You will kick off your studies with a series of introduction activities to get to know your fellow classmates, your lecturers, and the Erasmus University Rotterdam. On this page we’ll explain a bit more about what these activities entail. Furthermore, you can find more information about the possibilities to personalise your bachelor on this page.
Introduction activities
What better way is there to get to know your fellow students and Erasmus University Rotterdam than during the introductory activities organised by the department of History? The introduction activities include:
During the first official welcome, you will be explained general information about the bachelor. Think: what to expect, what the year is like, who to contact for questions, etc.
Every first-year student will have a mentor who will provide social 'meetups' during the intro week. These activities are a great opportunity to get to know your fellow classmates and make new friends.
During the introductory activities for the bachelors, the annual bootcamp cannot be missed.
Read more about our Bootcamp.
During your study at Erasmus you will work with several online systems and software like, for example, SIN, Osiris, Canvas and Outlook. During this introduction, you will get familiarised with our online systems.
Minor
In year 3, you can choose to follow a minor. Within a minor, you take a number of courses outside your own field of study: the ideal opportunity to broaden your horizons, within or outside the faculty.
Educational minor
Are you interested in a career as a teachter after finishing your bachelor? Then the Educational minor in History (Dutch) is the minor for you!
This minor will introduce you to the theory and practice of being a teacher. You will take courses in didactics and pedagogy and put your knowledge into practice during a teaching internship. After this minor, you will hold a second-degree qualification as a history teacher in secondary education. This will enable you to become a history teacher in the junior grades of havo, vwo and vmbo-t.
Internships are the best way to figure out how to work with others, but also how find out what you like and what you dislike

When doing historical research, there is a large degree of subtlety and interpretation involved

Internship
When you opt for a minor, you will do an internship for three months. You will gain practical experience and expand your network. You might even get to know your future employer!
For example, you can do an internship at museums, archives and cultural institutions. Who knows, you might dive into the archives of the Municipality of Rotterdam, help the Maritime Museum with its latest exhibition or organise a conference for the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
Where did students before you do their internships?
Study abroad
Have you always wanted to learn a foreign language? Or are you curious to know what it's like to study history in another country? Then go on an exchange during your bachelor!
Erasmus University Rotterdam cooperates with more than 60 universities in and outside Europe. The courses you take during your exchange usually count towards your studies at EUR and you do not pay extra tuition fees. For many students, their exchange is the highlight of their bachelor.
Thesis
You will finish your third and final year of IBHistory with writing a bachelor thesis on a topic of your choice. With the bachelor thesis, you will conduct your own small research project under supervision of one of our experienced staff members.
Students before you wrote their thesis on subjects as ‘the rise of feminism in the seventies of the twentieth century’, ‘the construction of Catalan national identity’, ‘Tourism in Yosemite National Parc’, ‘famine in Ethiopia’, ‘arts object stolen from Congo’ and ‘the conflict between Palestine and Israel’.
A second Bachelor degree in Philosophy of a Specific Discipline
After completing the first year, you can combine History with a second bachelor degree in Philosophy of a Specific Discipline.
You will earn both bachelor's degrees in four years. Guided by passionate lecturers, you will dive into various philosophical themes, ranging from the philosophy of the Enlightenment to postmodern continental philosophy and from ethics to the philosophy of science. You will learn to argue clearly and to think critically and creatively.
Honours class
We offer extra ambitious and talented students a bit more: more challenge, more depth, more commitment and intensive small-scale supervision.
For a limited number of students, selected on the basis of study results and a motivation letter, the History bachelor offers an Honours Class in the 2nd year of the bachelor. During this honours programme, you will immerse yourself in the theme 'state and society'.