Literary Studies (MA)

Career preparation

Our goal is to prepare you for your future career.

Knowledge and Skills

With the skills and knowledge you have gained during your Master’s programme at Leiden University you will be able to work in a range of professional and academic careers. These include highly sought after skills such as:

to think critically;
the ability to write well;
to organise your work and meet tight deadlines;
to convey meaning precisely;
to research and thoroughly analyse literary and academical texts;
to critically use literary and cultural theory.

The Master’s programme in Literary Studies at Leiden University aims to equip you with these important skills and knowledge that will help you thrive in your future career. Your specialised knowledge is complemented by a strong, critical-thinking approach to problem-solving that can be applied to even the most complex conceptual problems.

Relevant professional skills and experience

Every student is encouraged to apply what they learn in a professional, practical or foreign situation in preparation for their future career. This might include studying abroad, working as an intern at an organisation in the Netherlands or abroad, or getting involved in extracurricular activities. These experiences are valued by recruiters, as are strong communication skills. In class, every student is invited to participate in discussions, learning how to confidently articulate their ideas.

Internships

Some of our students choose to do an internship during their study. Internships are a great way to gain indispensable firsthand experience in your area of interest before you decide on making it a career.

In recent years students from the Master’s programme in Literary Studies have been doing internships at the following organisations:

Royal Library The Hague, Koopman Collection
Dutch Embassy in Paris/ Cultural Section
Royal Brill Editions, Leiden

Humanities Career Service

Our staff can help you identify both the career that is right for you, and the necessary steps to get you there. Our team at Humanities Career Service provide all Leiden University humanities students with professional advice and guidance on everything from internships and career planning to job applications. Humanities Career Service also organises regular workshops on topics such as effective interview skills and creating a successful CV.

Online Career Week

The first Online Career Week was organised in May 2020. Every day there were 2 events that students could sign up for.

For example, there was a Q&A with interns. Three interns working for respectively Philips, the Dutch Mission to the UN, and the World Economic Forum provided the participants with information on their internships, the application processes and working from home. In addition, a live webinar CV writing took place, and students were able to schedule an appointment with a career counselor for personal advice.