Ancient History (MA)

Career prospects

What our graduates do

Your master will qualify you for roles in almost every sector of the employment market. Many of our graduates work for government and semi-government organisations, education, research institutes, information services, IT, cultural institutes, financial institutions, communications, marketing, business services and welfare services.

Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:

• Senior assistant at the European Union
• Consultant in information management
• PhD candidate at various universities
• History teacher at a secondary school
• Public educational work at a Dutch museum
• Project manager at a text agency
• Heritage researcher of Indonesia for a Dutch museum
• Archive clerk at a Dutch archive
• Communication and organisation officer for a Dutch political party
• Digital education officer at a museum
• Policy advisor at a Dutch Ministry
• Research assistent at a Spanish university
• Editor at a publishing house
• Web journalist at a multimedia publishing house

Your qualifications

The MA in History offers outstanding preparation for students seeking a profession that requires in-depth knowledge of history and strong academic skills, with a focus on analytical and writing skills.

Teaching qualification

If you are interested in a career in teaching, you may be eligible to follow a teacher-training master's at the ICLON Graduate School of Education once you have graduated from the master programme in History. You must speak fluent Dutch and there are other, additional entry requirements.

Diede Beckers

Graduated in Ancient History

“Historical research skills come in handy for all kinds of jobs. In fact, historians are quite sought after in the business world. As an information management trainee, I will be looking at how organisations organise and archive their information and how those processes could be more efficient.”

Valuable skills

“Although I’m currently doing a traineeship to learn about all the specific systems, the foundations are actually already there. After all, during your History degree you learn to search, select, prioritise and organise large quantities of diverse sources and process them into something new. In a way, that’s what I’ll be doing, but as an advisor on information processes at government institutions."

A lot of experience

“I chose the Master's program in Ancient History in Leiden because it best suited my interests. I had confidence in the teaching of Leiden University because I did my Bachelor there and wanted to stay at the same university. I combined the MA in Ancient History with a part-time job as an examination officer at the NTI university of applied sciences. After I graduated last year, I was able to move to a new position within the company, where I gained a lot of experience. This helped me in finding my new job as an information management trainee.”

Gabriël de Klerk

Graduated in Ancient History

"I have decided to follow the Master's programme Ancient History because I have always been extremely interested in the fascinating world of Ancient Rome. Since I was a little child, The Romans were all I could talk about, and this Master's programme enabled me to continue to combine my passion with my studies at Leiden. Furthermore, I had a great relationship with the different lecturers who I met during my Bachelor's History. Moreover, the small-scale lectures and classes allowed me to deepen my knowledge of the ancient world on a more personal and intensive level."

Research what interests you

"I will be starting as a PhD-student at the University of Mainz in July, where I will write my dissertation on the gender constructions within the funerary context through a study of funerary inscriptions. While this might sound as a very dry or sombre subject, I am really excited to study how gender- and social status-related issues determine the organisation and reception of the deceased in the Roman world!"

Essentials for the academic world

"The Master's programme offered me the opportunity to intensively work with professors and lecturers on subjects that I found really interesting. In multiple instances, I was allowed to formulate my own research. Because of this, I have already done extensive studies on ancient epigraphy. Furthermore, students at Leiden University require a high level of independent thinking and researching, which is a feature that might be considered essential for working within the academic world."

In which sector do students find jobs?

The graphs below are based on alumni data from the MA in History 2016-2020.

• 22 % Government and semi-government organisations
• 14 % Education
• 12 % Research
• 8 % Information management
• 6 % IT
• 5 % Culture, sports and recreation
• 5 % Financial institutions
• 5 % Communication and marketing
• 4 % Business services
• 3 % Welfare and health
• 16 % Other

Career preparation

Find out how this programme prepares you for your future career and check our career preparation activities.

The Master's programme in Ancient History at Leiden University equips you with a range of transferable skills and knowledge that will help you stand out in your future career. Your specialised knowledge is complemented by a broad and contextual understanding as well as critical-thinking skills that can be applied to complex conceptual problems. Other skills you may encounter in the various History courses are:

• Analysis
• Problem-solving skills
• Research
• Collaboration
• Creative thinking

Relevant professional experience

During your studies you have ample opportunity to gain experience studying, working, or conducting research at an organisation or institution. This experience is highly valued within international organisations. In class, we encourage every student to participate in discussions with fellow students and lecturers to develop their confidence articulating ideas. Regular events throughout the year, including an Employment Café, present opportunities to network with alumni and explore internship and job opportunities.

You have the opportunity to do an internship at an organisation in the Netherlands or abroad. Internships are a great way to gain first-hand experience in your area of interest and deepen your expertise. Organisations that our students have interned at include:

• Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands
• KITLV (Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies)
• Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael
• Netherlands Institute for Military History

Please note that you will need to find your own internship and have to follow an internship procedure for approval. Pursuing an internship may have consequences for the date of your graduation.

Patricia Kret

graduate Ancient History

‘I did an internship at the State art collection in the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency. It was a very valuable experience to do an internship during my Research Master Ancient History that was not related to the ancient world. I gained knowledge about the different ways historians can put their research skills to practice and the possibilities for working with historical objects. I learned to work with, for me, new (art)historical sources. This stimulated my creative thinking, also in the field of ancient history.’

Key Tengeler

graduate Ancient History

‘I want to bring the wonderful world of Greeks and Romans I discovered in my study to a broader audience. At the University, I acquired the necessary research and writing skills for this job, but an internship could provide me with opportunities for publication. I looked for an internship in popular scientific journalism and found my way into the organisation behind 'Historisch Nieuwsblad' and 'Maarten!'. Now that I have finished my study, the first three projects I work on as a historical journalist all come from the people I met while I was doing my internship there.’