In the first three semesters, you will be taking three core courses. In Key Debates in Literary and Cultural Studies, you become familiar with the current debates and methodologies in literary studies. In the second semester, you will take the course in Literature, Context, Historicity and focus on what the workings of literature actually does in social, cultural and historical terms. Finally, in the Literary Studies Lab in your second year, you will focus on what it means to conduct the practice of high-level academic research. In this course, you work on your research topic with fellow students and a Faculty member, helping you to prepare for the thesis that you will write in the final semester and learn how to write a PhD proposal.

The programme offers ample space for electives and encourages you to take courses that best suit your research interests. We have over 50 electives in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian and Slavonic literatures, as well as Comparative literature. Interdisciplinary electives deal with topics like globalisation, cultural memory, gender and the post-human.

In the tutorials you work closely with one of our Faculty members and a small group of students on a topic, method or field that interests you. Some tutorials are offered in the study guide, but you may also create your own. In the tutorial space, you also take seminars at one of the national research schools, where you’ll meet Research Master's students, PhDs and researchers from other universities in the Netherlands and abroad.

The Master's thesis reports on research carried out under the supervision of an academic staff member involved in the programme. In addition, you complete a research project related to the topic of your thesis.

You can also opt to do an internship. This may involve taking part in ongoing research at the faculty or a research-oriented internship at a cultural or literary institution like a museum or publishing house.