To gain admission to the Master’s programme in Holocaust and Genocide Studies you must hold a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in:

• history
• European studies with a major in European History  (UvA)
• the humanities, liberal arts or social sciences, with a minimum of 30 ECTS (equivalent to a full-time semester of academic studies) taken in the field of history and/or related to the study of mass violence and genocide, such as genocide studies, conflict studies, ethnic studies, colonial studies, global history, area studies (particularly Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East), memory studies or other courses related to mass violence.

Selection procedure

Due to a limited number of places, prospective students are subject to a selection process. We will compare your file to that of other applicants. Distinguish yourself with a solid academic background in the field of study, good grades, a convincing letter of motivation and a solid research proposal (see Step 4: programme-specific document).

Hbo-bachelor not eligible

It is not possible to apply to this programme with a degree from a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (hbo). We do not offer a pre-Master's programme (schakelprogramma) for this Master's.

English language requirements

New Master's students should be able to speak, read, write and understand English at an advanced academic level. Please check carefully on the page below whether:

• you already meet the English language requirements based on your prior education; or
• you need to arrange to take an official English language test. If you have serious reasons to believe you should be exempted from taking an official English language test, you will need to file a strongly motivated, official exemption request at the Graduate School of Humanities’ Examinations Board. Please note that there is a strict deadline in place for such a request, which is one month prior to the Master's application deadline.

All students applying will need to start their application by submitting an enrolment request in Studielink, the Dutch online system for students applying for a degree programme at a Dutch university. 

Applicants for Holocaust and Genocide Studies need to register in Studielink for History or Geschiedenis. When asked, select Holocaust and Genocide Studies as the track you intend to follow.

It is extremely important that you register in Studielink at least 48 hours before the application deadline (see above). This is to ensure that you receive your login information (UvAnetID) in time to fill in your UvA application in MyInfo (see next step).

All students applying for a Master’s programme with a non-Dutch degree must pay a non-refundable application fee of €100.  The UvA cannot start processing your application until this fee has been paid. You can pay the application fee via SIS by credit card (Master or Visacard) or iDEAL.

You do not have to pay the application fee:

• If you have obtained or will obtain a Bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university or university of applied sciences (HBO);
• If you have already applied and paid the application fee for another Master’s programme at the UvA for the academic year 2024-2025;
• If you have already applied and paid the application fee for a Master's programme at the Graduate School of Humanities for the academic year 2023-2024;
• If you are applying through the Foundation for Refugee Students (UAF).

Please note that the application fee is non-refundable. You are not entitled to a refund even if you do not submit your application form, if you submit an application form after the deadline (which will not be taken into consideration) or if you submit an incomplete application.

After enrolling in Studielink, you will automatically receive an email with a link to your MyInfo UvA application form. To log in to MyInfo you need your UvAnetID. Please fill out the application form, upload the required documents and submit your MyInfo application form before the application deadline.

Please make sure that in Studielink (step 2) you have selected Holocaust and Genocide Studies as the track you intend to follow, and it is the selected track in your MyInfo application. Because this is a selective Master's programme with an earlier deadline, only applications where the programme is indicated as the first choice will be processed. You can select a non-selective track of the Master's in History as your second choice.

Application documents

Make sure you are well prepared before you start your application, and you have all necessary documents ready. You are asked to upload the following documents:

• curriculum vitae;
• proof of language proficiency (if required, see language requirements);
• transcript of records, up-to-date and issued by your home institution (if you are already a student at the UvA, a screenshot from SIS is sufficient);
• diploma (if already obtained)* or list of courses yet to complete;
• translation of your diploma and transcript of records (if they are not in English, Dutch, German or French);
• motivation form (PDF);
• programme specific documents (see below).

*Please note: If you have not yet obtained your diploma but are in possession of all other application documents, you may proceed with your application - as long as you obtain your Bachelor's degree before 1 September. If you have a non-Dutch prior education, please bear in mind that you must submit your certified documents before 1 August.

Programme-specific document

As a programme-specific document, write a proposal (in narrative form) for an academic research paper related to the analysis of a theme, theoretical conundrum or case study relevant to genocide, mass violence, the Holocaust, or transitional justice. The research proposal (max. 2,000 words) should include the following elements:

• title;
• sub title;
• introduction [introducing topic, identifying academic problem statement, formulating main research question, formulating research sub questions, discussing scholarly/theoretical relevance, clarifying methodology, and discussing sources]; and 
• bibliography.

The research proposal will be assessed according to the following criteria:

1. evidence of proficiency in critical thinking, analysis and source critique;
2. familiarity with a particular theme, theoretical discourse or case study;
3. clarity of argumentation, structure and style;
4. academic English and referencing and citation practices (Chicago style).

This programme does not require any other documents, such as a reference letter. Only the above-mentioned documents are taken into consideration by the Admissions Board.