During the master, I developed a lot of skills that are beneficial at every job.
Elsbeth van der Ploeg
Alumna Master History
- Education: Journalism (BA); American Studies (BA); History (MA)
- Graduated in: 2014
- Current job: Information Specialist at Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet
“After studying Journalism I wanted to deepen my knowledge. That is how I ended up at the bachelor American Studies at the University of Amsterdam. There I discovered that I found history on a meta-level really interesting. My choice for the master History was therefore purely based on the subjects that were taught. I always based my study choices on my own interests, but I thought the combination of Journalism and History would come in handy in the future.”
Lots of opportunities
“The master was interesting and challenging. The lecturers were really good and challenged you to work hard. There were a lot of opportunities for doing elective courses, internships and thesis subjects. It’s also possible to write your thesis for an interesting organization or archive. During the master, I developed a lot of skills that are beneficial at every job: thinking analytically and being critical on your own work so you keep improving it. We had to read a lot during the study and were challenged to think about that literature all the time.”
Well prepared
“During my master I worked for the bookshop Donner. When I graduated I got asked to work as a Student Assistant by supervising a Summer School from the University of California Berkeley and travelled with a group of American students through the Benelux for five weeks. Currently, I am working as an Information Specialist at Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet, that works together closely with the University Library of Erasmus University. The Leeskabinet is a library with a specialization in the humanities. That I studied the master History is definitely an advantage: I know all the subjects that matter. That comes in handy because I have to keep the collection up to date. I know which books are interesting for students. Besides that I am responsible for all communication of the Leeskabinet. As a history student I had to write a lot, which was a good preparation. “