About us

The historians and art historians in the department focus on education and research relating to Europe as a region throughout world history. That means attention to Europe, but viewed in an emphatically global context – including interactions with the United States, Asia, the Near East and Africa. Our staff of over 220 employees – 87 of whom are permanently employed – serve around 850 Bachelor's students and some 450 Master's students each year.​

Projects and prizes

In the past five years, Utrecht's historians and art historians have won important awards such as the Libris History Prize, the Carl Erdmann Preis, the Zeeland Book Award and the Pierson Medal, the George Blazyca Prize, the Karel van Mander Prize and – twice – the Heineken Young Scientist Award.

In addition, external funding for a great many projects has been obtained from national (NWO) and international (ERC: European Research Council) research organisations. We have raised 18 million euros in financing to support our projects – from prestigious ERC grants for research projects to conferences and journals. Utrecht's students are also winning awards. The anti-radicalisation project Dare to be Grey, for example, won a highly-regarded international award sponsored by Facebook and the US State Department.

See also the external review report 2012.

Ranking: 16th in Europe

In the QS World University Rankings 2017, which ranks each discipline separately (subject History; there is no equivalent for art history), the UU History Department is rated number 16 in Europe – a standing comparable to that of the Freie Universität Berlin, Queen Mary University London and the Universities of Amsterdam and Leiden. Worldwide, the History and Art History Department is ranked 46th on this list.