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master s degrees in the humanities 2010­2011 thenetherlands 07_humanities_3.indd 1 24-08-2009 15:33:47

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a word from the rector magnificus `master your talents thankyouforconsideringusforyour postgraduatestudies.weofferstudentsfrom allovertheworldhighqualityresearchand educationandprovideyouwiththeacademic skillsandknowledgeyouneedforyourfuture roleinsociety theuniversityofgroningen,foundedin 1614,isoneoftheolderuniversitiesin europeandhaseducatedmorethan200,000 graduatesinthelast400years.weareproud tosaythatwedevelopedintooneofthe leadingresearchuniversitiesintheworld weareevenmoreproudtosaythatduring alltheseyearsourtraditionofacademic excellencehasnotchanged weareaninternationalcentreofknowledge thathasmanagedtocreateanatmosphere thatenablesresearcherstodiscoverthings whichwouldotherwisehaveremained hiddentothem.weofferchallengingstudy andresearchpathsthatvaryinintensityto encourageyoutodevelopyourindividual talent studyingattheuniversityofgroningen willprovideyouwithatrulyinternational experience,whichwillbroadenyourhorizon theglobaloutlookweprovideyouwithwill giveyouacompetitiveadvantageinrealizing yourfuturecareerplans.allthistakesplacein thecityoftalent,groningen,acitywhere distancesaresmallandpossibilitiesendless ihopetobewelcomingyoutotheuniversity ofgroningensoon prof dr frans zwarts rector magnificus 07_humanities_3.indd 2 24-08-2009 15:33:49

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the university of groningen the most welcoming university of the netherlands 400yearsofacademictraditionand innovation leadingresearchuniversity studyinaninternationalenvironment dedicatedtostudentinvolvement facts figures 26,500students 2,200internationalstudents 9faculties bachelor,masterandphdprogrammes 9graduateschools 83english-taughtdegreeprogrammes 10english-taughtdoubledegree programmes student facilities the groningen personal approach honourscollegeforexceptionaltalent studentsupportcourses talentandcareercenter excellentcomputerandonlinefacilities widevarietyofinternational studentorganizations limitlessaccesstotheuniversity sportscentre 07_humanities_3.indd 3 24-08-2009 15:33:53

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groningen safe environment full of life thegroningencanals,portsandwarehouses takeyoubackto14thcenturyhanseatic times,whengroningenwasamemberof thisallianceoftradingguilds groningen city city of talent 180,000inhabitants bestinnercityofthenetherlands2005 best student city of the netherlands 2006 rankedaseuropeancitywiththehighest qualityoflifebyitsinhabitants2006 lively with a safe community character culturalandeconomiccapitalofthenorth groningen museum thegroningenmuseumisthemosthighprofilemuseuminthenetherlands,notonly duetoitsstrikingdesign,butalsobecause ofvariousexhibitions culture fun cinemasandtheatrescaterforallcultural tastes.matchingthegroningenwayoflife thesevenues,largeandsmall,canbefound scatteredthroughoutthecity arthousefilmsincinema`images concertsinthe`oosterpoort theatreatthehistoric`schouwburg livemusic,late-nightjazz,funkand blues-rockcafés musicfestivalslikenoorderzon,eurosonic noorderslagandswinginggroningen www.cityoftalent.nl www.groningen.nl 07_humanities_3.indd 4 24-08-2009 15:34:00

