The 4 Majors
We at Extra Muros feel that it is of the utmost importance that there is a large degree of transparency within the Liberal Arts and Sciences programme for both current and prospective students. In accordance with this perspective, we have taken the liberty of providing an extensive overview of The Four Majors that constitute the learning experience in both the second and third years of the 3 year Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor programme. The Liberal Arts and Sciences Programme knows four majors:
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Program Director
Due to challenging research opportunities starting September 15th I have to quit the job of programme director of the Humanities major I will continue teaching the courses Rhetoric, Culture, Democracy and European Issues and I will certainly keep in contact for other issues / thesis / advising etc.
Thank you all very very much for the enthusiasm, energy and inspiring discussions! I am happy that David Janssens will take over my position.
When, little over a year ago, I started teaching in the Liberal Arts and Sciences curriculum, I never expected to find myself in the position of a programme coordinator today. Although I’m still recovering from the surprise, it’s an honor and a delight to help in building and running the Humanities Major, a programme I have come to be very fond of while teaching the second-year Antiquity and Middle Ages courses.
At the moment I’m familiarizing myself with the ins and outs of the job, and I will certainly be in touch with you in the following months. In any case, the lecturers’ meetings will continue to be organized at the end of each semester, as will the meeting with the students at the end of the year. Of course, if at any moment you wish to discuss matters concerning the Humanities Major, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I very much look forward to working with you, and to continue on the path that Odile has set out with such great care and enthusiasm.
Firstly, it is important to have a raw overview of the Humanities program. Thus, we shall take a look at the basic structure of the curriculum, which can be said to have been built on 3 blocks:
I) Methodological courses (1. Historical Methodology and 2. Theories on
I) Methodological courses (1. Historical Methodology and 2. Theories on Narrative)
II) Historical courses (3. Antiquity: Homer, 4. MA: Religious and Political Identities, 5. Early Modern Age: European Imperialism, 6. 19th century: Colonialism and Society, 7. Contemporary History: Literature and Politics)
III) Political Courses (8. Islam and the Making of Europe, 9. Politics and the European Union, 10. Language Policies in Europe).
Overview courses
We shall now turn our attention to a more detailed synopsis of the curriculum represented in this table. In the first column the names of the courses are listed. In the second column are the semesters in which they occur (e.g 2.1 – 2nd Year 1st Semester). The third column refers the ECTS points for the respective courses. (For more information on ECTS please click here).
For each of these distinct courses, the respective professors have been so gracious as to give a brief explanation and feeling of what can be expected.
1) Theories on Narrative
Lecturers: Odile Heynders
Narrative is the basic human strategy for coming to terms with time, process and change. Understanding the narrative structure in society and in personal dramas makes us aware of differences and similarities in ideological conflicts and historical roots.
1. practical examples of narrative in a documentary, a film, paintings and a novel. We discuss a number of different narrative concepts taken from two standard reference works on narrative.
2. discussion of a number of theories on narrative by French philosophers (Levi Strauss, Ricoeur and Greimas) and focus on narrative in an ethnographic perspective and on the narratives of evolution.
2) Historical Methodology
Lecturers: Ruud Welten and Wim Dubbink (Philosophy)
Introduction to the basic aspects of the historian’s craft and training to work with them.
Students learn how to assemble primary sources (textual and other) and secondary literature (heuristics) and how these need to be critically assessed, analysed and interpreted.
Also, the students will get acquainted with different types of sources as well as with different ways of dealing with sources, that is, with the main issues of historical methodology pertinent to each of the four epochs of European history.
3) Early Modern Age: European Imperialism (16th-19th century)
Lecturer : Randall Lesaffer (European Law)
The course can be subdivided in three main parts:
•The dynastic State and the Age of Discoveries (16th century – 1648): Spain and the Netherlands
•The territorial State and the earlier colonial empires (1648-1783): Britain and France
•The nation-State and the great colonial empires (1783-1900): Britain, France and Germany
4) Middle Ages: At the theological-political crossroads
Lecturers: David Janssens (Philosophy) [and Arnoud Jan van Bijsterveld]
In order to get a grip on the decisive yet elusive European Middle Ages, we will explore them through the lens of their defining tensions, confrontations and conflicts. By discussing major events and developments, by studying key primary and secondary texts, and, last but not least, by looking at them from the perspective of what are often called their “Others”: classical Antiquity, Judaism, and Islam.
