Book and Digital Media Studies (MA)
About the programme
This MA offers in-depth insight into the history of the book—both manuscript and print—as well as publishing and digital textual media. You’ll gain strong academic and practical skills in the field of Book Studies.
Admission and Application
Do you want to find out if you are eligible for this Master's Programme?
Fleur Praal
University Lecturer of Book and Digital Media Studies
"In this Leiden University MA programme, we examine the textual medium in its historical and current contexts, in its handwritten, printed, and digital forms. Our courses combine training in practical skills in working with texts, such as XML and database technologies, with critical reflection on these practices, and theoretical analysis of the world of the book in past, present, and future. Through this combination of perspectives and approaches, we offer a conceptual understanding of the social and cultural function and position of texts – and, particularly, books – that is absolutely unique to Book and Digital Media Studies."
The master’s programme in Book and Digital Media Studies is taught across two semesters and comprises compulsory courses, elective courses and the writing of an MA thesis.
Semester one
The aim of the first semester is to prepare you for the specialisation that you will choose during your second semester. This part of the programme provides a solid basis and introduction to the field, conceptually and practically, via three foundational courses.
Semester two
During your second semester you will write your MA thesis and choose one of the following courses:
To get an impression of possible topics, see the recent MA theses listed below.
- Joris Vugs, 'The Reading Game: An Analysis of Digital Text Through the Lens of Visual Novels' (2022). https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3308899
- Mirjam Rörsch, 'Changing typesetting and printing conventions in the eighteenth century: A study into the typographical features of late eighteenth-century newspapers written in French', (2022). https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3308901
- Nitzan Shalev, 'Mind Your Language: A Longitudinal Study of the Catalogues of Leiden University Library’s Hebrew Manuscripts Collection' (2022). https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3448598
- Laurie Bastemeijer, 'Required Listening: The effects of using audio- and karaoke books in fiction education at Dutch VMBO schools' (2021). https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3204761
- Chelsea Crane, 'A Critical Assessment of the FAIR Guiding Principles in Book History' (2020). https://hdl.handle.net/1887/86173
- Sana Bardawil, 'Preserving Cultural Heritage Through Digitisation: Lebanon as a Case Study', (2020). https://hdl.handle.net/1887/84782
Course overview
For a detailed programme, please check the Prospectus.
Please note that this guide applies to the current academic year, which means that the curriculum for next year may slightly differ.