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contents the university of groningen leading research university 2 international outlook 3 international student barometer 3 central university services and facilities international service desk 54 introduction and orientation 54 language courses 54 computer and online facilities 54 university library 55 student advisors 55 student support courses 55 student counsellors 55 talent and career center 55 teaching and research master s degree programmes 4 graduate schools 4 phd opportunities 5 educational system in the netherlands 5 diploma supplement 6 the faculty of arts the faculty of philosophy and the faculty of theology and religious studie 7 social and cultural university facilities sports facilities 54 student associations 54 cultural student centre usva 54 groningen student platform 54 master s degrees in the humanities art history and archaeology 12 classical medieval and renaissance studies 14 literary and cultural studies 16 modern history and international relations 18 linguistics 20 language and communication technologies 22 clinical linguistics 24 euroculture 26 humanitarian action 30 american studies 32 arts culture and media 34 applied linguistics teaching english as a foreign language 36 nederlandse taal en cultuur specialisatie nederlandse cultuur 38 english language and culture 40 international relations and international organization 42 journalism 44 philosophy 46 philosophy knowledge and knowledge development 48 religion and culture 50 religion and culture specialization religion in peace and conflict 50 disclaimer preparing for groningen admission and registration 57 visa and residence permit 57 health insurance 57 cost of living 57 tuition fees 57 scholarships 57 accommodation a home away from home 58 groningen safe environment full of life 59 the netherlands small in size internationally oriented the dutch landscape 60 famous dutch 60 the netherlands in a nutshell 60 english-taught master s degree programmes 2010­2011 61 allinformationpublishedinthisbrochureissubjecttochange.nolegalrightsmaybederivedfromthisbrochure.whiletheuniversityofgroningenmakes everyendeavourtoensuretheaccuracyoftheinformationpresentedinthisbrochure,itcannotbeheldliableforanyerrorsorinaccuraciesyoumayfind theuniversityofgroningenisasignatoryofthe`codeofconductwithrespecttointernationalstudentsindutchhighereducation 07_humanities_3.indd 5 24-08-2009 15:34:01

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the university of groningen founded in 1614 the university of groningen is one of the oldest universities in the netherlands and enjoys an international reputation as one of the leading research universities it is a university with a modern studentoriented vision on education theuniversityofgroningenhasalwaysbeenanoutstandingexample ofaninternationalcommunity.almost400yearsago,closetohalf thestudentsandlecturerscamefromoutsidethenetherlands.today closeto50%ofour1500phdstudentsareinternationalstudents althoughinternationallyoriented,theuniversitymaintainsstrongties withthecityofgroningenanditssurroundingregion leading research university passion and performance realizinganultimatedreamisthemainmotiveformanyscientists indoingtheirresearch.theuniversityofgroningenprovidesyouwith astudyenvironmentthatrewardsvision,qualityandachievement webelongtothetop3ofeuropeanresearchuniversitiesinthe fieldsof nanosciencenumber1ineurope/top10worldwide ecology/biology materialssciences chemistry astronomy otherstrongresearchgroupsaremolecular biology medical sciences neurosciences sociology philosophy theology archeology and arts humanities.allawardeddegreeshavebeenaccreditedbythedutch governmentandareinternationallyacknowledged famous scientists past and present fritszernike,nobelprizeforphysics1953 heikekamerlingh-onnes,nobelprizeforphysics1913 albertszent-györgyi,nobelprizeformedicine1937 ergedaan,awardforeminentscientistsofthejapansocietyfor s thepromotionofsciencejsps petrarudolf,descartesawardforherworkonsyntheticmolecular motorsandartificialnanomachines benferinga,spinozaawardforhisworkonnanotechnology the academiegebouw the heart of the university of groningen 2 07_humanities_3.indd 6 24-08-2009 15:34:04

