humanities and the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam.The programme is distinct in its broad interdisciplinary approach, teaching students about processes of lawmaking, law implementation and dispute resolution, and their relation to social justice and the rule of law. You will focus on the different ways in which laws and legal institutions affect society and, vice versa, how society influences the formation and functioning of law. You will gain a broad, in-depth understanding of the relationship that exists between law and society, as well as the necessary knowledge and tools to think critically about current legal, socio-political and economic developments in the field.

In this advanced master’s programme, you will gain a thorough understanding of the legislation that governs international relations in an increasingly complex global society. You will learn in-depth about a wide range of aspects that affect our world, in addition to getting the opportunity to specialise your area of study. Through focused seminars and workshops, you will be challenged to develop your own views on the role and functioning of public international law.

For this programme, you will choose one of the following specialisations:

• International Criminal Law (Advanced)
• Peace, Justice and Development (Advanced)

As the programme will be taught in Leiden and The Hague, it will, as far as possible, draw upon the expertise available in the various international institutions located in The Hague, such as the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

This German-language master offers an excellent qualification in German literature and culture. As all classes are taught in German, you will greatly improve your fluency in oral and written German. The programme explores topics including prose and poetry, film, politics, cultural memory and identity, gender and intertextuality, migration, religion, and the differences between East and West Germany.

Customise your curriculum

You have the opportunity to design your curriculum according to your career goals or interests. You can choose to concentrate on German literature from the 20th and 21st centuries, or on courses related to medieval and early modern studies. By combining German literature or culture courses with a Masterlanguage course or German linguistics courses, you are also able to tailor your degree to match your interests.

Study at our German partner universities

The programme has been developed in close connection with our German partner universities including the Freie Universität Berlin, the Universität Bremen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düssseldorf, Universität Leipzig, and Westfälische Wilhelmsuniversität Münster. You may choose to study some courses at these universities.

The one-year, English-taught master's programme in English Literature and Culture focuses on the interaction between literature and key political and social issues such as identity, migration, memory and the metropolis, but also between literature and the literary tradition, and literature and film. Taught by Leiden University's acclaimed English literature faculty, this programme gives you access to excellent teaching and resources including Leiden University’s unique collection of manuscripts, books, periodicals and electronic media.

Focus on your area of interest

An expansive curriculum spanning the Middle Ages to the present day gives you scope to pursue your personal area of interest. Choose from ‘popular’ culture to the classics; from Beowulf to Chaucer; Milton and Shakespeare to James Joyce and Anglo-American films. Besides reading works from the traditional canons of British and American literature, you can also focus on speculative fiction, the Gothic, and Hollywood film.

Customised education

Design your own curriculum according to your career goals or interests. Concentrate on English-language literature from the 20th and 21st centuries, or on courses related to medieval or early modern literature. Hone your language skills or prepare for the Educational Master. You can also choose to combine English literature courses with Masterlanguage and English linguistics courses.

Maritime History is a specialisation of the Master's programme Colonial and Global History at Leiden University. Maritime history has enjoyed a real renaissance in the past two decades, experiencing an interdisciplinary transition known as the 'Oceanic Turn'. Besides economic, political, and nautical themes, there is fresh attention to social, cultural, and environmental phenomena. At Leiden, textual sources on global shipping are connected and compared to visual and material culture. Our programme is given in close cooperation with professionals from various cultural heritage institutions in the Netherlands.

Leiden is the only university in the Netherlands with its own master’s programme in Maritime History. Being firmly embedded in the specialisation Colonial and Global History gives the programme its unique character. You will address questions such as:

• Why have humans taken to the sea?
• How have different societies mastered the sea?
• Have seas and oceans connected or divided people, commodities, values, and ideas?

Why study Maritime History?

• You will gain knowledge about the enduring and ever-changing relationship between humankind and the sea.
• You will connect developments in global shipping to transitions in colonial and post-colonial societies.
• You will have the opportunity to do an internship at maritime museums or cultural heritage institutions.

The MA Southeast Asian Studies at Leiden University explores Southeast Asia in-depth and from the perspective of its history, literature, media, culture, religions, philosophy or philology.

Customise your degree

A flexible degree format allows you to tailor your degree to reflect your interests or specific career goals. Choose from a broad range of electives, select your own area of research for your MA thesis, and focus your studies on a language and a single country, or on a specific discipline and region.

Learn a language

Knowledge of an Asian language is not required for this master’s programme, but you have the option of taking an intensive modern language course in Indonesian instead of an elective in both the first and second semesters.

Learn from internationally-acclaimed scholars

Expertise on Asia at Leiden University is internationally renowned and spans the whole of Asia. Small classes give you direct and regular contact with your lecturers. You will learn from some of Europe's best scholars in the field, many of whom are at the leading edge of Asia-related research.

Become a migration expert! Migration, including refugee migration, is a key issue in current and past political and societal debates.

The interdisciplinary programme Governance of Migration and Diversity offers you the expertise from various disciplines and from three universities: Leiden University, Delft University and Erasmus University Rotterdam (LDE). You will attend courses at all three universities and become an all-round migration expert who is able to analyse and assess migration and diversity from multiple angles (history, sociology, politics, law, international development and urbanism). You will also build an extensive academic and professional network.

The programme aims to frame the historical study of migration in a wider interdisciplinary context. You will be trained to contribute to the governance of migration and diversity in the context of very different organisations.

The Astronomy and High-Tech Innovation specialisation is for MSc students who are interested in interdisciplinary technologies and research related to /important for high technology industries, e.g. precision instrumentation, semi-conductor industry or nano-fabrication. In addition to Astronomy, students learn basic analytical frameworks and skills that enable them 1) to design and develop novel semi-conducting nano-materials, 2) develop instrumentation for high-precision measurements and/or 3) develop software and hardware for integration and design. In the specialisation High-Tech Innovation students combine high quality research in their field of study with experience in a scientific business environment comprising development from idea, to prototype, to application.

The specialisation High-Tech Innovation aims to introduce students to a broader array of exact sciences beyond Astronomy with an emphasis on innovative technologies. In addition, students will gain practical experience in applying their knowledge and skills through completing a research project in collaboration with an industrial partner.

The specialisation emphasises interdisciplinarity across fields of study that connects with industry practices. Students will learn through real-life industrial case studies, lectures by industrial guest speakers, and teamwork in multidisciplinary problem solving.

The Astronomy and Science Communication and Society master's specialisation focuses on the interaction between science and society.

Increasingly, the general public wants to be and needs to be informed about scientific topics. At the same time, scientists need to show accountability to the general public about their research. In this specialisation you bridge the gap between experts and the public by combining high quality research in astronomy with extensive training in science communication. After completion you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to either become science communicator with a strong astronomy background, or an astronomer with a communicating mindset.

Do you want to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public? Want to combine high quality astronomy research with professional science communication? Then, this master's specialisation is an excellent opportunity for you. You will be prepared for a career as a science or health communicator, policy maker, PR officer, science journalist, health officer, museum educator or an astronomy researcher with a communicating mindset.

The research master's in African Studies at Leiden University is unique in continental Europe for the interdisciplinary range of subjects offered and the long-term fieldwork in Africa. The two year’s research master’s programme in African Studies at Leiden University bridges the often artificially drawn boundaries between the humanities and the social sciences, combining perspectives from history, literary studies, anthropology, political science and economics, among others. As a result you have the opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge about different aspects of the African continent and its peoples, while being challenged to go beyond the boundary constraints of any of the more traditional disciplines focusing on Africa. Small classes ensure that you have plenty of direct contact with your lecturers and a high level of guidance and support throughout your studies.

In the Master programme Ancient History at Leiden University you will study the history of the Greek and Roman period, focused on the mentality and social and economic history in the period 400 B.C.- 400 A.D.

The two-year research master's programme focuses on a wide array of subjects including Roman social history, acculturation and romanisation theory, Graeco-Roman religion, and the rise of early Judaism. You will become adept in the study of documentary texts, in particular those of Greek inscriptions. During the programme you will also learn how to apply methodologies from various other disciplines to bring new perspectives to the topics you study and analyse and critique the latest academic theories in the field of Ancient History.

As an Ancient History research master's student you will be part of a lively, ambitious, and international community that includes students from a variety of disciplines such as history, classics and archaeology. Your lecturers have typically been the recipients of various prizes and research grants.

The master’s programme in Egyptology at Leiden University provides you with a multidisciplinary study of the languages, literatures and cultures of Ancient Egypt. Join an acclaimed programme that has its roots in the 19th century when Leiden’s National Museum of Antiquities acquired its famous collection of Egyptian antiquities. The one-year Egyptology master’s programme covers a wide range of focused, in-depth topics, including most of the linguistic and cultural history of Pharaonic, Graeco-Roman and Coptic Egypt.

Our staff members cooperate with fellow researchers from universities and research institutes from various countries on project topics covering: Egyptian art history, Egyptian archaeology, Egyptian religion, Coptic Egypt, Social and economic history of Ancient Egypt and the origins of the alphabet. These wide-ranging research activities form an integral part of the educational programme.

Visit excavations in Egypt

Consolidate what you learn in class by experiencing it first-hand during an intensive course on archaeology as practiced in Egypt today. You will visit excavations and research projects in Egypt and learn about the department’s own field and research projects, including excavations at Saqqara and the Dakhla Oasis.

This specialisation focuses on the sources of international conflict, the dynamics of crisis management, and the conditions that allow states to resolve their disputes peacefully.

International relations often appear to be dominated by conflict and crisis. Think of arms races, territorial disputes, civil war, and mass migration that create insecurity for states as well as individuals. This specialisation focuses on the sources of international conflict, the dynamics of crisis management, and the conditions that allow states to resolve their disputes peacefully. You will dive into a wide range of important, fascinating issues, ranging from the functioning of international diplomacy to the security threats posed by terrorism.

You will be based in one of the most highly ranked departments of its kind in Europe. Your lecturers are scholars from many countries with expertise in various areas of international politics, including several with direct experience in policy formation, diplomacy, and international organisations. They will stimulate you to think critically and independently and help you to sharpen your analytical mind.

The two-year master's programme Mathematics has two main specalisations: Applied Mathematics with topics such as dynamical systems, differential equations, probability theory and stochastics, statistics, percolation, and mathematics in the life sciences, and Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory with topics such as algebraic number theory, algebraic geometry, algebraic topology and cryptology. The goal of each programme is to train the student as an independent researcher, and to develop the necessary skills and proficiency to advance your career.

The staff participate in leading research projects and offer high-quality teaching.

The Leiden Mathematical Institute aims at excellence both in research and in education. Many well-known Dutch mathematicians are included in the staff and you will be studying in a leading research group.

The two-year programme is tailor-made, depending on your individual background and your personal ambitions.

This MSc track prepares students for a career in science-related business and administration and for innovation and enterprise from an astronomy perspective.
In addition to knowledge of astronomy, students obtain competence with respect to organisations, people in organisations and the establishment and management of processes.
The first year of the track focuses on astronomy; in the second year the student will specialise in Science-Based Business.

The Leiden MSc in Astronomy focuses on: Knowledge and understanding of the origin, structure, and evolution of galaxies, including processes in their nuclei, as well as the universe they are part of; Knowledge and understanding of the origin, structure and evolution of stars, including the interstellar medium, circumstellar gas and dust, and planetary systems.
These goals are approached by means of courses teaching knowledge of the various fields and insight into their mutual connections, and through research projects in which the student focuses on one or more aspects of ongoing research carried out by staff and postdocs.
The Leiden programme is particularly known for its emphasis on the interface between observation and theory: interpretation, modelling and simulation.

The Physics master's programme offers you a research-intensive tailor-made study path on current topics in experimental and theoretical physics at an institute of international renown.

The Physics master's programme is intimately related to the scientific research carried out at the Leiden Institute of Physics. You will spend approximately 50% of your programme on research, as a member of one of our top-level international research groups. We offer six research specialisations, with emphasis on three experimental or theoretical physics, which train you as an independent researcher. We also offer three specialisations (including Education, Business Studies and Science Communication and Society) that put Physics in broader societal contexts and train you for careers where a Physics background is an asset. Each of these specialisations aims at providing a combination of research independence and content proficiency that fully prepares you for a successful professional development for your professional development.

Are you looking into furthering your education in fundamental questions in physics? Then our Physics master's programme is the right choice. Whether you are interested in experimental or theoretical research, or cosmology, we offer it all. You will be trained for a career in research within or outside academia.

The programme for the Modern Languages specialisation is a one-year programme within the Master degree in Linguistics at the Leiden University. In the course of the programme you will be able to focus on one of five language themes, or a combination thereof: Chinese Linguistics, English Linguistics, French Linguistics, German Linguistics or Italian Linguistics. The programme equips you with unique skills relevant to a career in academia, teaching, writing and communications.

The MA Modern Languages provides you with a solid foundation in the languages of the world's most influential societies. You will look at how these languages can vary by place, by situation and by social group (sociolinguistics, dialectology); how they evolve over time (historical linguistics); how people acquire or learn them (language acquisition); and how people use them in context (pragmatics).

The programme is aimed at students who are interested in Chinese Linguistics, English Linguistics, French Linguistics, German Linguistics or Italian Linguistics. You might also be interested in second language learning, or in combining linguistics with literary studies of your language of choice. These options are an excellent preparation for a subsequent educational master.

The specialisation Global Political Economy of the master’s in International Relations at Leiden University provides you with a cutting-edge understanding of the world economy and its social and political foundations. The Global Political Economy specialisation offers students exciting and rigorous explorations of the world economy that bring critical perspectives to bear on some of the most important issues of our times. As a student in the Global Political Economy specialisation, you will address such key concerns as the determinants of economic growth, poverty, and inequality; the changing organization, operation, and logics of global industries; environmental sustainability and equity challenges arising from features and effects of global capitalism; and implications of the world market for the vitality and future of democracy. The programme's commitment to multidisciplinarity and its attention to diverse theoretical traditions and geographical and societal standpoints, the Global Political Economy specialisation imparts the ideas and skills you need to explore and contribute to debates and discussions on the contemporary world economy, positioning you to contribute insights and analysis that will bring value to a wide range of professional and scholarly pursuits.

