Decisions and guidelines

A Master’s Programme in Holocaust and Genocide Studies has been established at the Hugo Valentin Centre, Uppsala University. The teaching is based at the Hugo Valentin Centre in collaboration with other departments in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The curriculum was approved by Uppsala’s History and Philosophy Faculty on 2010-10-12, and will take effect as of 2011-01-01.

Studies in the Master’s Programme in Holocaust and Genocide Studies are on advanced level. The language of instruction is English.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. The main field of study must be within the humanities or social sciences.

Language requirements

All applicants need to verify English language proficiency that corresponds to English studies at upper secondary (high school) level in Sweden ("English 6"). This can be done in a number of ways, including through an internationally recognised test such as TOEFL or IELTS, or through previous upper secondary (high school) or university studies.

The minimum test scores are:

• IELTS: an overall mark of 6.5 and no section below 5.5
• TOEFL: Paper-based: Score of 4.5 (scale 1–6) in written test and a total score of 575. Internet-based: Score of 20 (scale 0–30) in written test and a total score of 90
• Cambridge: CAE, CPE

Aims

The programme aims to provide students with the empirical and theoretical knowledge, as well as the methodological skills necessary to independently and critically understand and analyse the history of the Holocaust and its historiography, as well as the background and character of genocide and other forms of mass violence and its effects on individuals and society.

The programme has a distinctively interdisciplinary character and involves studying mass violence and its effects in different historical, cultural and social contexts on the basis of theories from political science, sociology, psychology and social psychology. The student is also expected to author a Master's thesis of high quality, which is firmly based on previous research and contributes with new knowledge to the field of Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

The skills and knowledge acquired provide the basis for graduate studies in the humanities and social sciences (e.g. history, peace and conflict research, sociology, or cultural anthropology), as well as for the professional work in government, education/adult education, museums, journalism, or international organisations.

Learning outcomes

After completing the Master's degree, the student is expected to be able to:

♦ independently and critically identify and analyse problems that are of central importance to the field of Holocaust and Genocide Studies;

♦ actively monitor and make use of research in this area;

♦ apply the theories underlying the research on the background, nature and consequences of genocide and massive violence;

♦ use the methodological skills that form the basis for the study of mass violence in a comparative perspective;

♦ independently identify and demarcate a theoretically relevant research topic;

♦ write a Master's thesis based on established theories and methods, which provides new knowledge to the field;

♦ independently appraise and critique the work of others;

♦ actively participate in discussions with well-grounded contributions;

♦ make summaries of current research, as well as of his or her own work;

♦ monitor developments in the field of research from an interdisciplinary approach;

♦ in light of knowledge about the effects of massive violence on individuals and society, identify relevant issues in specific areas of conflict.

Layout of the programme

During the first semester students acquire basic empirical knowledge about the Holocaust and other cases of genocide and massive violence, as well as theoretical knowledge about fundamental concepts and skills in comparative method. This empirical knowledge is linked subsequently during the second semester to theoretical courses on the mechanisms of violence. Later during the second and third semesters the students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a special area by reading other courses given by the Hugo Valentin Centre or other departments. The students who take a one year Master's degree (60 credits) will take four compulsory empirical courses during the first semester; a theoretical course during the second semester, and write a 15 credit thesis at half-time. The students who take a two year Master's degree (120 credits) will take four compulsory empirical courses during the first semester, three compulsory theoretical courses during the second semester, and start writing a 45 credit thesis from the second half of the third semester, or alternatively write a 30 credit thesis in the fourth semester.

The following courses are included:

Term Period Course

1 Autumn

Genocide and Mass Violence I, Obligatory 7.5 credits

The Holocaust in European History, Obligatory 7.5 credits

Genocide and Mass Violence II, Obligatory 7.5 credits

The Holocaust in European Historiography, Obligatory 7.5 credits

2 Spring

Theoretical Approaches to Genocide and Mass Violence, Obligatory 7.5 credits

The Legacies of the Holocaust Valfri, Elective 7.5 credits

The Social Mechanisms of Violence, Elective 7.5 credits

The Psychology of Violence, Elective 7.5 credits

Master's Thesis in Holocaust and Genocide Studies (One-year), Obligatory 15 credits

Two Year Master’s degree (120 credits)

Semester Period Course

1 Autumn

Genocide and Mass Violence I, Obligatory 7.5 credits

The Holocaust in European History, Obligatory 7.5 credits

Genocide and Mass Violence II, Obligatory 7.5 credits

The Holocaust in European Historiography, Obligatory 7.5 credits

2 Spring

Theoretical Approaches to Genocide and Mass Violence, Obliatory 7.5 credits

The Legacies of the Holocaust, Elective 7.5 credits

The Social Mechanisms of Violence, Obligatory 7.5 credits

The Psychology of Violence, Obligatory 7.5 credits

3 Autumn

Transitional Justice: Reconciliation, Retribution and Co-Existence, Elective 7.5 credits

Teaching about the Holocaust and Other Genocides, Elective 7.5 credits

Internship, Elective 7.5 credits

Master's Thesis in Holocaust and Genocide Studies (Two-year), Obligatory 7.5 credits

4 Spring

7-8 Master’s Thesis in Holocaust and Genocide Studies (Two-year), Obligatory 30 credits

Instruction

Instructions include lectures and seminars; written assignments; oral presentations individually and in groups; and supervision.

Degree

After completing the one-year Master's programme the student receives a Master's degree (filosofie magisterexamen) in main field of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. After completing the two-year Master's programme the student receives a Master's degree (filosofie masterexamen) in main field of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Uppsala University.