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international outlook involved with the world knowledgehasnobordersandknowsnoboundaries­itisuniversal byattractinggenuinetalent,irrespectiveofthecountryoforigin weensurethequalityofteachingandresearch.goingabroadforan internationalexperienceisnottheonlyoptionanymore­homecan beaninternationalenvironmentaswell.wemaintainlong-term partnershipswithuniversitiesaroundtheworldwithsimilarhigh standards,participateininternationalnetworksandincorporate internationalthemesinourprogrammes international student barometer since2007theuniversityofgroningentakespartintheinternational studentbarometer,aglobalsurveyofsatisfactionandwell-being amonginternationalstudents why students choose to study with us internationalreputation qualityofteachingandresearch reputationofgroningenasasafe,friendlyandrelativelycheapcity rated best in the netherlands officialwelcomingceremony socialactivitiesorganizedforinternationalstudents sportsfacilities highly valued internetaccess internationalservicedeskandfacultyinternationaloffices libraryandstudyfacilities dutch/groningenhostculture 9 faculties >arts>behaviouralandsocialsciences>economicsandbusiness >law>mathematicsandnaturalsciences>medicalsciences >philosophy>spatialsciences>theologyandreligiousstudies 9 graduate schools >humanities>lawggsl businessandeconomicssom >philosophy>behaviouralandsocialsciences>spatialscience >theologyandreligiousstudiesthrs medicalsciences>science international rankings esicitationsperpublication:position81ofthe200most productiveuniversitiesworldwide shanghaijiaotongrankingarwu sharedposition 101worldwide 35europe timeshighereducationsupplement:position144 che-excellenceranking:biologyandphysicsreceivedthe `excellencegroup ranking;chemistryandmathematics receivedthe`topgroup ranking strategic partners europe:uppsalauniversitysweden ghentuniversitybelgium universityofgöttingengermany asia:gadjahmadauniversity,universityofindonesia,bandung instituteoftechnologyindonesia universityofbeijing,tsinghua university,fudanuniversitychina osakauniversityjapan latinamerica:nationalautonomousuniversityofmexico­unam mexico universityofsãopaolo­uspbrazil northamerica:universityofcaliforniaatlosangeles­ucla universityofpennsylvaniausa famous graduates alettajacobs,thefirstfemalestudentinthenetherlands wimduisenberg,thefirstpresidentoftheeuropeancentralbank hanswijers,ceooftheboardofmanagementakzonobel jobcohen,mayorofamsterdam peterrehwinkel,mayorofgroningen severalmembersoftheroyalfamily groningen and europe 4erasmusmundusprogrammes leadinguniversityineurope-mexicoerasmusmundusexternal cooperationwindows memberofcoimbragroup bernoulliborg faculty of mathematics natural sciences 07_humanities_3.indd 7 24-08-2009 15:34:06

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teaching and research the university of groningen is home to over 26,500 students who are welcomed to an inspiring and stimulating atmosphere with a degree from the university of groningen you can be confident that you have the required skills and theoretical background to pursue your future career master s degree programmes master your talents wetrainyoutobeascholarandascientist,whileinstillingthe professionalskillsenablingyoutofindworkoutsidetheresearch communityaswell.ourhighqualitymaster sprogrammesare groundedinresearch,givingyoutheopportunitytoshareinthe bestandlatestknowledge.theylastbetweenoneandtwoyears successfulcompletionofamaster sprogrammeisawardedwith amaster sdegreema,mscorllm graduate school master s programmes forthoseofyouwithresearchasaspecialfocalpoint,weoffer two-year`researchmaster and`topmaster programmes theyaredesignedtoattractthemostqualifiedstudentsandare incorporatedingraduateschools:anexcellentpreparationfor aphd,orforprofessionalandresearchcareers double degree joint programmes studyingattheuniversityofgroningendoesnotmeanyour experienceislimitedtothenetherlandsalone.theuniversityjoins forceswithstrategicinternationalpartneruniversitiesorpools resourcesinaconsortiumofeuropeanuniversities,enabling studentstostudyindifferentcountriesanddealwithdifferent systems,culturesandsocieties graduate schools a union of teaching and research thegraduateschoolsbringtogetherdistinguishedstaffmembers andtalentedstudentswhoshareacommoninterest.withthese schoolsweaimtoeasethetransitionbetweenthemaster sand phdlevels,givegraduatesstrongresearchskills,andcreatea supportingenvironmentwithexpertscholars.theschoolsoffer outstandingservices,activitiesandeventsthatenhancegraduate study.theinteractionbetweengraduateschools,researchinstitutes andfacultiesensuresaninterdisciplinaryapproachwhileprofiting fromawiderangeofexternalnetworks 07_humanities_3.indd 8 24-08-2009 15:34:12

