North American Studies

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.).