The MA South Asian Studies at Leiden University is designed for students with an interest in studying South Asia from a range of perspectives including its history, literature, art, media, culture, religions, philosophy and philology. This one-year master's in South Asian Studies offers you a world-class qualification that combines a comparative and global approach with specialised and in-depth expertise. You will learn about the countries or regions of South Asia from the perspective of a wide range of complementary disciplines including history, literature, art history, media and cultural studies, religious studies, philosophy and philology.

Customise your degree

A flexible degree format allows you to tailor your degree to reflect your interests or specific career goals. Choose from a broad range of electives, select your own area of research for your MA thesis, and focus your studies on a language and a single country, or on a specific discipline and region.

Learn a language

Knowledge of an Asian language is not required for this master’s programme, You do have the option of taking an intensive Hindi, Sanskrit or Tibetan language courses. These courses are taken instead of an elective in both the first and second semesters.

The master's specialisation Economic and Consumer Psychology makes you an expert in the field of the psychological determinants of economic and consumer decision making (e.g., why people buy certain products or services).
The Leiden programme in Economic and Consumer Psychology has a core curriculum with a focus on the integration of psychological and economic theories and practice. The programme provides students with in-depth knowledge of the field by emphasizing general principles that underlie economic and consumer behaviour.

Questions that will be studied include: How do consumers decide what to buy? How rational are our choices? How do we sell our own products and ideas to others?
As economic behaviour overlaps to a large extent with social behaviour, this master's specialisation has a lot to offer in answering these questions.

In the master's specialisation Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences and Business Studies, you combine high quality research in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences with training in management and entrepreneurship.

The master's specialisation Business Studies bridges science and business by focusing on areas such as technology management, innovation, entrepreneurship, operations and decision making. You will learn about analytical frameworks and skills for managerial decision making. The emphasis of the business specialisation is on the application of these frameworks and skills in the context of R&D-intensive organisations. After completion, you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to take on managerial responsibilities in your work.

This multi-disciplinary programme offers a wealth of opportunities for students interested in fundamental or applied molecular bioscience, organismal and behavioural biology, evolution, biodiversity or conservation, and prepares you for a career in or outside academia.

The programme is a collaboration between the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), the Institute for Environmental Sciences (CML), and the National Museum of Natural History, Naturalis. These leading institutes offer state-of-the art facilities and cutting-edge research with a broad and diverse scope. The Institute for Biology Leiden (IBL) and the Institute for Environmental Sciences (CML) are part of the Faculty of Science, which facilitates ample opportunities for crossing borders with other science areas.

The close proximity of the Bio Science Park with its many companies active in the (bio)medical field and the cooperation with the Leiden University Medical Center expand options for study and internships.

In addition, the availability of important biodiversity collections at the National Herbarium, the famous Hortus Botanicus and Naturalis contribute to an attractive environment for biologists in Leiden.

Students can combine training in biological research with training in science communication, education or science-based business.

What effects has globalisation had on international trade? What are the essential elements of international business contracts? When there is a dispute concerning a cross-border business transaction, which country's or region's laws apply and which court has jurisdiction? Learn how to deal with questions like these from both an international and comparative perspective.

Globalisation and increasing international trade have led to the rapid internationalisation of civil and commercial law, thus forming a complex and multi-layered discipline. Leiden University’s International Civil and Commercial Law programme deals with different levels of international, EU and national laws as they coexist and interact with one another. This programme will equip you with the skills necessary to fully understand and apply such intertwined layers to domain-specific legal issues.

You will study transnational sources of hard law (treaties, regulations and directives) and soft law (model laws, legislative guides, principles), as well as relevant case law. You will also investigate the comparative side of international civil and commercial law, in particular looking at the differences between civil law and commercial law and between certain national legal systems.

The Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) master's at Leiden University covers the entire range of present-day research on the civilisations of Greece and Rome, Egypt and the Ancient Near East.The research master's programme distinguishes itself from other similar master's programmes by consistently integrating Greek and Roman Antiquity, the world of the Hebrew Bible, ancient Judaism, emerging Christianity, Egypt (ancient, antique and late-antique) and the cuneiform cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia, within their broader context.

The number of specialisations offered by the Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) programme is unparalleled.You will be able to tailor your study programme to your personal interests by creating your own combination of courses within the specialisation of your choice from other research master’s programmes within the Faculties of Humanities.

The programme makes creative use of a wide range of research methods, all of them well-represented at Leiden University. Traditional philology with its intimate knowledge of languages and texts, while still indispensable, is enriched by literary studies, cultural history, and the analysis of material culture.

The master's specialisation Occupational Health Psychology at Leiden University draws upon and integrates knowledge of several disciplines in psychology, with a clear focus on workers and their work setting.
This one-year specialisation focuses on the application of psychology to protect and promote the safety, health, and well-being of workers - with the aim to improve the quality of working life.

Occupational Health Psychology is designed to address the contemporary societal concerns for occupational health and safety. The term 'health' in 'occupational health psychology' does not only include workers' physical state, but also emotional, cognitive, motivational and behavioural aspects.

You will learn to look at the context of the workplace from different disciplines: Health Psychology, Social and Organisational Psychology and Applied Cognitive Psychology. This makes Occupational Health Psychology a very wide-ranging specialisation.

Creative Intelligence & Technology (formerly Media Technology) is where science and creativity meet. You are encouraged to formulate your own scientific questions and translate personal inspirations and curiosities into research projects.

In the

Creative Intelligence & Technology master's programme we offer you a place where students, artists and scientists do research by creating innovative solutions, inspired by results and principles of science. To achieve this, the curriculum focuses on creative exploration and on the understanding of science and technology. The programme encourages you to draw from the knowledge available throughout Leiden University and the ArtScience programme of the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. After graduation, you are prepared for any future career involving creative and critical thinking, and in particular for a future in scientific research.

Are you looking for an MSc programme where creativity, technology and scientific research are key concepts? Our master's programme

Creative Intelligence & Technology is the right choice. You will work with students from different backgrounds in a creative environment where the goal is to stimulate innovation and creativity in scientific research by the innovative application of technology.

The MA in History, Arts and Culture of Asia is designed for students interested in taking a humanities-related approach to the study of countries or regions in pre-modern, modern or contemporary Asia. This specialization will merge with the Global Asia specialization starting September 2026. Students enrolling in February 2026 will be able to complete their program as planned.

Create your own curriculum

With an expansive curriculum, this one-year master's gives students the opportunity to delve deep into their specific discipinary area of interest within the field of Asian Studies. Explore the countries of your choice from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives.

Learn from acclaimed researchers

Expertise on Asia at Leiden University is internationally renowned, as is our collection of unique Asian artefacts. As a student of the MA in History, Arts and Culture of Asia, you will learn from some of Europe's best scholars in the field. And with classes kept deliberately small, every individual has the opportunity to voice their ideas and interact directly with these inspiring minds.

Learn a language

Within the master's in History, Arts and Culture of Asia, knowledge of an Asian language is not required, but you have the opportunity to broaden your skillset by taking an intensive modern language course at beginner’s level in Japanese, Indonesian, Chinese, Korean or Hindi.

The two-year Advanced MSc International Relations and Diplomacy programme offers you a unique blend of academic education in international relations and political science with practical graduate education and training in international negotiation and diplomacy. The programme is taught jointly by Leiden University’s Institute for Security and Global Affairs, the Institute of Political Science and the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael.

The location of The Hague is beneficial for this master’s programme in terms of substantive focus and the various links to international institutions located in this city. As one of the partners, Clingendael’s objective is to promote the understanding of international affairs, and the institute devotes special attention to European co-operation, international security, and diplomacy.

In the current era of global interdependence, collaborative efforts are needed to meet the most pressing challenges in international politics, security and economics. Increased transnational channels of communication, global trade and capital flows characterise an increasingly interconnected world of both nation states and non-state actors. The resulting challenges to global governance can be met most effectively by patterns of international and transnational co-operation and diplomacy.

The master's in Hebrew and Aramaic Studies is delivered by internationally-acclaimed experts at Leiden University. You will benefit from a broad range of relevant adjacent disciplines for the study of ancient languages and civilisations – many of them rarely taught elsewhere – as well as from the famous library resources. Leiden University’s Chair of Hebrew and Aramaic actively contributes to scholarship in the field, and classes regularly reflect ongoing research.

Tailor the programme to your interests

The programme can be tailored towards your specific needs and is known for its close attention to individual interests. Languages and primary sources constitute the backbone; they equip you with a lasting set of tools. You may focus on the literature and culture of Ancient Israel against the backdrop of the world of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible/Ancient Judaism, from its emergence in around 1200 B.C.E. until its disappearance as a political entity in 135 C.E.

Within the limits of the programme, you may also expand your scope by putting a stronger focus on cognate languages: a great variety of pre-modern forms of Aramaic, Phoenician, Ugaritic, and other small corpus idioms, and their contribution to the region's wider cultural history. Electives from other fields offer additional possibilities for specialisation (e.g., Linguistics, Ancient History, etc.).

In the research Master programme Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence at Leiden University you will study processes of migration, urbanisation, economic development, and the increase in global interaction.

You will be part of a Research Master's programme in which you will focus on processes that are subjects of heated current societal and political debates. You will study them from a comparative and historical perspective (covering the period 1350 until 2000) and place them in the wider frameworks of the development of trade networks, the emergence of multinationals, economic growth and stagnation, and world unification.

Leiden University has a long tradition of studying migration and ethnicity and you will benefit from the expertise of a large team of enthusiastic and very diverse teachers. You will learn to understand and contribute to current debates about migration, urbanisation, globalisation, economic growth, and inequality from a historical and comparative perspective. You will also analyse urban and state institutions and their effects on inclusion and exclusion, urban crime and criminal behaviour, and the development of freedoms and un-freedoms (including slavery).

The MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations at Leiden University covers the entire range of present-day research on the civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Syria and Palestine, Greece and the Roman Empire. In chronological terms, the program covers thousands of years, from the early origins of Egyptian and Sumerian societies down to the world of Greece and Rome, including its modern reception from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century.

The Master programme distinguishes itself from other similar programmes through its flexibility and wide range of electives, through the diversity of the research-related specialisms offered within the program, and through the collaboration of Assyriology, Classics, Egyptology and Hebrew and Aramaic Studies within one program. The program is well connected with excellent research institutes in Leiden, including the National Institute for the Near East (NINO), the National Museum of Antiquities (RMO) and the University Library, which hosts the Papyrological Institute and a unique collection of ancient and medieval manuscripts.

Research-based learning is characteristic of the program: students are trained in critical thinking and they learn by doing research on a small or large scale; they are constantly exposed to the ongoing research of the teaching staff.

Health and Medical Psychology at Leiden University looks at how health, illness, and recovery are affected by biopsychosocial factors.
There is a strong focus on empowerment, so 'what someone can do', instead of only focusing on what the burden of a specific disease is.

The broad focus is on the relationships between biopsychosocial processes (such as cognitions, emotions and behaviour, psychophysiological stress systems, brain functioning) and health outcomes. More specifically, topics of interest are prevention of disease and promotion of health, and the diagnosis and treatment of the psychological aspects of chronic somatic diseases.

The main aim of this specialisation is to provide a broad overview of classic and more recent approaches. You will be trained to integrate different perspectives and findings, in order to develop novel research questions. Through written assignments and discussions and presentations in small groups you will practice developing theory-driven analyses of a range of issues in social and organisational psychology, and learn how to examine these with advanced research methods.

In the specialisation Terrorism and Political Violence of the MSc Crisis and Security Management you study one of the most urgent security challenges of our time: terrorism, extremism and political violence. You will examine the roots, dynamics and consequences of radical and extremist movements, from jihadist groups to right-wing and anti-government extremism. The programme highlights how extremist thinking shapes both violent attacks and non-violent strategies, such as conspiracy theories that fuel polarisation and destabilise democratic societies.

You will gain insight into the psychological underpinnings of extremist ideologies, the processes of radicalisation, and the role of de-radicalisation and disengagement initiatives. The courses combine theory and practice, enabling you to critically assess real-world cases, explore state and societal responses, and reflect on the effectiveness of counter-terrorism policies.

The specialisation prepares you for careers in security research, intelligence analysis, risk assessment, policing, governance, or policy development. Through research-led teaching, case studies and guest lectures, you will develop the academic and analytical skills needed to understand and address the evolving threat of terrorism and political violence worldwide.

This specialisation focuses on the legal aspects of migration, asylum, and diversity governance in a national, European, and international context. You will explore legal frameworks in areas such as international refugee law, EU migration and asylum law, and anti-discrimination law. At the same time, you will engage with broader governance challenges by combining legal knowledge with insights from other disciplines such as political science, sociology, and public administration.

This one-year programme is designed for students who wish to specialise in the legal dimension of migration and diversity within a multidisciplinary and practice-oriented environment. The programme is taught in English and attracts students from all over the world.

The content of the master's programme is closely connected to the Law Faculty’s research programme Effective Protection of Fundamental Rights in a Pluralist World. This research focuses on the question of how fundamental rights can be safeguarded in complex, multi-level legal systems and across diverse societies.

Are you interested in fundamental chemistry and applied research and looking for a programme with ample opportunities to assemble your own study path? Then our Chemistry programme is the right choice for you. The MSc Chemistry programme is highly flexible: you can tailor your programme to your ambitions and interests within the research areas Chemistry for Health or Chemistry for Sustainability. During your studies, you will be part of a multidisciplinary research team of internationally renowned researchers in which you will carry out your MSc research project. Join our world-class electrochemistry group to contribute to sustainable energy, or our leading interdisciplinary research teams in chemical biology, using chemical tools to study disease-related problems.