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phd opportunities admissiontoaphdprogrammeishighlyselectiveandbasedon academicmerit:thebestpreparationissuccessfulcompletionofone ofourgraduateschoolmaster sprogrammes.inthefour-yearphd programmes,youconductyourownresearchwhilethegraduate schoolprovidesabalancedmixofexpertsupervision,tailor-made postgraduatetrainingandthefreedomtopursueyourownideas educational system in the netherlands teaching style knowledgeisconsideredquantifiableandthusmeasurable.study programmesarecarefullydefinedandhighlystructuredandyouare expectedtocontributeactivelyandworkindependently.theteachingstaffistheretoassembleandstructurethetruthsandfactsthat makeupthebodyofknowledge.youmustmakesurethatyouabsorb knowledge,filterit,andmakeityourown ground-breakinglearningsystem:thenetherlandshasreceived internationalacclaimforitsproblem-basedlearningsystem,training studentstoworkindependentlythroughemphasisonself-studyand self-discipline student-centred:itprovidesyouwiththeattentionandfreedom youneedtodevelopyourownopinionsandcreativityinapplying youracquiredknowledge teamwork:alargepartofallprogrammesisdedicatedto writingpapers,analysingandsolvingproblemsingroups,acquiring workexperiencethroughinternshipsandconductingexperiments inlaboratories source of information nuffic teaching methods mostofyourcourseswillhaveamixtureoftwoormoreofthebelow mentionedteachingmethods lecture:largegroupofstudents,listeningtoaprofessor,less interactionbetweenteacherandstudent seminar:smallgroup,alotofinteractionbetweenprofessorand student,youareexpectedtoparticipateactively work/projectgroup:agroupof3-5studentsconductingtheir ownresearch,youhavetocontributetotheprojectactively guidancefromtheprofessorwhenneeded independentstudy:youareexpectedtoconductaresearchproject independently,guidancefromtheprofessorwhenneeded study support studyinginadifferentcountrycanbequiteanoverwhelming experienceattimes,everythingisdifferentandyourfriendsand familyarefaraway.toguideandhelpyouthroughyourstudiesas smoothlyaspossibletheuniversityofgroningenoffersstudents severalsupportfacilities.moreinformationonstudysupport facilities:page55 dutch higher education values >independence >individualopinions >teamwork 07_humanities_3.indd 9 24-08-2009 15:34:17

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binary system of higher education thenetherlandshastwotypesofuniversities.universitiesofapplied scienceshogescholenareprimarilycareer-orientedandprepare studentsforparticularprofessions.theuniversityofgroningenisa researchuniversityuniversiteit withresearchasitsmainfocalpoint universities research-oriented phd:4years master sdegree:ma/msc/llm:1­2years bachelor sdegree:ba/bsc/llb:3years universities of applied sciences career-oriented phd:notapplicable master sdegree:m:1­2years bachelor sdegree:b:4years ects and grading ectsisaneustandardizedsystemformeasuringstudyloadasaway tofacilitateinternationalmobility 1ects 28hoursofstudyincl.contacthours,reading,exam preparation,etc 60ects oneyear theminimumnumberofectscreditsneededtoobtainamaster s degreeisusually60inthefieldsofthehumanities,economics socialsciencesandlaw 120ectscreditsarerequiredforsome programmesmainlyinthefieldofnaturalsciences whereasother programmesvaryfrom180medicalsciencesto240ectscredits thedutchgradingscalerunsfrom1lowestgradeto10highest grade asanindication,5.5isapassinggrade.grades9,10andall gradeslowerthan3arehighlyexceptional accreditation and quality assurance highereducationinthenetherlandsenjoysaworldwidereputation foritshighquality.thisisachievedthroughanationalsystemoflegal regulationandqualitycontrol.theministryofeducation,cultureand scienceisresponsibleforlegislationpertainingtoeducation.asof 2002,theresponsibilitiesforqualityassurancehavebeenallocated tothenetherlandsaccreditationorganizationnvao alldegree programmesofferedbyuniversitiesanduniversitiesofapplied sciencesareevaluatedaccordingtoestablishedcriteria.only accreditedprogrammeswillbeeligibleforgovernmentfunding thissystemofqualitycontrolandaccreditationguaranteesthat theeducationofferedatalldutchuniversitiesmeetsthesamehigh standards diploma supplement theuniversityofgroningenissuesadiplomasupplementtoevery studentupongraduation.itisdesignedtoprovideadescriptionof thenature,level,context,contentandstatusofthecoursesthatwere followedandsuccessfullycompletedbythestudent.itisfreefrom anyvaluejudgements,equivalencestatementsorsuggestionsabout recognition.thepurposeofthesupplementistoprovidesufficient independentdatatoimproveinternational`transparency andfair academicandprofessionalrecognitionofqualifications theuniversityofgroningenistheonlydutchhighereducation institutiontohaveaectslabelandadiplomasupplementlabel awardedandrecognizedbytheeuropeancommission,councilof europeandunesco/cepes 6 07_humanities_3.indd 10 24-08-2009 15:34:24

