This flexible programme combines in-depth exploration of the Dutch language area, comprising the Netherlands, Flanders, Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean, with practical acquisition of linguistic and intercultural skills and a range of specialisations in translation, literature, history and culture in the Low Countries, all in a global perspective.
The Dutch Studies pathway of the Language, Culture and History MA, unique in the UK, consists of a core module offering a choice of themes and concepts - Post-Colonialism, Memory, Collective Identities and Trauma - and options in Dutch literature, culture, history and society. It offers the opportunity to acquire and improve Dutch language skills as part of its regular programme, along with the methods, concepts and theories essential for the intercultural labour market.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme offers two pathways: taught and research.
Taught: core cross-language course (30 credits), taught modules (90 credits), dissertation (60 credits). Research: core cross-language course (30 credits), taught modules (60 credits), dissertation (90 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits) full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits) full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.
Core module
Optional modules
Students choose from a range of optional modules on topics such as the following:
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project in the broad area of Modern Dutch Studies, which culminates in a dissertation of 12,000 words for the taught pathway and 18,000 words for the research pathway.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, presentations, class discussions and individual tutorials. Assessment is through a variety of methods including coursework, essays, oral presentation, unseen examination and project work. UCL Dutch is known for its advanced use of innovative digital teaching and learning resources.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Language, Culture and History: Dutch Studies MA
Spoken across the Netherlands, Flanders, Suriname and parts of the Caribbean, Dutch is one of the most frequently requested languages by UK employers. The Netherlands are a top export and import destination for the UK and the connections with Flanders also make Dutch an extremely useful skill to have in an increasingly competitive job market.
Graduates with Dutch are rare and this makes for a very vibrant employment situation, even in times of economic crisis. There is demand for graduates who can help overcome the shortage of teachers of Dutch and translators from Dutch into English. The demand for teachers is from adult education institutes and increasingly from higher and secondary education; in the case of translators it comes from Dutch, Belgian and European institutions, from translation agencies and from business.
Employability
The programme, unique to the UK, will be of interest both to those who wish to enhance their knowledge of Dutch culture for professional purposes – in the field, for example, of education, media, commerce and tourism – as well as to students wishing to pursue their studies at doctoral level.
UCL Dutch is the largest Centre for Low Countries Studies in the Anglophone world. It was here that Dutch first attained the status of a serious academic discipline and a chair in Dutch has been occupied almost continuously since 1919. In both teaching and research the department is an internationally recognised centre for excellence.
UCL Dutch has one of the largest Dutch libraries outside of the Low Countries and hosts an annual Writer-in-Residence as well as regular research seminars by visiting lecturers and professors from the Netherlands and Flanders, together with exchange students ensuring close contact between the department and the Dutch-speaking countries.
UCL's central location offers students easy access to London's extraordinary resources, including the major collection of Dutch and Flemish Art in the National Gallery, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and the Warburg Institute, among many others. The cultural offerings of the Dutch Centre Austin Friars, Flanders House, and the Dutch and Belgian embassies and associations, and a wealth of exhibitions, films and theatrical performances are all nearby.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: School of European Languages, Culture & Society
74% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