Our programme combines a solid theoretical basis with getting hands-on in practice. You can also choose a specialisation in which you combine one year of specialised Chemistry schooling with one year of multidisciplinairy training in the field of High-Tech Innovation, or specialised training in business studies, communication or education.

The MSc Chemistry is open for students with a BSc degree in Molecular Science & Technology, an internationally recognised BSc degree in chemistry, or a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in chemistry.

This research programme will provide you with high-quality training in the methodological and practical skills necessary to carry out scientific research on human behaviour.

In this two-year research programme you will gain hands-on experience with how psychological theory can contribute to the analysis and solution of practical problems and how the application of existing theory guides further theoretical development. You will be able to specialise in the psychological subdiscipline of your choice, but you will also be trained in a broad multidisciplinary research approach.

The following specialisations are offered in the master's programme: Clinical and Health Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience; Developmental Psychology; Social and Economic Psychology.

In this Master’s programme you will explore the historical origins and contemporary evolution of global order. Interrogating the ways in which global order has changed over time provides key insights into contemporary challenges in international politics. The specialisation focuses on the historical trajectories of key global institutions, norms and ideas, especially from the perspectives of the Global South. In doing this, you will also critically evaluate the overarching idea of the ‘liberal world order’.

During the MA International Relations you will draw on a multiplicity of perspectives and expertise across the Faculty of Humanities, and examine a range of different issues, from politics and ideologies to the evolution of international law and diplomacy, the emergence of civil society and the rise on non-state actors. The master’s degree in International Relations also explores the development of institutions such as the UN, which structure interactions and power relations within the international system.

During your studies, you are eligible to apply to the prestigious master’s in International Affairs at the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Bologna.

When human rights are violated by a particular state or society, is it more effective to use national, regional or international human rights protection mechanisms to address the issue? And how do different political, social and cultural settings affect the workings of these mechanisms? These questions are a main topic in the European and International Human Rights Law programme.

Human rights are at risk in all societies. Though various national, regional and international human rights instruments have been developed to protect the human rights of all people, some of these are more effective than others in particular situations. In this programme, you will compare the functionality of different protection mechanisms that are currently in place. To this end you will not just study 'the law the books', but also 'the law in action'. You will also learn how the promotion of human rights may require different strategies indifferent political, social and cultural settings. You will also experience this during the study trip to Strassbourg and/or Geneva.

The programme takes a comparative approach to European and international human rights protection mechanisms. This helps you develop a thorough understanding of the various human rights mechanisms that are available and how to effectively put them into practice in different political and social environments.

Working in astronomy puts you at the forefront of science. As our ambitions have grown, so have the technological challenges that enable us to further increase our understanding of the Universe.
The overall goal is to fully understand the physical principles and performance of astronomical instruments and to contribute to the development of new instrumentation technologies. The courses in the Astronomy and Instrumentation specialisation go beyond astronomy and space applications of instrumentation technology. This enables you to use your knowledge and skills in adjacent areas of science and engineering, including the development of instrumentation for environmental and medical applications.

Do you want to contribute to the high-tech world of astronomical instrumentation engineering? Do you have a bachelor's background in Astronomy, Physics or equivalent degrees? Then the master's specialisation Astronomy and Instrumentation is the right choice for you.

A unique programme in terms of its diverse and interdisciplinary range of subjects, the Arts and Culture master's programme offers you the choice of two specialisations: Art History and Museum Studies. Each explores different themes from a comparative and global perspective and offers a broad range of electives, allowing you to further customise your degree.

This programme will give you a comprehensive grounding in the history, methods and theories of art history and museology, while also engaging with contemporary museum practice. There is an emphasis on the study of the object and its agency; critical theory and world art studies; and museum and collection studies. Possible paths lead through the late medieval and early modern period, to contemporary art and the digital age, as well as cultures of collecting and the museum in past and present times.

At Leiden University, you are joining one of the world's leading universities. In the MA in Arts and Culture, you learn from internationally-respected researchers at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS) as well as eminent scholars and practitioners from our network of academic and cultural institutions. You benefit from this network both in what you learn, and in how, with opportunities for internships, exchange programmes and regular visiting speakers.

Taught by top researchers from a wide range of disciplines, the MA Chinese Studies at Leiden University combines in-depth knowledge with advanced language proficiency. Expertise on Asia at Leiden University is internationally renowned. You will learn from some of Europe's best scholars in the field. Small classes allow for direct contact with your lecturers, who offer insights from the leading edge of Asia-related research.

Designed for ambitious and talented students, the master’s in Chinese Studies, a specialisation of the MA in Asian Studies, brings you the best of Leiden's acclaimed faculty and resources. You will study China from a broad range of perspectives using a comparative and global viewpoint.

Develop your research and language skills

During your studies you will develop advanced skills in critical and analytical thinking and the ability to independently conduct high-quality academic research. You will also acquire an excellent command of Mandarin (and, in the case of certain specialisations, of Classical Chinese), a deep understanding of the country’s internal and external dynamics, and a starting point for contextualising China within Asia.

Study in China

Two semesters of your degree are spent studying at the prestigious Shandong University in Jinan, China, offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in Chinese culture, language, and society.

The new specialisation Beyond Borders: Global and European History takes the world's interconnectedness as its starting point in exploring transboundary exchanges and transnational connections. In this master's programme, you will study European and global history through comparison and by focusing on the long-term development of transboundary exchanges of people, ideas, and institutions. Beyond Borders provides insights into how phenomena like imperialism, warfare, nationalism, democracy, diasporas, decolonisation, and environmentalism have traveled across the globe and influenced societies in Europe and beyond.

In Economics and Governance students apply modern economics to address societal issues such as reforming pension and healthcare systems in ageing societies, global environmental challenges, the impact of globalization on labour markets and income inequality, and pressure from immigration. This programme offers advanced knowledge and analytical tools on how to use data and statistics in doing analyses, which has become more and more important on today’s and tomorrow’s labour market. Moreover, our programme allows students to increase their economic reasoning skills and to critically evaluate various policy instruments.

The programme aims to develop professionals who are able to analyse and address policy problems broadly, and in the field of social policy and market regulation specifically. The focal point is on welfare states and markets. You learn about the role of government in creating, facilitating and controlling markets. You also examine the status of the current welfare state, such as the pension system, social security, and income distribution in society. You are provided a strong multidisciplinary preparation for a professional career in areas such as socio-economic policy- making or market regulation. The combination of applied economics and public governance forms a solid base for policy-makers, consultants and future leaders.

The master’s in European Union Studies at Leiden University covers the EU's broad geographical sweep from an interdisciplinary perspective. During the EU Studies programme you will attend lectures and seminars by academic staff members who are internationally renowned in their field. You also get the opportunity to attend elective European studies courses taught by practitioners, combining academic insights with practical experience in politics, government, advisory bodies, NGOs and think tanks.

This international master’s examines the European Union with theories and concepts from different disciplines: history, economics, political science and law. You will analyse and explore the core concerns of the European Union, an increasingly complex and fascinating political and socio-economic landscape. You will also look at the developments of post-war Europe and examine the current state of affairs within the European Union.

A highlight of the master’s in European Union Studies is a three-day trip to Brussels, where you will visit EU institutions, member states' representations and lobby groups. During your studies you will also benefit from the close contacts between the university and national and international government institutions in The Hague, as well as the unique wealth of area studies at Leiden University.

Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology: Specialisation Global Ethnography
Are you eager to conduct your own three-month research project? Do you have excellent analytical, organisational and communication skills? Are you creative, flexible and hard-working? Then Global Ethnography is the right specialisation for you!

Today people are increasingly connected across places, which redefines the local in terms of the global. Our globalising world demands comparative and holistic approaches to cultures and societies. In this specialisation you will acquire the methodological skills for a localised study of global connections, both in far away places but also closer to home in your own society.

Experienced scholars will teach you how to investigate, analyse and report on pressing and contemporary societal issues, by using in-depth ethnographic research methods. You will learn how to situate the everyday practice of individuals within the complex processes of the social changes and global challenges that confront societies worldwide today.

In Leiden University’s master’s in Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence you will study processes of migration, urbanisation, economic development and global interaction through time.

Focus on local and global level

Its central question is: how did people’s lives in the past half millennium change, by processes of urbanisation, increased mobility, economic change, and global interaction? How did key transformations in various parts of the world change people’s lives? Key transformations were globalisation, (de)colonisation, industrialisation, migration, state formation, urbanisation and changing gender patterns. We focus both on the local and the global level.

Explore the movement of people, goods, services, capital, and ideas

We are interested in the way people, both men and women, cause and are affected by social, cultural and economic processes. Within the specialisation Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence (CMGI), you will look at the movement of people, goods, services, capital, and ideas. You will study the means by which actors influence these changes, but also the restrictions they encounter, which can be demographic, physical, spatial, political, institutional, legal, technical, financial, and imagined.

The master's specialisation Physics and Science Communication and Society focuses on the interaction between science and society.
Increasingly, the general public wants to be and needs to be informed about scientific topics. At the same time, scientists need to show accountability to the general public about their research. In this specialisation you bridge the gap between experts and the public by combining high quality research in physics with extensive training in science communication. After completion you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to either become science communicator with a strong physics background, or a physics researcher with a communicating mindset.

Do you want to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public? Do you want to combine high quality physics research with professional science communication? Then, this master's specialisation is an excellent opportunity for you. You will be prepared for a career as a science or health communicator, policy maker, PR officer, science journalist, health officer, museum educator or a researcher with a communicating mindset.

The research master's in Egyptology, a specialisation of the Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) programme, at Leiden University provides you with a multidisciplinary study of the languages, literatures and cultures of Ancient Egypt. The Egyptology (Research) programme gives you the opportunity to study with internationally acclaimed academics immersed in the latest research and engaged in actively expanding our knowledge of the field. Your teachers are experts in languages, literatures and cultures of Ancient Egypt and active researchers working on innovative projects that constantly build bridges to the courses offered in your programme.

Focus on your area of interest

You will be able to tailor your study programme to your personal interests by creating your own combination of courses from the Egyptology programme or from other research master’s programmes within the Faculties of Humanities and of Archaeology.

Study abroad

We encourage all student to consider applying for a study time abroad. The specialisation Egyptology (Research) programme welcomes initiatives by students, e.g. to follow research programmes in Cairo or in another European university, to join excavations in Egypt or to do an internship in a museum.

This two-year master’s programme in Philosophy of the Arts combines in-depth philosophical training in continental philosophy and aesthetics with the academic study of one or more arts, such as visual, musical, literary, and performing arts. Of the 120 EC of the programme, 40 EC will be taken in a discipline outside philosophy related to the arts. The MA Philosophy of the Arts is open to anyone with a BA in Philosophy or who has the equivalent of a pre-masters. This high-level programme attracts both students who are interested in engaging with arts through philosophical reflection or those who wish to study continental philosophy in more depth . Our acclaimed international teachers will give you a thorough understanding of post-Kantian philosophy from German idealism through phenomenology and deconstruction and including recent developments. You will get a substantial education in aesthetics as well experience in practical encounters with art. You will combine your studies in philosophy with studies in arts. Small classes allow for valuable, direct contact with your teachers, who are invested in developing your potential.

The European Union is one of the most influential international organisations in the world. But how does it impact on governance, enterprise and innovation within a global economy, in the area of business law? And how does EU law interact with that of other international organisations? As the EU passes a growing number of economic regulations, these mandates increasingly interact with global trade regulations and with those of its Member States. Businesses that operate internationally are faced with various layers of jurisdiction that sometimes have an unclear hierarchy. In the European and International Business Law programme, you will learn how to decipher the complex hierarchy of European and international business law. You will become familiar with the case method approach and the combined research/transfer of knowledge approach. You will also develop a thorough understanding of how EU Law interacts with global economic law.

The Research Master programme in Colonial and Global History at Leiden University offers the most in-depth and complete studies on the history of European expansion and globalisation currently available in Europe.

You will join a Research Master's programme in which you will explore how political, economic, cultural and religious contacts led to the development of regional identities and states - all in a highly stimulating and international academic environment.

You will gain an understanding of the importance of a comparative perspective for understanding transnational processes such as imperialism, colonialism, islamisation, modernisation and globalisation. Through intensive practical and in-depth training you will learn how to examine and analyse primary sources with the help of Leiden University's world-class academics.

During your studies you will have access to unique documentation centres and libraries specialising in Asia and Africa within easy reach of Leiden University – at the National Archives and the Royal Library in The Hague. You will also be part of an international cohort of students who have chosen Leiden University and the Colonial and Global History Research MA on the basis of the department's internationally acclaimed research and its Cosmopolis scholarship programme.

This master’s programme combines Physics with Data Science. You will learn how physics has its own tricks to deal with big data and how techniques from machine learning and deep learning can be applied to classical and quantum data. The first focus of attention is on classical data, including data mining, machine learning and statistical analysis of large data sets. Additionally, students will learn how to investigate quantum data and quantum information, a topic that is expected to be very important in the near future.

The specialisation Global Conflict in the Modern Era of the master’s in International Relations at Leiden University engages you with the scholarly debates about global conflict today and in the recent past.

In the Global Conflict in the Modern Era master programme you will explore the patterns of war and peace in the modern world from a multidisciplinary angle, incorporating history, political and social science and area expertise. The master’s degree in International Relations examines the core concepts and dominant approaches to the study of war, as well as more recent and critical takes on these phenomena. You will also study the theoretical and empirical explanations for war and peace that have been offered by the academic scholarship.

Not only will the programme invite you to investigate classical texts and approaches to war and peace but also, terrorism, insurgency and genocide as prevalent modes of violent expression will feature in the curriculum. Are these phenomena for example driven by political considerations, as traditional approaches have suggested or are there other explanations for the use of violence? You will benefit from the close contacts between the University and national and international government institutions in The Hague, as well as the unique wealth of area studies available at Leiden University.