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the faculty of arts the faculty of philosophy and the faculty of theology and religious studies at the university of groningen the master s programmes in humanities are offered by three different faculties the faculty of arts the faculty of philosophy and the faculty of theology and religious studies the faculty of arts thefacultyofartsistheuniversity slargestandmostdiversefaculty with19bachelor sandmorethan35master sdegreeprogrammes focussingmainlyonthestudyofarchaeology,culturalstudies,history internationalrelations,journalism,languageandliterarystudies andlinguistics.over5,000studentsarecurrentlyparticipatingin theseprogrammesandthenumberofinternationalstudents­degree aswellasexchangestudents­isgrowingeveryyear.fourteenofthe master sdegreeprogrammesaretaughtinenglish.theadmissions officeofthefacultyofartstakescareofalladmissionproceduresand diplomaevaluationforprospectivestudentswhowishtoparticipatein oneoftheinternationalmaster sprogrammes.ontheirarrivalin groningen,theinternationalofficeofthefacultyofartsassistsall incomingstudentswithpracticalmattersrelatedtostudyingatthe faculty thefacultyofartsisveryproudthattheeuropeancommissionhas awardedtheprestigiouserasmusmundusstatustothemaster s programmesinclinicallinguistics,euroculture,humanitarianaction andlanguageandcommunicationtechnologies.thefiveinternational researchmaster sprogrammesofferachallengeandconsiderable freedomofchoicetothosewhotakeaninterestinresearchandare consideringaresearch-orientedcareer.theseprogrammesareoffered incloseco-operationwiththetopresearchgroupsattheuniversity thefacultyofartshasanexcellentrecordinavarietyofresearch disciplinesthatreflectsocietyinallitscomplexity.theclassicand broadprofileofthefacultyprovidesforafertileenvironmentwhere discoveriesaremadeandinnovationtakesplaceinthecontextof interdisciplinaryandmultidisciplinaryco-operation researchtakesplaceinthreeresearchinstitutes entreforlanguageandcognitiongroningenclcgforresearch c inthefieldoflinguistics roningenresearchinstituteforthestudyofcultureicogfor g researchinhistory,arthistory,literature,andtheintellectual political,literaryandartisticculture roningeninstituteofarchaeologygiaforresearchinthefieldof g archaeology thefacultyofartsiscommittedtoprovidingadvancedtraining atphdleveltothemostpromisingyoungscholarsinarchaeology culturalstudiesandlinguistics.thegraduateschoolforthe humanitiesprovidestheorganizationalinfrastructurewithinwhich graduatestudentsparticipateinadvancedtrainingandsupervised research facilities at the faculty of arts thefacultyofartsislocatedinthelivelycentreofgroningen withinwalkingdistanceoftheuniversitylibrary,publiclibraryand theacademiegebouw.mostartsprogrammesarebasedinthe harmoniegebouw,whichissharedwiththefacultyoflaw.in`de harmonie therearemanyfacilitiesforstudents,includingcomputer rooms,e-mailfacilities,languagelabs,reprographicservices,alibrary with175readingplacesand,ofcourse,alargecanteen.inaddition,the facultyalsohasitsowntheatre,exhibitionareaandastate-of-the-art multimedianewsroom the faculty of philosophy thefacultyofphilosophyofferseducationinphilosophythatisclosely relatedtodevelopmentsinscientificresearch,cultureandsociety philosophyatthisfacultyingroningenistaughtinaverypractical manner­withoutlosingsightofthefundamentalphilosophical questions.intermsofresearch,thefacultyischaracterizedbythe emphasisoninterdisciplinaryandempiricalphilosophy.thismeans thatnotonlyisthereanemphasisontheinteractionbetweentheory andpractice,butalsothatthefacultyactivelycollaborateswithother disciplinesandfieldsofresearch.intermsoftuition,thefacultyhas abroadmissioninwhichasoundculturalandscientificbaseiscentral thismeansthatthereisabroadrangeofphilosophicalcoursesavailable forphilosophicalstudentsaswellasforstudentsfromotherfaculties thefacultyoffersinternationalstudentsbothamaster sprogramme andaresearchmaster sprogramme.theprestigiousresearchmaster s programmeisatwo-yearprogrammeandisgiveninenglish thecoursesintheone-yearmaster`sprogrammearegiveninenglish onrequest 07_humanities_3.indd 11 24-08-2009 15:34:24

