Courses discuss the history of Europe and the world from antiquity to the present. Students also choose electives, organized around different themes such as Politics & Economy; Migration & Ethnicity; Culture & Religion or Heritage & Memory. In addition, students can take courses in modern languages, learn about different approaches from the fields of international relations and global history, and are trained in academic skills. The small scale of the programme offers close interaction between students and staff, several of whom have won University Teaching Awards for outstanding performance and dedication to undergraduate education at the VU.