In the master's specialisation Biology and Business Studies, you combine high quality research in Biology with training in management and entrepreneurship.
Business Studies bridges science and business by focusing on areas such as technology management, innovation, entrepreneurship, operations and decision making. In this master's specialisation you combine Biology research with Business Studies. You will learn about analytical frameworks and skills for managerial decision making. The emphasis of the business specialisation is on the application of these frameworks and skills in the context of R&D-intensive organisations. After completion, you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to take on managerial responsibilities in your work.

Do you pursue a management career in industry from a Biology research perspective? Do you want to learn all about technology commercialization and business development? Then, Biology and Business Studies is the master's specialisation of choice for you. It enables you to broaden your scope outside biology research. The specialisation offers training that is analytically rigorous and connected to practice through class discussions based on real-life business cases, company visits, guest speakers, and an internship experience.

The Mathematics and High-Tech Innovation specialisation is for MSc students who are interested in interdisciplinary technologies and research related to or important for high technology industries, e.g. the semi-conductor industry or nano-fabrication. In addition to Mathematics, students learn basic analytical frameworks and skills that enable them 1) to design and develop novel semi-conducting nano-materials, 2) develop instrumentation for high-precision measurements and/or 3) develop software and hardware for integration and design. In the specialisation High-Tech Innovation students combine high quality research in their field of study with experience in a scientific business environment comprising development from idea, to prototype, to application. The specialisation High-Tech Innovation aims to introduce students to a broader array of exact sciences beyond Mathematics with an emphasis on innovative technologies. In addition, students will gain practical experience in applying their knowledge and skills through completing a research project in collaboration with an industrial partner. The specialisation emphasises interdisciplinarity across fields of study that connects with industry practices. Students will learn through real-life industrial case studies, lectures by industrial guest speakers, and teamwork in multidisciplinary problem solving.

Ben je geïnteresseerd in het bevorderen en beschermen van de rechten van kinderen wereldwijd? Dit programma biedt je de specialistische kennis en professionele vaardigheden die je nodig hebt om effectief op te komen voor kinderrechten, waar ook ter wereld.

Het programma biedt een gelaagde benadering (internationaal, regionaal en nationaal recht) en een interdisciplinaire insteek om de meest relevante vraagstukken rondom kinderrechten te bestuderen. Wat zijn bijvoorbeeld de rechten van kinderen bij gedwongen huwelijken of bij bescherming tegen geweld en uitbuiting? Welke rechten hebben vluchtelingenkinderen in hun opvanggemeenschappen? Hoe vinden we de juiste balans tussen de rechten van het kind, ouders en de staat? En hoe worden kinderrechten in verschillende landen juridisch afgedwongen?

Tijdens dit kleinschalige, Engelstalige programma buig je je over actuele en wereldwijde vraagstukken rond kinderen en hun mensenrechten. Je krijgt inzicht in theoretische, juridische en praktische benaderingen binnen onder meer de volgende domeinen:

• kind en gezin
• migratie
• jeugdstrafrecht
• digitale technologieën

In the track Intelligence and National Security of the MSc Crisis and Security Management you will be introduced to intelligence and security services in their political, societal, and bureaucratic contexts. The track will give you a thorough understanding of the modus operandi of these agencies, their interaction with the surrounding world, and the challenges they face.

By studying the history, theory and practice of intelligence in the 21st Century, you will navigate the evolution of intelligence work to meet new security challenges, and you will learn the methods, techniques and forms of critical thinking that equip future intelligence analysts with the ability to weigh hypotheses, detect patterns, and derive logical conclusions about the world. You will also explore intelligence in its wider societal and political context, how they cooperate with other agencies and institutions and analyze and evaluate how intelligence services should be governed and held to account in democratic societies.

The Biodiversity and Sustainability master specialisation aims to discuss and answer societal relevant biological questions.
The critical importance of biodiversity and the services provided by nature for our society is increasingly endorsed by national and international conventions. However, to implement the right policy measures for creating a sustainable society, a much better understanding of the biological processes involved is essential. By using 'sustainability' as a guiding principle, the programme provides you with an academic attitude by stimulating reflective, independent and creative thinking to support, conserve and manage biodiversity and sustainable ecosystem services.

The master's specialisation Biodiversity and Sustainability is a good match if you are a student with a BSc background in Biology or equivalent, and when you're interested in subjects such as the biological processes in relation with the environment and ecology.

The French Language and Linguistics Master's programme at Leiden University offers a wide array of courses covering theoretical and applied linguistics, including language acquisition, syntax, and semantics. French Language and Linguistics at Leiden University is part of the MA Linguistics specialisation Modern Languages.

You will have the opportunity to analyse the French language from an academic perspective, as well as in the context of its economic or legal applications. The programme will also provide you with an understanding of how language and people influence each other.

You will be able to learn from the expertise of our dedicated team of active researchers, many of whom have an international reputation and who publish extensively. You will also be able to benefit from the support of close and regular communication between staff and students as well as the programme’s broad network which covers universities in France, the United States and Canada.

The flexible design of the French Language and Linguistics programme means you have the freedom to tailor the curriculum to match your specific interests. You will be able to choose from a range of specialised courses and research topics.

The research master’s programme in Archaeology is the most diverse in the Netherlands. Benefit from our extensive experience and international reputation in archaeological research, and lay the best foundation for a career in academia.

This two-year master's programme is organised around the excellent research for which Leiden has reached international renown. Students in this programme will choose a supervisor with whom they set up a personal study plan. The supervisor will be the student's personal coach throughout the research master's. Supervisors are either Professors or Associate Professors and are specialised in a range of research topics.

The programme's courses aim to intensify and broaden the students' knowledge base and to develop research and publication skills. You are encouraged to visit conferences, contribute to workshops and to take courses outside the department.

The MA Religious Studies at Leiden University is designed to equip students with the tools and knowledge required for studying, interpreting, and analysing religion as a diverse (human) phenomenon. With its world-class scholars and access to exceptional research collections, the programme offers the opportunity to explore a broad spectrum of religions and their manifestations from a comparative, multidisciplinary perspective.

Religion permeates our world and remains highly influential across all domains of human society, including politics, culture, and economics. Religion also plays a critical role in everyday life as it provides meaning, motivation, and social support for billions of people. Despite trends of secularisation in some areas, on a global level religious identification is actually growing and a majority of people around the world continue to be affiliated with religious organisations and communities. It is not a stretch to claim that no matter the region, the issue, or the historical period, knowledge of religion is essential for understanding the world.

In this specialisation you will focus on understanding the principles, which determine the characteristics of soft materials like foam, and that of biological processes occurring in cells and tissue.
Research within the Physics and Biological and Soft Matter specialisation is typically performed at the interface of medical, biological, chemical and physical sciences.

The programme covers two themes:

* Biological Physics is concerned with physical processes of biomolecules, the emerging properties that evolve in cells, and the control of cell function by signalling.
* Soft Matter Physics concentrates on the mechanical and geometrical properties of soft media such as granular matter or foam, and on self-assembly in soft-matter systems.

Biological and Soft-Matter Physics is the right master's programme for you if you are interested in experimental Physics and applied life-science research. This programme guarantees a thorough experience at the frontline of physics research with a practical training of communicative and computer skills.

In this master's specialisation you will cover various aspects of global governance from multiple perspectives. To study international organisation (IO) is to study the norms, rules, and institutions that (are designed to) shape relations between states and contacts across state borders, and how they affect people's lives, the destiny of nations, and the fate of the planet. As a student of IO, you learn to apply a wide range of theoretical perspectives and research methodologies to the analysis of these institutions and the politics that surround them.

You will take an in-depth look at issues of war and peace, intervention and conflict resolution, political economy (trade, finance, development), human rights, and environmental sustainability. You will develop a clear understanding of the agendas and behaviour of governments and other state actors, intergovernmental organisations (such as the United Nations), regional organisations (such as the European Union or the African Union), and non-state actors such as NGOs and multinational corporations. And you will be stimulated to think like a social scientist and acquaint yourself with the discipline's tried and tested methods and theories.

You study in one of the most highly ranked departments of its kind in Europe. Your lecturers are scholars from many countries with expertise in various areas of Political Science.

In this specialisation, you will learn how fascinating material properties emerge from a combination of quantum mechanical confinement, electron-electron interaction, and the electron spin property.
The programme covers two themes:

* Condensed Matter Physics studies the electronic, optical and mechanical properties of quantum solids, typically on the nanometer scale and at low temperature. Research topics include superconductivity (discovered in Leiden), low-dimensional systems, molecular electronics, and strongly correlated materials. You will get familiar with the state-of-the-art experimental techniques that are at the core of the Leiden research programme.

* Quantum Optics studies the quantum properties of light, entanglement and its role in photon-matter interaction, again typically on the nanometer scale. Research topics include photon detection, plasmonics, cavity quantum electrodynamics and quantum nanomechanics with the goal to create, manipulate, control and understand quantum systems that are at the heart of future quantum technologies.

This is the right master's programme for you if you are interested in current research themes in quantum matter and optics and experimental approaches to expand our knowledge in these fields. You are curiosity-driven and intrigued by quantum mechanics and its appearance in many state-of-the-art experiments.

Astronomy covers observations using the world's most powerful telescopes, theoretical astrophysical and astrochemical modeling, innovative instrumentation techniques, and laboratory experiments that mimic conditions in space.

In this two-year master's programme in Astronomy you get access to cutting edge research in modern astronomy. Main focus areas include galaxies and the structures in which they are embedded, exoplanets, and star and planet formation. With seven challenging specialisations to choose from, you will be prepared for a wide variety of careers within academia, industry and the public sector.

The Leiden Astronomy Department has a strong international reputation. Research at the cutting edge of modern astronomy is an integral part of the MSc programme. Research students graduate with a broad knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics, but may specialise in observation, theory or instrumentation.

Other specialisations allow the student to specialise in business and management, high-tech innovation, communication or education.

Are you are interested in astronomy research within or outside academia? Do you want to add value to society through scientific and technological progress? Are you keen on solving complex matters and are you up for a challenge? Then our Leiden University Astronomy master's programme is designed for you.

The MA Translation at Leiden University offers a unique combination of translation theory, research and practice, preparing you for either a further academic career as a researcher or a professional career in the language industry as a translator, subtitler, terminologist, project manager or language consultant. Thanks to our use of professional translation software and our attention to developments in computer-assisted and machine translation, you will have all the necessary tools in your translator’s toolkit, as well as the ability to use them critically and reflect on their value in a world of increasing globalization and multicultural communication.

The MA Translation is a member of the prestigious European Master’s in Translation Network and offers state-of-the-art training that includes the use of new tools and a strong focus on professional practice. The instructors all have experience in both professional practice and academic research, and their expertise is reflected in the different electives: legal translation, literary translation, medical translation, and multimodal translation (including subtitling). Our programme includes translation practice both from English to Dutch as well as Dutch to English. At the end of your studies, you will earn a qualification that will give you entry to the national register of sworn interpreters and translators.

In this Research specialisation you will focus on astronomical data analysis using models and large-scale simulation, combining the fields of Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science.
This 2-year programme consists of advanced Astronomy courses, two research projects in Astronomy, and courses on science topics related to Astronomy. It allows the broadest programme, including a significant component from adjacent fields, such as Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science. The overall goal is to prepare you for conducting independent research in astronomy.
Are you aiming for a career in astronomical research? Are you looking for a broad master's programme in Astronomy with many opportunities to assemble your own study path? Then Astronomy Research is the right programme for you.

The two-year interdisciplinary research master’s in Latin American Studies addresses cutting-edge debates on the social and cultural issues in present-day Latin America and the Caribbean region. Leiden University's Latin American Studies (research) programme is your opportunity to explore the social, cultural, and historical narratives shaping present-day Latin America. Taught by international researchers, this interdisciplinary programme centers around the theme Latin American Modernities: Resistance, Revival and Change.

Focus on one of three specialist areas

Explore the different forms of modernity in Latin America within one of three areas: culture and identity, state-society relations, and literature, arts and media. A comparative, area studies approach to research provides a broader, global context to current issues in Latin America.

Field research in Latin America

This programme attracts talented students and staff from around the world. Small classes ensure you get the most from in-class discussions and direct contact with your international peers and lecturers. An important focus of this programme is developing your ability to conduct high-quality scientific research, including field research in a Latin American country. A substantial part of the programme is taught in Spanish or Portuguese, developing your proficiency in one of these languages.

Working in health care changes rapidly. Besides good doctors and excellent lab researchers we need people who understand health care and are capable of changing the system. Population Health Management delivers those professionals.

Are you looking for more than being a doctor or researcher? Today's health care system faces many challenges: ageing populations, rising health care costs, fragmented health care supply and advancing medical technologies and IT systems. Health care professionals will require new competences to meet these challenges in the current health care system. Population Health Management aims at tackling these challenges in a broad sense and has emerged as an important strategy for health care worldwide.

The two year programme combines knowledge insights from epidemiology, data analysis in healthcare, medicine, public administration and behavioral sciences into a globally unique interdisciplinary program. Students with various backgrounds work together through a combination of both online- and intensive on-campus education.

At the end of the programme, you will be prepared to work as an interdisciplinary academic trusted partner, contributing - as a strategic broker - to the changes needed in today's fragmented healthcare system. This is requested in a wide range of healthcare organizations and businesses and government.

With Global Archaeology the study of our past can help you understand and resolve current societal issues. Explore the dynamics in past societies: innovation, adaptation, resilience and resistance in processes of long- and short-term changes. Global Archaeology will invite you top step into a lively, multifaceted community and gives you access to researchers from many different backgrounds and to international networks all over the world.

Follow your personal interests, and choose from a plethora of focus areas. Will you focus on the deep past of humankind? Or do you prefer to dive into the Roman world? Or would you rather study pre-Columbian America? Or do you want to specialise on Dutch archaeology? Whatever your personal interests, you will find something to your liking in this programme.