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facilities at the faculty of philosophy thefacultyofphilosophyishousedinahistoricbuildinginthecentre ofgroningen,withinwalkingdistanceofuniversityandtownfacilities thefacultyhasitsownextensivephilosophicallibraryandthemain universitylibraryisaroundthecorner.sophisticatedcomputer facilitiesareavailableinthestudents computerroom,whereweb accessandprintingarefree.everyotherwednesday,aguest,usually fromabroad,givesaseminaratresearchlevelatwhichallthestudents aremostwelcome thefacultyhasaveryactivestudentclubthatproducesayearbook andorganizesphilosophicalactivitieslikeinternationalconferences theso-called`philosopher srally andannualtripstoasisterphilosophy facultyataforeignuniversity.inaddition,theclubisresponsiblefor manysocialhappeningssuchasmonthlymeetingsatalocalcafé parties,galas,filmevenings,campingtrips,theintroductioncampfor firstyearstudentsetc thefacultyalsohasanalumniclubthathas beeninexistencesince1997.thiscluborganizes,amongotherthings,a monthlydisputeinwhichmembersmaypresenttheirwork-in-progress andanannualgeneralmeetingfollowedbyapubliclecture the faculty of theology and religious studies thefacultyoftheologyandreligiousstudiesoftheuniversityof groningenfocusesontheacademic,openandcriticalstudyofreligion initshistoricalandcurrentforms.studentscanchooseasocial-scientific anthropologicalandsociological cultural-historical,philological religious-psychologicalorsystematicperspective.teachingtakesplace insmallgroups,sostudentscanoptimallybenefitfromthelecturers broadexpertise.thefacultyislocatedinahistoricbuildinginthecity centre,neartheacademiegebouwandtheuniversitylibrary thefacultyoffersfourmaster sdegreeprogrammes:theology religiousstudies,spiritualcareandtheresearchmaster sprogramme inreligioussymbolsandtraditionsincludingthejointmaster s programmeincultureandreligioninconflictsandpeace-building theenglishresearchmaster sprogrammeisatwo-yeardegree programmethataimstopreparestudentsforanacademiccareeror aprofessionthatrequiressoundacademictraining thefacultyhoststhreeresearchinstitutes.thequmrâninstituteis renownedworldwideforitsworkonthedeadseascrolls.theinstitute forliturgicalstudiesfocusesonchristianworship,inparticularonits musical,spatialandartisticexpressions.theinstituteforthe iconographyofreligionsisadocumentaryinstitutethatsupports researchwithinafieldpreviouslyignoredwithinreligiousstudies,the iconographyofreligions theresearchatthefacultyoftheologyandreligiousstudiesofthe universityofgroningenhasheldfirstplaceeversincethefirst comparativequalityassessmenttookplace.themostrecentvisitation reportfrom2006statesthatthecentreforreligiousstudies,the facultyresearchinstitute,isashiningexampleofhowtostudyboththe classicworldreligionsandcurrentreligiousdevelopments.thereport from2006bythetheologyeducationalreviewcommitteeofthe qualityassurancenetherlandsuniversitiesqanustatesthatthe educationprogrammesofferedbythegroningenfacultyarethebest inthenetherlands.initsreport,thecommitteepraisedthenationally andinternationallyrecognizedhighqualityofthelecturersatgroningen andtheirresearch.ithighlightedthegoodinteractionbetweenteaching andresearchandthethoroughgroundinginresearchskills.italso expresseditsadmirationofthecoherenceoftheteachingprogrammes andtheexcellent`studyability oftheseprogrammes.anotheraspect tobepraisedwasthespeedandexpertiseemployedbythegroningen facultyinintegratingthechangestothereligiouslandscapeinthe netherlandsintoitsreligiousstudiesprogramme facilities at the faculty of theology and religious studies thefacultyoftheologyandreligiousstudiesoffersmorethanjust goodteachingandresearchfacilities.everyacademicyear,thefaculty societygerardusvanderleeuworganizesparties,drinks,receptions asailingweekendandafootballtournament.italsopromotesthe organizationoffieldtripsandsymposia.inaddition,thefacultysociety organizesanannualpubliclectureincooperationwiththealumni societypanthegron.thefacultyalsohasthreedebatingclubs,alektoor m.a.t.a.andneoem,which,inadditiontocontent,alsohaveasocial function thefacultyhasexcellentfacilitiesforstudents.therearewellequipped computerrooms,whicharefreelyaccessibletoallstudentsofthe faculty.studentswhoownalaptopcanalsoaccessthewireless networkfromotherplacesinthebuilding.specialworkstationshave beensetupinthefacultylibrary,whichalsocontainsthemost importantbooksandperiodicalsinthefieldsoftheologyand religiousstudies the faculty of theology and religious studies is housed in one of the most remarkable buildings of the university of groningen 07_humanities_3.indd 12 24-08-2009 15:34:25

