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Name of the Masters programme
History: Medical and Health Humanities
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History: Medical and Health Humanities at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Learn to situate medical knowledge in its historical context
History: Medical and Health Humanities is a unique interdisciplinary specialisation that is taught in English. You will combine the history of health and medicine with a wide array of approaches in the arts and humanities. You will explore the different ways that bodies and minds have been studied and understood, and how these various ways of knowing continue to shape everyday life, medical practice and public health policy.
The courses are relevant for students interested in the history of health and medicine, as well as for health professionals. You follow the full programme or you can follow just one, two or three courses. More information on Registration for Secondary Subjects (Dutch: Inschrijfprocedure Bijvakken).
More information on this programme? Visit the website!
History: Medical and Health Humanities
Discuss the relevance of medical history
In this interdisciplinary specialisation you will learn to contextualise medical ideas within their time and culture and to analyse a diverse range of sources, including historical artefacts, comics and films, medical texts and health journalism publications. Drawing on methods from across disciplines, you will broaden your access to tools of investigation beyond the written word to also include the sounds, smells, and the look and feel of the past, as well as its lessons and legacies in the present day.
As mentioned, the specialisation is jointly offered by the Faculties of Humanities of VU Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam, as well as by the Faculties of Medicine of the universities of Maastricht, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Learn from our experts
The programme is taught by staff from the Chair of Cultural History (prof. dr. Inger Leemans) and the Chair of Medical History (prof. dr. Manon Parry).
A variety of perspectives
Your fellow students will come from a broad range of backgrounds and disciplines, ranging from historians to physicians in training to former patients and healthcare workers. This will give you the opportunity to learn from a wide variety of perspectives while you critically reflect on issues of great human significance, from birth to death.
More information on this programme? Visit the website!
History: Medical and Health Humanities
This programme is a specialisation within the Master’s degree programme in History, which trains students to become professional historians with specialised knowledge and transferable skills such as writing, presenting and analytical skills.
Your training within the fields of medical history and health humanities offer a good starting position for a career in the field of applied science, musea or education. Our alumni also work in public and private organizations that are in active in the broader field of health and medicine.
With a master’s title in History you can embark on PhD research at a university or research institute. If you aim at an academic career you could also consider following the two-year research master’s degree course in History. This master’s degree course trains you specifically as a (university) researcher.
More information on this programme? Visit the website!
History: Medical and Health Humanities
I have an international degree
Admission is based on a strict selection procedure. The Faculty’s Admission Board will decide upon your admission after having evaluated your complete online application.
To qualify for the master’s programme, you must have a bachelor's degree from an officially recognised research university, including a minimum of three years of full-time academic studies with at least 180 ECTS or the equivalent.
The master’s programme in History is for students with an academic bachelor’s degree in History. You may also qualify if you have an academic bachelor’s degree in another discipline of the Humanities (e.g. Theology, Philosophy) or in Anthropology or Sociology, if you have a major or specialisation equal to a minimum of 30 ECTS in History courses.
For international students, the level of studied academic theory needs to be based on the course description, literature list and sample of academic writing, due to a lack of distinction between applied and academic universities abroad.
Proof of sufficient proficiency in English
You must always present official test results proving your proficiency in English. Only students who have completed a full high school/International Baccalaureate in English or bachelor’s degree in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, or Australia may be exempted. You can already apply online without having the test results. In case you haven’t taken a test yet we advise you to plan a test date as soon as possible.
Below you will find the minimum English test scores for the English taught programmes at the Faculty of Humanities:
- TOEFL score (score 600 paper based with a minimum of 55 in each of the subtests plus 4.0 in TWE, score 250 computer based or score 100 internet based with a minimum of 20-23 in each of the subtests).
- IELTS score of 7.0 overall band score (with none of the separate section scores dropping below a minimum score of 6.5).
- Cambridge English: Cambridge Proficiency Exam A, B, C, or Cambridge Advanced Exam A, B, C.
I have a Dutch university level (WO) bachelor’s degree (VU bachelor's degree, VU premaster or bachelor's degree at another university)
You will be directly admitted to the master’s programme if you have a bachelor’s degree in History from a Dutch research (WO) university.
If you have a bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g. European Studies, Anthropology), your application must be assessed by the Board of Admissions.
More information on this programme? Visit the website!
Overview of Masters programmes - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
More information on this programme? Visit the website!
Institution
Location: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam
Niederlande
Nord Holland
| T | +31 20 59 89898 | |
| E | international@vu.nl |
Facts about the Masters programme
Location
Amsterdam
Field of study
Humanities, Medicine & Health Sciences
Degree
Master
Language
English
Start
winter semester - September
Application deadline
Type of study
Full-time
Duration of study: 1 year
Tuition fees EU: 2168 EUR / year
Tuition fees Non EU: 16630 EUR / year
Facts about the Masters programme
Location
Amsterdam
Field of study
Humanities, Medicine & Health Sciences
Degree
Master
Language
English
Start
winter semester - September
Application deadline
Type of study
Full-time
Duration of study: 1 year
Tuition fees EU: 2168 EUR / year
Tuition fees Non EU: 16630 EUR / year
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