Why Global Archaeology at Leiden University?

• Study at a Faculty that has quite rightly earned a place in the top ten of archaeology research and teaching institutes in the world.
• Make use of our regional expertise on Europe, the Near East, the Mediterranean, and the Americas.
• Benefit from our large network in international research.
• Gain a solid basis for a national or international career in archaeology, heritage management, heritage policy or the museum world.

This master's programme offers stimulating and innovative education at an internationally renowned institute and combines theoretical, experimental, and applied approaches.

The Computer Science master's programme offers nine specialisations that combine excellent theoretical teaching with possibilities for applied work with industrial relevance. This is achieved by intensive collaboration with companies and other partners. Course themes include topics such as Deep Learning, Data Science, Information Retrieval, Recommender Systems, Evolutionary Algorithms, Multimedia Systems, Embedded Systems and Software, Distributed Sytems, and High-Performance Computing.

The programme is open for students with an internationally recognized bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent. You will be trained as an independent researcher, equipped with the necessary skills to advance your career as a computer scientist.

The master's programme in North American Studies at Leiden University takes an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to the study of the United States. The 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:

• 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.

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.).

At Leiden University, we have one of the world's leading centres for the study of European and non-European history. The master’s in History is your opportunity to access this world-class expertise. With such a broad curriculum, the History master’s programme offers you the chance to specialise in niche subject areas not offered elsewhere. A flexible format also allows you to tailor your degree to suit your career goals. To help you develop a cohesive area of expertise, the programme offers seven specialisations each with their own thematic focus.

At Leiden University, you learn from some of the leading scholars in the field. We have a specialised faculty 'chair' in almost every area of European and non-European history, while covering almost all periods form Classical Antiquity to the present. Small-scale classes and intensive mentoring ensure you benefit from their expertise both in and outside of the classroom.

Global and comparative approach

All subjects in the master’s in History have a strong international orientation. Whichever your focus area, you will acquire a broad, comparative dimension to your knowledge and connect this to the latest global events. This approach to learning is not only unique to this programme but brings you a far broader understanding and an aptitude for critical thinking both of which are highly valued by employers today.

This two-year research programme is designed to teach students high-quality research skills in Child and Education Studies. It offers a solid base for either an academic or a professional career.
Graduates are able to design, conduct and evaluate applied scientific research, and can make the link between (clinical) practice and science.

The programme Education and Child Studies (research) is designed to serve as preparatory training for a PhD position. The programme also offers the opportunity to specialise in the field of social work and youth care, which meets society's need for academics who are trained in evidence based clinical assessment and treatment for children and families with psychological problems.

The research master is a small scale programme. At the beginning of the programme, you are allocated a supervisor – one of the professors – and a day-to-day mentor. While writing your thesis, you make a contribution to one of our research programmes, working closely with your supervisor and mentor within that research.

The master's in Assyriology, a specialisation of the Classics and Ancient Civilizations programme, at Leiden University provides you with a multidisciplinary study of the languages, literatures and cultures of ancient Mesopotamia and Anatolia.

The master in Assyriology is a one-year programme that gives you the opportunity to study with internationally acclaimed academics immersed in the latest research and engaged in actively expanding our knowledge of the field. Your teachers are not only experts in languages and cultures of the ancient Middle East, but also active researchers engaged in innovative projects that constantly build bridges between cutting-edge research and the courses in your programme. The programme offers basic and advanced language and script training in the three major languages that were written in cuneiform (Akkadian, Sumerian and Hittite). We encourage all our students to work with original clay tablets, kept at the Netherlands Institute of the Near East in Leiden.

You will be able to tailor your study programme to your personal interests by creating your own combination of courses from the Assyriology programme or from other programmes within the Faculties of Humanities and of Archaeology. We encourage all students to consider applying for a study visit abroad. As a student of Assyriology you can join research programmes at one of our partner universities.

It is impossible to imagine life today without new media. The new specialisation Digital Media in Human Development is devoted to the opportunities and challenges of digital media in child rearing and education.
This master's specialisation distinguishes itself from other programmes in the field of digital media by paying explicit attention to the role of digital media in child rearing, education and the treatment of problems, and how digital media influence child development.

Child rearing and instruction are changing under the influence of digital media, that is characterised by rapid developments in applications for personal computers, mobile telephony, handhelds, virtual reality, internet, MOOCs, serious gaming and other digital devices and techniques. Given the new opportunities offered by digital media, but also the inherent dangers and risks, it is essential to equip students who will be taking up practical, policy-oriented and scientific positions in this field with 'evidence-based' knowledge.

The Master's programme Chinese Linguistics at Leiden University is a specialisation of the MA Modern Languages and offers you an excellent opportunity to concentrate on the different aspects of the languages of China, especially their sounds and syntax.

During the Chinese Linguistics programme you will gain knowledge in language variation: in all courses, we look beyond Mandarin, both diachronically and synchronically. You will learn to understand the different languages of China from their phonetic-phonology aspects as well as their syntactic aspects. You will join a master's programme with a strong tradition and focus on Chinese linguistics. Leiden University has been teaching Chinese since 1855, with the first professor exclusively for Chinese appointed in 1877. Leiden is also one of the very few universities outside China with four linguists working on Chinese Linguistics.

In this Research Master programme at Leiden University you will focus on the momentous cultural and political transformations that characterised Europe between 1000-1800.

You will join a programme in which you will study areas of history not covered by other Dutch history departments, including British, Iberian and Central European history as well as the political and cultural history of the Netherlands. You will learn how to think comparatively about the transformations in politics, culture and religion that occurred during this era.

You will engage closely in current scholarly debates, honing your ability to analyse and critique the latest academic ideas and theories. The programme is taught by inspired academics currently engaged in large-scale research projects on issues directly related to the MA, including feuds and factions, the Burgundian nobility, war memories and identity formation.

During your studies you will also be able to benefit from easy access to the excellent library and archival resources available in Leiden and The Hague, where you can study many primary sources and secondary studies.

Which organisations have the authority to intervene when violations of human rights occur? Which legal means can be used to combat international terrorism?

In the International Criminal Law specialisation (of the Advanced LLM in Public International Law), you will gain foundational knowledge on international criminal law and international criminal procedure. You will study the systemic environment of international criminal law and its link to related fields, such as

• international human rights law
• international humanitarian law and
• general public international law.

Outside of your coursework, additional time will be allotted for you to pursue personal interests within related fields. You will be specifically trained in criminal procedure as well as advocacy and cross-examination. Classes involve real life assignments from practice. You will write, argue and defend motions, individually or in a team, before practicing lawyers or litigation specialists. Special attention will be devoted to the law of international criminal courts and tribunals (e.g. International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, International Criminal Court) and the link to legal practice.

The Master in Philosophy at Leiden University integrates historical and systematic approaches to offer you an advanced training in philosophical methodologies as well as reason, logic and critical thinking.

This one-year MA programme offers you the choice of five specialisations. Leiden University is home to the one of the oldest departments of philosophy in the Low Countries. Among its research strengths are political philosophy and non-Western philosophy. In addition, it hosts a large international staff with wide-ranging expertise in continental philosophy and the philosophy of knowledge. Content of the programme incorporates the very latest academic theory and the field’s historical development across a number of branches of philosophy.

The intellectual skills you will develop by studying philosophy are transferable to most non-philosophical professions. The master in Philosophy will train you to become a critical thinker, capable of analysing complex ideas and evaluating the principles of various positions. During your master, you will study, analyse and discuss primary philosophical texts while you learn to develop and communicate your own ideas.

In the Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences master's programme you are trained at the edge of drug-design and fundamental research of new drugs, optimization of existing drugs, and personalised medicine. Despite major advances in drug-research, many common diseases such as cancers, neurological diseases, cardiovascular disease and other auto-immune diseases, lack effective treatment, or are found incurable. Depending on your interest, you can choose from five specialisations to further extend your scientific training and theoretical background. With the master Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences you are trained for a scientific career in drug research and development. Moreover, you have a wide range of other career opportunities within the bio-pharmaceutical industry, science communication, and education.

This specialisation offers research-orientated education in drug research hosted by the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR). Some groups focus on the discovery and characterization of new drug targets and safe and effective lead molecules, particularly in the field of cancer. Other groups develop specific drug delivery techniques, and new therapeutic approaches to treat immune-based disorders, e.g. atherosclerosis, metabolic disorders, inflammatory skin diseases. Other areas include metabolomics-driven health monitoring and systems biology, as well as precision medicine approaches to characterize and predict variation in treatment response and to enhance translational drug development strategies. Techniques range from advanced imaging techniques ('systems microscopy'), in vitro and in vivo model systems, organic synthesis, cutting-edge drug formulations, state-of-the-art analytical methods, molecular biology, quantitative pharmacology, and computational approaches. Placement in specific research groups may be restricted by available places.

The Master's in Philosophy: Moral and Political Philosophy at Leiden University offer an excellent opportunity to explore fundamental issues in moral and political philosophy.

The programme capitalises on Leiden University's internationally-acclaimed expertise in practical philosophy which covers the entire gamut of moral and political philosophy. The Leiden Institute of Philosophy hosts the Centre for Political Philosophy which brings together all researchers with an active interest in political philosophy from different institutes, branches and fields of study at Leiden University, making Leiden one of the best places to study Moral and Political Philosophy.

This programme focuses on fundamental problems of moral and political philosophy. You will be immersed in philosophical reflection on the foundations and normative principles underlying individual action and society. Questions such as the relation between individual responsibility and structural justice, the nature of our moral discourse, and the fundamentals of practical judgment will be on the menu.

This challenging programme attracts talented and highly-motivated students. In-class discussions will help you develop analytical and communicative skills. Classes are deliberately kept small to ensure a high level of contact between students and lecturers.

The Biology and Science Communication and Society master's specialisation focuses on the interaction between science and society.
Increasingly, the general public wants to be and needs to be informed about scientific topics. At the same time, scientists need to show accountability to the general public about their research. In this specialisation you bridge the gap between experts and the public by combining high quality research in biology with extensive training in science communication. After completion you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to either become science communicator with a strong biology background, or a biologist with a communicating mindset.

Do you want to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public? Do you want to combine high quality biology research with professional science communication? Then, this master's specialisation is an excellent opportunity for you. You will be prepared for a career as a science or health communicator, policy maker, PR officer, science journalist, health officer, museum educator or a researcher with a communicating mindset.

The master’s programme in Colonial and Global History at Leiden University offers the most in-depth and comprehensive programme on the history of colonialism and globalisation currently available in Europe. You will join a master in which you will explore the mutual interaction between the global and the local: between globalisation and regional processes of identity- and state-formation. In a highly stimulating and international academic environment, you will participate in the latest debates in the field of colonial and global history and you will contribute yourself to the progress of that field by investigating unexplored primary sources. While the programme highlights the global connections and entanglements made by conquest, trade and migration, you will gain a comparative understanding of European imperialism and its impact on Asia, Africa and South America.

During your studies you will have access to unique documentation centres and libraries specialising in Asia and Africa within easy reach of Leiden University – at the National Archives and the Royal Library in The Hague.

This Global and Comparative Perspectives Master’s programme is unique in Europe. It offers comparative perspectives from around the world that will enable you to be part of the next generation of thinkers, someone studying and shaping philosophy for a globalised 21st century.

Leiden is the only Dutch university, and one of only a few in the world, to offer a master’s programme that combines Western perspectives with those of India, East Asia, and the Arab world, taught by internationally renowned experts in their fields. Leiden University is home to various institutes dedicated to study these traditions. In addition, Leiden University Library has a world-famous collections of Asian and Arabic manuscripts and materials.

This programme is philosophy at its broadest. In addition to western philosophy, the programme features philosophies from India, eastern Asia and the Arab world, combining conceptual analysis with hermeneutics and phenomenology, and historical contextualisation with cross-cultural comparison. In this way, you will learn from the world’s traditions of thought and how they mutually inform and enrich one other.

No nation-state can solve today's global challenges on its own. In the specialisation International and European Governance you will obtain a deep understanding of the interplay between the international, EU, and (sub)national governance systems and how this interplay affects a national government's capacity to address corss-border societal challenges. This expertise will prepare you for a job in an (inter)national public institution or the private sector.

In the specialisation International and European Governance you learn to formulate governance solutions to adress cross-border societal challenges. You will do this by applying state-of-the-art scientific knowledge of EU and International institutions and decision-making processes. It provides you a deep understanding of the complex, multi- layered nature of contemporary public governance and corss-border societal issues. You will gain state-of-the-art insights in how governments and stakeholders from the public and private sector can work together in complex multi-level governance systems. The International and European Governance specialisation prepares you for positions in international organisations as well as national public and private sector organisations that need to cope with the implications of an increasing global policy-making environment.

In the field of cosmology, we look for scientific answers to the most fundamental questions that one can ask: Where do we come from? How did the Universe start? How did it evolve and where does it go?
Cosmology is positioned at the interface between Theoretical Physics and Observational Astronomy. This specialisation is offered in collaboration with the also internationally well-known Leiden Observatory. It covers research subject like: observations of the universe with state-of-the-art telescopes on Earth and in space, supercomputer simulations of the origin of structure, Theoretical Physics study of the Hot Big Bang, the expanding universe, and inflation are providing a consistent picture of our universe that is quite precise, yet full of unknown physics waiting to be discovered.

Research in this area is moving fast, and requires familiarity with current theoretical ideas as well as a basic understanding of the data. The overall aim is to train you in this exciting research field, preferably in an integrated Cosmology master's and PhD degree programme.

If you are a theoretical-oriented student who would like to discover all aspects of modern astrophysics - which includes observation, interpretation, simulation and theory, this is the right specialisation.