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i have been encouraged to develop my own ideas the first thing that i liked about our research master s programme is that it offers students a lot of freedom to choose topics to study while it is also well-structured i chose theoretical philosophy which combines well with my second study in psychology but i have also followed courses from the department of practical philosophy another great thing is that this course allows me to study abroad for at least half a year i m going to the university of edinburgh to study under andy clark who is known for his ideas about the embodied and the extended mind in this fashion i can both specialize and generalize my study in the direction of philosophy of mind philosophy of mind concerning the situated mind and at the same time study political philosophy and ethics the research master s programme in groningen allows me to combine these interests another asset of this programme is that teachers are easy to approach make a lot of time available for their students and are prepared to make allowances for thought experiments by students i have been encouraged to develop my own ideas and to use my existing knowledge about other fields in my philosophical work peter timmerman the netherlands student of the research master s degree programme in philosophy knowledge and knowledge development 9 07_humanities_3.indd 13 24-08-2009 15:34:31

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the programme has actually even exceeded my expectations one of my professors in rome told me that the university of groningen is one of the most active and best universities in europe in the field of computational linguistics i came here after my bachelor s programme in modern languages and literatures when i learned about the research master s programme in linguistics i realized that this was the right one for me the programme has actually even exceeded my expectations week after week i get the right amount of challenge support and satisfaction the guidance and feedback from the lecturers and the support from the administrative staff is also great it is a challenge that the students themselves can follow their own interests and attitudes and decide which research field to investigate this way you learn a lot about yourself and your capabilities at the start i was very into computational linguistics but during the programme my interests have shifted and now my main focus is on experimental linguistics i still have one more year to try some other possible research fields and define an interesting subject for my future phd project i am not planning to return to italy i think my chances of a successful academic career are much greater outside italy ruggero montalto italy student of research master s degree programme in linguistics 0 07_humanities_3.indd 14 24-08-2009 15:34:34

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master s degrees in the humanities 2010­2011 inthetopleftconrerofthepageswherethemaster sprogrammesare describedyoucanfindacolouredindicationofthetypeofmaster s programme.thecolouredbeamsrepresentthefollowingtypeof programmes rm=researchmasterpartofoneofourgraduateschools tm=topmasterpartofoneofourgraduateschools em=erasmusmundusthehighlyesteemederasmusmundusstatus dd=doubledegree j=jointprogramme 07_humanities_3.indd 15 24-08-2009 15:34:35

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