This master's programme offers you an advanced education in philosophy with a focus on questions in politics and economics. It is ideal for students who aspire to a career in policymaking, politics, journalism and a wide range of other professional occupations. The programme capitalises on Leiden University's internationally-acclaimed expertise and close proximity to the Hague to bring you state-of-the-art courses. You will learn to apply philosophical methods to social, political and economic phenomena, from democracy and the nation-state to the nature of global capitalism, with the purpose of bringing clarity to ongoing discussions and paving the way to novel solutions.

This challenging programme attracts talented and highly-motivated students. In-class discussions will help you develop analytical and communicative skills. Classes are deliberately kept small to ensure a high level of interaction between you, your classmates and your lecturers, many of whom are at the leading edge of their fields.

Archaeological Science delves into the specifics of archaeological methods and techniques. The combination of hands-on field experience and laboratory work offers a challenging and rewarding research
Scientific methodology is an important approach in modern archaeology and it is at the heart of archaeological science. Hypotheses, data, theory, experiments, observations, as well as presentation and interpretation, are all key to our understanding of our past.

The programme gives you the freedom to choose your own focus based on your own interests. You may study archaeobotany and archaeozoology, or prefer to dive into human osteoarchaeology. You may rather explore material culture, or further develop your skills in digital archaeology. All of these choices can be combined with lectures on specific regions or time periods.

The Classics Master, a specialization of the Classics and Ancient Civilizations program at Leiden University, gives you the opportunity to study the Greek and Roman world with a focus on Greek and Latin language and literature. Classics at Leiden University ranks among the best programs in the world. The seminars are taught by enthusiastic teachers, who invite you to be involved in innovative research on Greek and Latin literature, ancient history and philosophy. Leiden University, with a Classics tradition that goes back to 1575, has a great library and excellent research facilities.

The program is taught by academic staff internationally renowned for their research. Research in Classics at Leiden University is at the leading edge of the field. External lecturers are regularly invited to teach on specialized topics. And, every semester, a number of national and international speakers - both well-known experts and promising young researchers – are invited to speak in the lecture series Forum Antiquum. You will also benefit from the collaboration of classicists from different Universities in the National Research School in Classics (OIKOS).

The School Psychology master's specialisation responds to and prepares students for a number of recent changes in the care for children and adolescents. In many countries, schools are increasingly being held responsible for an optimal development of all students, including those with special needs. It is to be expected that schools (primary and secondary) will consult or hire more specialists, such as school psychologists, in order to meet the criteria for inclusive education, for teacher training, and for developing school policy.

The mission of this master's specialisation in School Psychology is to create positive learning environments to support talent development and potential for learning in all students regardless of their initial intellectual level and mental health problems.

In the master's programme Evolutionary Biology you identify evolutionary changes over time and study the origin and maintenance of biological variation all over the tree of life.

The mechanisms that drive the adaptation of organisms and their features are investigated at all biological levels. Thus, the specialisation includes genomics, functional developmental genetics, paleobiology, behavioral biology and evolutionary ecology. The important contribution of Naturalis to the programme makes this specialisation particularly attractive.

If you are interested in gaining state-of-the-art knowledge of all aspects of evolutionary biology, this master's specialisation is the right choice. You will be prepared for a PhD programme or research positions at universities or institutes.

The master's specialisation Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences and Science Communication & Society focuses on the interaction between science and society.

Increasingly, the general public wants to be and needs to be informed about scientific topics. At the same time, scientists need to show accountability to the general public about their research. In this specialisation you bridge the gap between experts and the public by combining high quality research in bio-pharmaceutical sciences with extensive training in science communication. After completion you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to either become science communicator with a strong bio-pharmaceutical science background, or a researcher with a communicating mindset.

In this specialisation you focus on either Chemical Biology or Energy & Sustainability. You will obtain skills and knowledge to become an independent and creative scientist.
The Research in Chemistry master's specialisation has a fundamental approach to finding tailor-made solutions for human health and environmental problems. The research is focused on two major research areas:

* Chemical Biology: within this research area you will study fundamental biological and biomedical problems, to understand physiological processes at the molecular level and to gather more knowledge on human health and illnesses.
* Energy & Sustainability: within this research area you will focus on the development of new sources of sustainable energy and the use of storage of energy. For example, you will be working on the development of a new generation of catalysts for the production of solar fuels.

The master's specialisation Research in Chemistry is an excellent choice if you want to pursue a career in chemistry research. The Master of Science programme guarantees thorough research training founded on a profound theoretical basis. More in general, Research in Chemistry is the best choice if you have the aspiration to pursue a PhD degree.

The German Language and Linguistics Master's programme at Leiden University is a specialisation of the MA Modern Languages and offers in-depth knowledge of German linguistic theory and practice.

When you study German Language and Linguistics at Leiden University you will be encouraged you to explore your own ideas and research plans – whether your preferences are linguistic theory, fieldwork or psycholinguistic experiments. You will not only acquire a high level of fluency in German, but you will also gain skills that are highly valued in the job market, preparing you for a future career in academia or professions that require strong German communication skills, organisational abilities, and didactic and/or academic skills.

During this programme you will gain a broad and deep knowledge of the empirical, theoretical, and experimental approaches to linguistics. You will also learn to transfer your ideas into concrete research proposals with the support of experienced tutors, or contribute to the research conducted at the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL).

The curriculum of the master’s programme in German Language and Linguistics allows you to combine courses from the programme with other master’s courses offered at the Faculty of Humanities.

In the track Cybersecurity Governance of the MSc Crisis and Security Management programme, you will be familiarised with the breadth, depth and complexity of cybersecurity challenges. This track seeks to provide you state-of-the art with knowledge of governance and regulatory strategies available to address these challenges.

In a world that increasingly relies on networked digital technologies, cybersecurity has become a pressing concern. In recent times, academics, governments and organisations have come to realize that cybersecurity is not only a technical issue, but also involves questions of governance and policy making, law and regulations, politics and international relations, and economics and psychology. In the track Cybersecurity Governance, you will be familiarized with the breadth, depth and complexity of cybersecurity challenges. This track seeks to provide you state-of-the art with knowledge of governance and regulatory strategies available to address these challenges. This is the only dedicated programme in the Netherlands that focuses on the governance and regulatory dimensions of this field.

The Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory master's specialisation spans both theory and the world of algorithms and applications. The courses are directly related to our research.

The Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory master's specialisation focuses on geometry and number theory, a very large area ranging from discrete dynamical systems and analytic number theory to arithmetic and algebraic geometry. There is a strong emphasis on algebraic methods and a direct interest in the computational aspects of the theory. The programme also has a cryptology component. Leiden offers courses at an advanced level ranging over topics such as algebraic number theory, algebraic geometry and cryptology.

The research specialisation is aimed at students who wish to acquire a profound knowledge of one of the areas within pure mathematics. There is a strong theme dealing with algebra and number theory as well as a strong theme dealing with topology and geometry. The master's specialisation Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory is an ideal basis for a career in academia, starting for example with one of our PhD programmes.

The Heritage and Postcolonial Studies specialisation of the Master's Programme in Colonial and Global History at Leiden University has a regional focus on colonial and postcolonial Indonesia, in transnational and comparative perspectives. You will critically study the politics and practices of archives in the context of colonial and postcolonial history, thereby engaging with debates and queries regarding their decolonization.

This new specialisation:

• broadens to the field of Critical Heritage Studies, and towards the study of archival politics and practices, beyond (and including) those of the official national and regional archives;
• will be structurally informed by postcolonial critical debates, and seek strategies to open up archives for understanding alternative voices and uses than those that had been principle of collecting;
• has a broad focus on the political dynamics of heritage formation in colonial and postcolonial Asian contexts (in particular of nineteenth and twentieth-century Indonesia).

The MA in Politics, Society and Economy of Asia takes a social science approach to the study of one or more countries or regions in modern or contemporary Asia. Learn about the most important forces at play in Asia today. This master's offers you both the flexibility to define your focus and an expansive curriculum of relevant topics from which to choose. Select your country or region, and explore it from diverse disciplinary perspectives, often using original source materials.

This specialization will merge with the Global Asia specialization starting September 2026.

Develop your language skills

Many organisations today rely on translators to communicate with foreigh organisations. Knowledge of an Asian language is highly valued by global organisations and can pave the way to a host of new career opportunities. During your master's, you have the option of taking intensive language courses in a modern-day language including Japanese, Indonesian, Chinese, Korean or Hindi.

Learn from internationally-acclaimed scholars

Expertise on Asia at Leiden University is internationally renowned, which means that you learn from scholars who are at the leading edge of the research in their field. Small classes allow for direct contact with these lecturers and the opportunity to share and debate your ideas with classmates.

The programme of Parenting and Child Development consists of four substantive courses devoted to the following subjects:

• Attachment, parenting and development
• Child care, experts and parents
• Prevention and intervention programmes in families
• Digital media in the family

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/study-programmes/master/education-and-child-studies/parenting-and-child-development

In the track War and Peace Studies, of the MSc Crisis and Security Managment, you will gain a thorough understanding of the history, theories as well as the contemporary and future policy challenges related to war, warfare, and the multidimensional promotion of peace. You will study theories and practices related to the causes of different type of wars (inter-state wars, civil wars and ethnic conflict, insurgencies and hybrid wars) as well as conduct in war and consequences of war. You will also learn about the causes, nature and tools for the promotion of peace (such as mediation, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, civil society approaches and innovative approaches to positive peace). Finally, the track pays attention to contemporary and future challenges, such as the climate-security nexus, the role of new technologies (such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, big data, and the cyber and robotics revolutions) and gender, peace and security. After completing this track, you will have comprehensive insights into fundamental issues of war and peace which combine thorough conceptual, historical and theoretical knowledge with practical, policy-relevant expertise.

In the master's specialisation Astronomy and Data Science you focus on development and application of new data-mining technologies, fully embracing modern astronomy as a data rich science.
The Astronomy and Data Science master's programme is built on world-class computational astrophysics research as well as hightech industry expertise. It covers a wide range of research areas studying complex astronomical phenomena, including radiative transfer, computation of dynamical internal galaxy structures and hydrodynamical modeling of galaxy formation and evolution of the intergalactic medium.

Will you be mastering the world's future data? Are you looking for a career in Astronomy and/or Computer Science, within or outside academia? Then our unique Astronomy and Data Science master's specialisation offers you numerous opportunities to assemble your own path in this direction.

The master in Literature in Society. Europe and Beyond offers specialised knowledge on the role and impact of literature in society. Novels, poetry, theatre and new literary media from both 'high’ and ‘popular’ culture reflect social issues but also shape them. Your studies thus take a thematic approach to the study of literature, exploring literature from the point of view of political and social issues like identity, migration, memory, and the metropolis.

A transnational perspective

Studying the impact of literature on society involves a series of questions: how does literature affect (or sometimes threaten) ways of life and moral standards? How do literary strategies such as story-telling shape the fields of politics and law? How does literature help shape individual and collective identity and memory? Conversely, society also shapes literature.

This involves questions about the embeddedness of literature in culture and society; about the cultural capital of individual texts, genres and oeuvres: why are certain works and authors classified as classics and others as popular or ‘cult’? Much modern literature in Western Europe stands at the crossroads of European and non-European cultures. A transnational perspective is thus an important part of this Master.

Leiden University is considered a leading centre of expertise in western and non-western languages and cultures.

In the field of cosmology we look for scientific answers to the most fundamental questions that one can ask: Where do we come from? How did the Universe start? How did it evolve and where does it go?

Modern cosmology is a complex, multidisciplinary research area. Observations of the Universe with state-of-the-art telescopes on Earth and in space, supercomputer simulations of the origin of structure, and theoretical physics studies of the Hot Big Bang, the expanding Universe, and inflation provide a consistent understanding of our Universe.

The current picture is quite accurate, yet full of with new physics waiting to be discovered. Research in this area is moving fast, and requires familiarity with current theoretical ideas as well as a basic understanding of the data. The overall aim is to train you in this exciting research field, preferably in an integrated Cosmology master's and PhD degree programme.

Are you a theory-oriented student interested in discovering all aspects of modern astrophysics, including observation, interpretation, simulation and theory? Then, Astronomy and Cosmology at Leiden University is the right master's specialisation for you. This programme is essentially based on combined research in astronomy and physics and is therefore open for students with a bachelor's degree in Astronomy and/or Physics from a recognized university.

This one-year master’s degree explores Russia and the Eurasian world from the perspectives of language, literature and culture, or politics, history and economics. Leiden University's Faculty of Humanities has been studying Russia and the Slavic world since 1913. Scholars from around the world come to Leiden University to study and teach this important field. You will learn from our faculty members as well as visiting international scholars who also devote attention to the most recent developments.

The MA in Russian and Eurasian Studies is a unique programme. It stands out from other programmes, and is seen as an asset by companies, non-profit organisations and government institutions. The impact of Russia in the current geopolitical situation, which has changed dramatically since the war that Russia started against Ukraine, also has led to a bigger demand for graduates with expertise in Russia and a solid command of the Russian language in governmental organisations and NGO’s.

An international classroom makes this a particularly rich learning environment for students. A competitive scholarship and internship programme also gives you the opportunity to study or do an internship abroad.

The Master's programme Philosophy of Law, Governance, and Politics introduces you to the philosophical issues on the intersection of law, politics, and policy. This programme is meant for students who wish to combine an MA in Law, Political Science, Public Administration, or an adjacent discipline with an MA in Philosophy Law, Governance, and Politics. Only students with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Administration, or an adjacent discipline (or an equivalent degree) are admissible.

Leiden University is home to an internationally ranked Law School as well as excellent institutes for Political Science and Public Administration. Combined with the Institute of Philosophy, these institutions form the perfect setting for the study of issues on the intersection of law, politics, and public policy.

In this programme students will learn about the philosophical, methodological, systematic, and normative questions that come up in the study of law, politics, and policy. Questions such as the authority of the state and its laws, democratic representation, or the implementation of political ideals in a non-ideal world are being studied in the courses. The combination of these courses with graduate work in law, politics, or public policy, is inspiring and thought-provoking.

In the MA Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence at Leiden University you will study processes of migration, urbanisation, economic development and the increase in global interaction.

In this History master’s degree you will focus on processes that are subjects of heated current societal and political debates. You will study them from a comparative and historical perspective (covering the period 1500 until today) and place them in the wider frameworks of the development of trade networks, the emergence of multinationals, economic growth and stagnation, and regional unification.

Leiden University has a long tradition of studying migration and ethnicity and you will benefit from the expertise of a large team of enthusiastic and very diverse teachers. You will learn to understand and contribute to current debates about migration, urbanisation, globalisation, economic growth and inequality from a historical and comparative perspective. You will also analyse urban and state institutions and their effects on inclusion and exclusion, urban crime and criminal behaviour, and the development of freedoms and un-freedoms (including slavery).

The programme offers three specialisations:

• The Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence general programme;
• Economic history;
• The interdisciplinary programme Governance of Migration and Diversity.

In the master's specialisation Life Science and Business Studies, you combine high quality research in life sciences with training in management and entrepreneurship.
Business Studies bridges science and business by focusing on areas such as technology management, innovation, entrepreneurship, operations and decision-making. In this master's specialisation you combine life science research with Business Studies. You will learn about analytical frameworks and skills for managerial decision-making. The emphasis of the business specialisation is on the application of these frameworks and skills in the context of R&D-intensive organisations. After completion, you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to take on managerial responsibilities in your work.

Do you pursue a management career in industry from a LST research perspective? Do you want to learn all about technology commercialization and business development? Then, LST and Business Studies is the master's specialisation of choice for you. It enables you to broaden your scope outside research in Life Science and Technology. The specialisation offers training that is analytically rigorous and connected to practice through class discussions based on real-life business cases, company visits, guest speakers, and an internship experience.

You will study contemporary security challenges from local and global points of view, gaining an understanding of the 'wicked problem' of security and crisis topics in a complex and globalising world.
During this multidisciplinary career-relevant master's programme you will become familiar with the academic, political and societal dimensions of the governance of (in)security and crisis. You will study contemporary security challenges from both local and global points of view, gaining a deep understanding of the 'wicked problem' of security and crisis topics in a complex and globalising world. The combination of theory, practical insights and analytical skills will prepare you for work in a vast array of public or private organisations.

This one-year, English-taught programme is the only academic Master's programme that offers insights on general developments as well as the specific challenges in the field of the governance of crisis and security, with in-depth knowledge of sub-fields of crisis and security management. You will choose one of the six specialisation before the start of your programme. By selecting one track that suits your interest, you will be able to become a security professional with specialized knowledge and skills combined with a deep understanding of the general field.

The Law & Finance (Advanced LL.M.) Programme will change its name to 'International Financial Law (Advanced LL.M.)' as of 1 September 2025.

How and why are international financial markets regulated? What does it take to steer capital flows toward sustainable development goals? Should financial regulation adapt to cryptocurrencies and increasing digitalisation? How do banks structure and document international financial transactions?

Consider how finance and investment must contribute to a sustainable future. Then you’ll realise that trust in national and international financial markets is crucial. That’s why trading venues and financial institutions such as banks, asset managers and market intermediaries are heavily regulated. This results in a growing need for legal specialists with insight into the economics behind financial transactions, and financial professionals seeking deeper knowledge of financial regulation. In the Law & Finance programme, you will be uniquely trained to operate at the intersection of law and finance in today’s digitalised global landscape.

Are you intrigued by the complex, international and multidisciplinary challenges facing the financial sector? Do you want to approach these from both legal and economic perspectives, with a strong focus on sustainability and ethics? Then this may be the programme for you.

The master's specialisation Artificial Intelligence offers future-oriented topics in computer science with a focus on machine learning, optimization algorithms, and decision support techniques.

Artificial intelligence techniques are capable of making incredibly accurate predictions on the basis of data they themselves have gathered. In other words, computers can learn without intervention once they have been pre-programmed by humans. In this specialisation we explore the borders of what a revolutionary new generation of Artificial Intelligent algorithms can achieve. The specialisation also deals with applications of these algorithms to sieve out knowledge from data that is hard to extract for humans, and to search for the best combination of a variety of factors in some production process.

The Asian Studies master's programme provides you with the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the region through the lens of specific disciplines, strengthen your language proficiency, and develop a critical perspective on Asia. The programme consists of one-year regional specialisations in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia as well as the Global Asia specialization (previously History, Arts and Culture of Asia, and the Politics, Society and Economy of Asia specialization) with a focus on themes and issues as well as connections within the region. The two-year specialisations in China, Japan, Korea are part of a selective program which includes a year abroad with intensive language study and field research. Expertise in Asia at Leiden University is internationally renowned and spans the whole of Asia.

With an expansive curriculum and flexible programme formats, you have the scope to tailor your qualification to reflect your interests or career ambitions. Choose to focus on a language and a single country, or on a specific discipline and region.

An important goal of many programmes is developing your fluency in a classical or modern language. You also have the option of taking an intensive modern Indonesian language course.

By focusing on core concepts that transcend the boundaries of various Computer Science fields, the Foundations of Computation specialization prepares you for an inter-disciplinary future. In particular, you will learn to model complex software systems and apply automated proof techniques to verify their correctness, thereby increasing trust in digital systems. Using the power of symbolic computation, the specialization teaches you how to tackle hard computational problems, as well as to realize reasoning for artificial intelligence. It also equips you with the detailed knowledge of concurrency required to analyze parallel systems, but also with knowledge about non-deterministic and probabilistic computational models. Finally, you will learn to harness the power of quantum computers, for solving problems more efficiently than with classical computers.

The master's programme in Theoretical Philosophy at Leiden University offers students the opportunity to investigate fundamental questions concerning the nature of reality using the tools of analytic philosophy. The programme is taught by members of the Centre for Theoretical Philosophy at Leiden University. We are a friendly and collegial group of internationally acclaimed researchers and teachers, concentrating on metaphysics and the philosophy of science. Seminars are small, and students have many opportunities to participate in the research activities of the Centre such as our invited speaker series and internal lunch seminars.

The Physics and High-Tech Innovation specialisation is for MSc students who are interested in interdisciplinary technologies and research related to /important for high technology industries, e.g. the semi-conductor industry or nano-fabrication. In addition to Physics, students learn basic analytical frameworks and skills that enable them 1) to design and develop novel semi-conducting nano-materials, 2) develop instrumentation for high-precision measurements and/or 3) develop software and hardware for integration and design. In the specialisation High-Tech Innovation students combine high quality research in their field of study with experience in a scientific business environment comprising development from idea, to prototype, to application.

The specialisation High-Tech Innovation aims to introduce students to a broader array of exact sciences beyond Physics with an emphasis on innovative technologies. In addition, students will gain practical experience in applying their knowledge and skills through completing a research project in collaboration with an industrial partner.

The specialisation emphasises interdisciplinarity across fields of study that connects with industry practices. Students will learn through real-life industrial case studies, lectures by industrial guest speakers, and teamwork in multidisciplinary problem solving.

Visual Ethnography provides an important framework, toolkit, and skillset to address the pressing concerns of Global Vulnerabilities and Social Resilience.
Visual Ethnography draws upon audiovisual media's unique ability to share insights about people and places on multiple registers – discursive, sensory, embodied, spatial, etc. Furthermore, with the growing prominence of digital media, Visual Ethnography offers an expanded framework for producing contemporary anthropological research. Multimodal approaches have become increasingly important components in ethnographic research for collaborating with research communities and expanding the range of scholarly outputs. Visual Ethnography highlights the vital role anthropology plays in the greater public.

The Bioinformatics master's specialisation integrates concepts and methods from both mathematics and computer science with (molecular) biology and biochemistry.

It focuses on research, development and application of computational tools and approaches for expanding the use of biological, medical, behavioral and health data. This includes many aspects from acquiring to analyzing and to visualizing data. The specialisation also deals with the development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modelling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, behavioural, and social systems.

Do you want to contribute to the identification of new fundamental computer science principles and the development of new informatics tools? Do you like to address issues such as data capturing, data warehousing, data analysis and data mining within a marriage of disciplines? Then the master's specialisation in Bioinformatics is the right choice.

The master's specialisation in Learning Problems and Impairments offers you a combination of theories about learning problems and impairments, diagnostic skills and intervention and prevention strategies from a developmental perspective.
More than 15% of all school age children have learning problems. They experience severe difficulties in learning one or more basic skills or fail to meet general requirements. Pre-schools and schools for primary and secondary education need professionals who can define the problems and find evidence based solutions.
During this specialisation you'll learn to recognize and treat common learning problems such as dyslexia, hyperlexia and dyscalculia, as well as learning problems caused by ADHD, ADD, or speech and language disorders. The training focuses on the knowledge and skills required for research, teaching or clinical practice.

The one-year master's specialisation in Clinical Neuropsychology focuses on fostering clinical and scientific skills based on a solid theoretical background as well as practical training in neuropsychology and (clinical) neuropsychological research.

Neuropsychologists assess and treat the cognitive, emotional and behavioural consequences of brain dysfunction. Brain dysfunction can be a result of various neurological and psychiatric conditions, which can occur across the lifespan, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, locked-in syndrome, multiple sclerosis, migraine and epilepsy.

In Leiden, we aim to prepare students for a job market that encompasses clinical work and research, but also focuses on innovation and technological advances. Neuropsychologists play an important role in the management of brain diseases. The demand for their services is becoming greater as the population ages and medical (neuro)technology advances.

In this Methodology and Statistics in Psychology master's specialisation you will learn to apply and understand the most up-to-date methods and statistics in psychological research.
The objective of the programme is to equip you with advanced training in research methods and professional skills. This will prepare you both for a career involving psychological research as well as for the application of scientific knowledge and methods in various professional settings.

The research master's in Asian Studies gives you access to Leiden University's leading expertise in the countries of Asia. Designed for high-achieving students, Leiden University's research MA Asia Studies offers access to unique resources and expertise. Asian Studies at Leiden University has a reputation for excellence that is unmatched in Europe. You can choose subjects from a curriculum that spans the entire Asian region, both in geography and time.

You will be able to focus your studies on a country or region, such as China, Japan, Korea, South Asia or Southeast Asia, or on a discipline, such as politics, religion, art, or languages and literature, with the option to work with a primary language. A comparative, area studies approach to learning encourages a contextual understanding of the issues at hand. The programme not only encourages intra-Asian comparisons, but cooperates closely with the MA Middle Eastern Studies (research) programme. This cooperation is formalised, for example, through a common introductory course on Area Studies.

The courses in the first year of the programme develop your academic skills to an advanced level. In the second year, you will do research on a topic related to Asia and, where appropriate and possible, in a specific place in Asia. You may also combine this research with attending courses at another top university, here or abroad.

This programme focuses on in-depth study of theory as well as on the acquisition of professional and research skills, which can be applied in a wide range of psychology specialisations.
The one-year programme distinguishes itself by the fact that students are not only taught about the functioning of psychological processes, but that they also learn to connect these processes to behavioural consequences, with the aim of understanding self-regulation and behavioural control.
This means that you will develop knowledge of psychology as a science, and that you will also learn to apply this knowledge to practical problems and to develop effective interventions.

The teaching programme is based on state-of-the art scientific research and maintains a strong emphasis on the acquisition of academic and research skills.
Completion of the MSc degree prepares students for subsequent academic degrees, including a PhD.

Choice is at the very heart of politics. War or peace, left or right, liberty or security, sovereignty or integration, consensus or conflict—choices matter. Choice is also key to your education. Choose an intellectually challenging programme in which you develop your knowledge and expertise in the study of politics. Choose a respected, selective programme that fits your future ambitions. Choose the MSc programme in Political Science at Leiden University.

By doing an MSc in Political Science in Leiden or The Hague, you will immerse yourself in interesting themes and benefit from an advanced grounding in the fundamentals of political analysis. The programme offers advanced training in essential academic and professional skills. There are six specialisations and two cities from which to choose:

• International Organisation (The Hague)
• International Politics (Leiden)
• Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and Development (Leiden)
• Dutch Politics (Leiden)
• Parties, Parliaments and Democracy (Leiden)
• Political Legitimacy and Justice (Leiden)

The Computer Science and Science Communication and Society master's specialisation focuses on the interaction between science and society.

Increasingly, the general public wants to be and needs to be informed about scientific topics. At the same time, scientists need to show accountability to the general public about their research. In this specialisation you bridge the gap between experts and the public by combining high quality research in computer science with extensive training in science communication. After completion you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to either become science communicator with a strong background in computer science, or a scientist with a communicating mindset.

Do you want to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public? Want to combine high quality research in computer science with professional science communication? Then, this master's specialisation is an excellent opportunity for you. You will be prepared for a career as a science or health communicator, policy maker, PR officer, science journalist, health officer, museum educator or a researcher with a communicating mindset.

The master's specialisation in Applied Archaeology offers you an academic programme to start your professional career in archaeology.
This unique specialisation is a collaboration of Leiden University and Saxion University of Applied Sciences.

Applied Archaeology will teach you:

• How to execute critical and reflective research in a professional context;
• To develop a sense of how archaeology and heritage management are intertwined;
• How to apply prospective and excavation methods and give professional advice on the results of (prospective) research;
• To take into account the academic, societal, ethical and financial considerations of a project;
• How to present archaeological information to a variety of stakeholders;
• The best ways to contribute to societal debates and to the future of archaeology.

You will not merely be an archaeology student at our Faculty; you will be part of a lively, multifaceted and international community. Through direct and personal access to researchers experienced in archaeology and heritage you will improve your archaeological skill set, while forming and expanding your academic perspective on archaeological techniques. The MA Applied Archaeology offers a perfect blend of theory and practice.

The master’s in African Studies combines world-class scholarship with practice-based learning. This multidisciplinary programme is unique in the Netherlands and offers you the opportunity to learn about Africa from a wide range of perspectives: historical, anthropological, literary, linguistic, cultural, geographical, economic and political. The programme offers a coherent programme that revolves around six cross-cutting themes: ‘Framing Africa’, ‘Developing?’, ‘Decolonizing?’, ‘Dwelling and moving’, ‘Caring’ and ‘World-viewing’. You will critically analyse current events as they unfold from a broad, comparative and global perspective. Multi-modal research methods and mixed methods will also be introduced to you. The subsidized ten-week embedded research project that you carry out at a professional organization in Africa, e.g., an NGO, government agency, think tank, or research institute, is an absolute highlight of the programme.

The Master’s specialisation Educational Science offers students cutting-edge insights into how individuals develop and learn and how education can be optimized to include every learner.

This specialisation offers a unique multidisciplinary approach: you will study children’s learning processes from a cognitive-psychological, social-emotional, and neurodevelopmental perspective. In addition to this multidisciplinary focus on education and the learning and developing child, the programme addresses the impact that the social and educational environment have, including teachers. You practise with critical reflection from different, sometimes opposing, (theoretical) viewpoints. At the core of the programme is the idea that the Master’s student develops a critical attitude towards research and practices in the field of learning and education, as well as the skills needed to bridge the gap between theory, research, and educational practice.

Educational Sciences addresses questions such as:

• What is the relation between brain development, cognitive development, and learning?
• How do children learn to understand what they read?
• How can teachers foster children’s motivation for school by supporting their needs?
• How can teachers adapt their teaching to the needs of children with different sociocultural backgrounds?
• What are the promises and challenges of digital educational applications?

The master’s in East Asian Studies, a specialisation within the master's of Asian Studies, combines an exceptional range of courses with advanced language training and outstanding resources and expertise. The East Asian Studies master’s programme offers focused study of either China, Japan or Korea. Study the country of your choice from an expansive number of disciplinary perspectives including history, literature, art, art history, sociology, anthropology, media, cultural studies, religious studies, philosophy, economics, development studies, linguistics, or politics and international relations.

A key focus of this programme is on advanced language training and developing your fluency in an East Asian language. You will be expected to apply your language skills when writing your MA thesis by using primary materials written in Mandarin, Japanese or Korean.

Expertise on Asia at Leiden University is internationally renowned. As a student of the MA in East Asian Studies, you will learn from some of Europe's best scholars in the field, many of whom are at the leading edge of Asia-related research in Europe. Small classes will ensure you have the opportunity to interact closely and regularly with your lecturers throughout your studies.

In the track Governance of Crisis, of the MSc Crisis and Security Management programme, you will be familiarized with the main body of knowledge on strategic crisis management.

Crises such as hurricanes, floods, system blackouts and terrorist attacks are considered serious threats to the basic structures or the fundamental values and norms of a society. In the track Governance of Crisis, you will be familiarized with the main body of knowledge on strategic crisis management. You will learn to recognize the political, organizational and societal interests at stake in the strategic management of crises.

How do we address the world's most pressing issues through governance? The Master Public Administration gives you a unique multi-level perspective on the management of global political, economic and social actors, with three specialisations to suit your specific interest. Across the globe our governments and societies are confronted with enourmous challenges that raise new organisational, policy, and ethical issues. The main focus of the Master in Public Administration is on the management, steering, and coordination of political, administrative, economic, and social actors and the contexts in which they act. It will equip you with the skills to address policy issues at local, regional and international levels.

Master in Public Administration: the right programme for you?

• Are you fascinated in watching the whole context of dilemmas and challenges experienced by governments and societies worldwide?
• Do you want to address these issues from the perspective of governance?
• Do you have affinity with a specific area of governance, as addressed by the 3 specialisations in this programme – Economics and Governance, International Governance, or Public Management and Leadership?

Then this is the Master's programme is for you!

The English Language and Linguistics Master's programme at Leiden University focuses on English language usage and linguistics around the world, including in countries where English is spoken as a second language or as part of a mixed language. English Language and Linguistics at Leiden University is part of the MA Linguistics specialisation Modern Languages.

During your studies you will delve deeply into the English language in its various forms. You will learn about the different cultural and historical circumstances in which the language has developed, and continues to develop. A comparative and global approach to learning incorporates theoretical comparisons with other languages –linguistically, culturally, historically, psychologically, and sociologically.

You will be able to choose from a wide range of specialised courses and research topics, both theoretical and applied and often related to ongoing research projects. You will also apply various aspects of linguistic theory to the description of the facts of English, with a particular emphasis on the earlier stages of the language, such as Old and Middle English, as well as Early and Late Modern English.

The Research Master History at Leiden University offers five specialisations in which you will focus on historical processes, historiography and methodology of historical research. This two-year programme offers you the chance to determine a study based on your own particular interests and ambitions.

During your studies you will experience the riches and challenges of academia not only via frequent meetings with your tutor, but also during the seminars in which staff members and research master's students discuss one another's research findings and exchange scholarly views and insights. You are encouraged to spend the third semester of your research master's abroad taking optional courses and conducting research for your thesis.

As a Research MA student, you will become part of a close-knit community of other students across the different History Research MA specialisations. A dedicated Research MA room provides a quiet place to study and keep your books on campus.

Selected students will also be able to participate in the Europaeum Vaclav Havel MA Programme, an initiative of Leiden University in cooperation with the Sorbonne (Paris) and Charles University in Prague which leads to a separate additional master certificate in European Society and Politics issued by the Europaeum Association of leading European Universities.

Which laws govern the commercial use of outer space? Are States responsible for mitigating space debris? Who is liable for accidents that happen onboard an the aircraft? Learn how to deal with questions like these from both an international and a European perspective.

The LL.M. programme Air and Space Law combines public air law, private air law and space law. It has a clearly defined European and international dimension, making it unique in the world. In this intensive one-year master’s programme, you will gain a solid legal foundation in this exciting field, learning from some of the foremost experts in academia and legal practice.

The International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL), which houses this advanced master's specialisation, is one of the leading international academic research and teaching institutes in this field. The Institute maintains close relations with national and international organisations and institutions worldwide and enjoys the guidance of a prestigious International Advisory Board.

The programme also offers a two-year blended learning version. Blended learning is a combination of distance learning and face-to-face learning that enables participants to pursue their studies alongside employment or other commitments. These students come to Leiden three times for a period of one to two weeks.

Do political parties still perform their representational function? This is one of the main questions facing modern democracy. You will be addressing this issue both theoretically and empirically.

Almost everywhere political parties are facing an increasingly indifferent and even hostile electorate. Their monopoly on political representation is challenged by seemingly alienated citizens and populism. In this programme, you will explore the causes of the vulnerability of parties and examine the empirical indicators of their perceived decline. Does money rather than ideology determine which party or candidate wins elections? Do parties in parliaments reflect the diversity of today's societies sufficiently? Have members any influence on their parties? What is the role of the media in election campaigns? Perhaps most importantly, you will address the impact of the current state of parties and parliaments on democratic accountability and political legitimacy.

You study in one of the most highly ranked departments of its kind in Europe. Your lecturers are scholars from many countries with expertise in various areas of political science, including comparative politics, political psychology, and political theory.

This interdisciplinary research master offers the best of three worlds (arts, literature and media). You take two collective courses which will train you to position yourself and your research in a multi-disciplinary field. Then you choose between two historically defined lines:

• In the medieval and early modern line, art and literature work through media. Here, medium is the means by which art and literature are made (such as the medium of language, print, theatre, paint, etching, andsoforth).
• In the contemporary line, from the 19th century until the present, art and literature get accompanied by media such as cinema, games, or social media.

You are free to design the rest of the programme based on your own interests. As part of the programme, you are asked to select courses provided by the national research schools, which offer an educational programme around specific fields of research: medieval studies, art history, literary studies, media studies, and cultural analysis. You also take courses worth 30 EC that are specific to your research and can be chosen from Leiden master programmes or other universities. Finally, in the ‘case-based research’ component you get a good grasp of a researcher’s ‘laboratory’ by collaborating with a staff member – individually or in small groups – on their ongoing research project and actively contributing to it.

The master in Cultural Analysis: Literature and Theory at Leiden University focuses on the study of literature from a comparative and theoretical perspective, with a special emphasis on literary movements and genres of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Offering a wide and diverse array of courses, this intercultural and intermedial master’s programme is not limited to the study of literature within one language or culture but covers languages and cultures from various parts of the world.

Through its theoretical approach the programme is also closely related to the two-year Research MA in Arts, Literature and Media; consequently, many of our courses are crosslisted. An important difference with this ResMA programme is that the scope of our one-year curriculum generally does not allow for an integrated internship or semester abroad. These options are, however, open to those able and willing to extend their studies with us for a third semester.

The four main themes of this programme are:

• Cultural Theory, with a special focus on literary theory
• Comparative Literature
• Interculturality (cross-cultural approach)
• Intermediality (cross-mediatic approach)

The programme allows you to exchange at least one course in the curriculum for a course offered by related Leiden programmes or other Dutch universities.

The Master’s in Korean Studies at Leiden University offers a unique opportunity to conduct graduate level research, on various aspects of pre-modern and contemporary Korea, and to spend a full academic year at a university in South Korea.

Explore Korea from a broad range of perspectives

This master's offers students an expansive curriculum from which to choose and subsequently customise their learning. Study South Korea from diverse disciplinary perspectives – at times using original source materials – from its religion and popular culture to its modern and contemporary history. Enrich your learning with access to the world-class resources of the Leiden University Library and its famous collection of Asian artifacts.

Study in South Korea

Two semesters of your degree will be spent studying at one of our partner universities in South Korea. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in South Korean culture, language, and society, while developing a host of new skills that will prepare you for real-world success after your master's degree.

The Life Science and Science Communication and Society master's specialisation focuses on the interaction between science and society.
Increasingly, the general public wants to be and needs to be informed about scientific topics. At the same time, scientists need to show accountability to the general public about their research. In this specialisation you bridge the gap between experts and the public by combining high quality research in life sciences with extensive training in science communication. After completion you have obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to either become science communicator with a strong LST background, or a researcher with a communicating mindset.

Do you want to bridge the gap between scientific research and the public? Want to combine high quality life science research with professional science communication? Then, this master's specialisation is an excellent opportunity for you. You will be prepared for a career as a science or health communicator, policy maker, PR officer, science journalist, health officer, museum educator or a researcher with a communicating mindset.

In the master’s programme Politics, Culture and National Identities you will be at the forefront of a new approach to understand how national politics and identities in Europe are conceived. You will be part of a master's programme that takes a broad, comparative approach to the study of the political and national identities of a number of European countries and the United States spanning the period from 1789 until the present. The programme takes an international perspective by looking at the relations between different countries in the Western World instead of the more limited national approaches. Your understanding of how national identities and political views have evolved will enable you to make a valuable contribution to the debates that continue to dominate both public and academic forums, including discussions about the EU, democracy and populism.

Cultural transfer

You will examine the evolution of the political culture and national identities of countries such as the Netherlands, Great Britain, Russia or the United States – and how these countries influenced each other through 'cultural transfer': the adoption of examples from other countries and the inspiration they engender. You will explore how ‘cultural transfer’ can be applied to the political domain, for instance with regard to social movements, parties, parliaments and the use of national symbols and myths.

This programme will provide you with a thorough understanding of the fundamental doctrines of public international law, offering various perspectives from theory and practice.
The one-year programme - taught in English - focuses on the law that governs international relations. In the not so distant past, this was more or less limited to relations between states, but in recent years international organisations, peoples, enterprises and individuals have also become part of the increasingly complex global society and therewith of the realm of international law.
As a student of this programme, you will be challenged to develop your own views on the role and functioning of law in international society.

As the programme will be taught in Leiden and The Hague, it will, in as far as possible, draw upon the expertise available in the various international institutions located in The Hague, such as the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The Leiden University Master in Literary Studies offers separate one-year programmes in English, French, German and Italian literature and culture, as well as Literature in Society.
This Master is an excellent way of deepening and broadening your knowledge of the literature and culture of your specialisation, thus becoming a true specialist.

All courses are taught in the language of your specialisation. The Master programmes in English, French, German and Italian literature cover the entire range of these literatures, from medieval to early modern, modern and contemporary.

You will benefit from courses given by experts in terms of the period (middle ages, early modern, modern, post-modern and post-colonial) but also in terms of rhetoric, semiotics, intermediality, inter-cultural history and other approaches current in Literary Studies.

Use the vast range of options to construct your personal programme. You may include a course in English, French, German or Italian linguistics. You may also include a course in the national Master language programme or go abroad to the country of your specialisation, for an internship or university courses.

This specialisation integrates genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology into an attractive programme, with excellent career perspectives.
Through courses and research projects, students are trained by experts in the areas of molecular biology, microbiology, plant genetics, cellular imaging, animal disease models, and various -omics technologies and the corresponding bioinformatics. Attention is paid to the application of these techniques to biotechnology, i.e. how studies on model organisms can be translated to improve crops or human health.

The master's specialisation Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology is a good match if you interested in subjects as genetics, molecular- and microbiology, cellular imaging, and biotechnology. More in general, this master specialisation is ideally suited as a basis for starting a research career at a university or research institute and for a position in a bioscience-based company.

The Computer Science and High-Tech Innovation specialisation is for MSc students who are interested in interdisciplinary technologies and research related to/important for high-technology industries, e.g., the semi-conductor industry. In addition to computer science and artificial intelligence, students learn knowledge and skills that enable them 1) to design and develop novel semi-conducting nano-materials, 2) develop instrumentation for high-precision measurements, and/or 3) develop software and hardware for integration and design. In the specialisation High-Tech Innovation, students combine high quality research in their field of study with experience in a scientific business environment comprising development from idea, to prototype, to application.