5) (Antiquity) Homer’s Army: the Legacy of the unknown Legislator
Lecturer: David Janssens (Philosophy)
Students will read Greek and Latin texts (or parts of it) in translation. Additional information will be given about the specific genre of literature, about the work from which the text stems, about the author who wrote the work, and about the historical context in which it was written.
Special emphasis will be laid on source criticism and the historical method.
6) Modern Age: The impact of colonialism on 19th century European Culture
Lecturer: Tineke Nugteren (Religious Studies)
Our special interest is in the ways in which non-western world views were received, covering the entire range from shocked repulsion to romantic fascination. In some circles select ideas and images were reworked into alternative world views, such as theosophy, new mysticism, and symbolism, vibrant especially in the period between 1875 and 1920.
7) Contemporary History: Literature and Politics since the 1990s
Lecturers: Odile Heynders and Helma van Lierop (Cultural Studies)
This course is based on two presuppositions.
1. Change of the public sphere in which intellectuals criticise political developments. (J. Habermas)
2. Impact of literature in the debate on Europe; in literary texts written since 1990/91 (the fall of the Wall; internet/digitilization; Gulf War) we notice a passionate interest in moral, social and political issues.
Debating / writing / reading
8.) Islam and the Making of Europe
Lecturer: Herman Beck , Islam Studies
•During the first centuries of the historical relations between Christian Europe and the Islamic world there seems to have existed a feeling of inferiority with which western Europe confronted Islamic civilization.
•On the one hand the feeling of inferiority was compensated for by creating a distorted image of Islam, which to this very date still exists.
•On the other hand all sorts of intellectual and material goods were adopted from the Islamic world. During the colonial period the feeling of inferiority changed into a feeling of superiority.
9) Language policies in Europe
Lecturers: Sjaak Kroon and Jan Blommaert , Sociolinguists
The European project: unity and diversity.
•The endeavour to unite the European space in terms of for example economical, monetary, environmental, juridical and political institutions always goes together with the explicitly stated wish to do so without infringing upon regional or national manifestations of cultural richness and traditions.
•Diversity: the point of language. Right from the start the EU decided on a language regime in which all the member states’ official languages were considered working languages of the EU instead of opting for a French or English only approach.
10) Politics and the European Union
Lecturer: Bert van Roermund, Philosophy of Law
Introduction to the relation between political engagement and collective identity:
1.the concept of political engagement, and the communitarian, the liberal and the neo-Marxist accounts
2.two models of collective identity
3.the relation between political engagement and collective identity is at stake in the current debate about the contours of a European immigration policy
After your studies?
What happens after your studies? After all, a bachelor’s degree is ultimately a stepping-stone toward the future. However, you will find that the Liberal Arts and Sciences bachelor degree is a step in the right direction and here is why.
Here you may find the list of Masters available to you at Tilburg University after the Bachelor program Liberal Arts and Sciences (Humanities).
•Christianity and Society (Uvt and UU)
•Organization of Cultural Diversity (Babylon Institute UvT) *
•Research Master Language and Communication (UvT)
•Research Master Theology
•Under Construction: Contested Fields = 2 year Topmaster about Modern Europa (UvT) starting 2010 sept.
Please note that these do not include the many courses and Master’s degrees outside Tilburg University.
Apart from the program and courses themselves, we know that you are eager to know what the possibilities for the future are. Therefore, we shall provide information about only some of the potential employment possibilities that become attainable to you through participation in the Liberal Arts and Sciences program with major in Humanities. Please bare in mind that these are only a few of the many possibilities that become available to you but ultimately, you are the master of your own future.
- EU official: European studies UvA or UM
- EU diplomat: EU: International Relations and Diplomacy Studies The College of Europe, Brugge
- Journalist: Graduate School of Journalism Master of Science Columbia University US / Ma Media Studies New School NY
- Historian / teacher / official: MA European Modern History, University’s College London / King’s College London / Modern European History Oxford
- Politician: European Politics and Society Oxford UK
- Researcher: Master’s in Cultural Analysis (UvA) / Cultural History University of Manchester
Student Testimonial
Finally, to give you a more personal and tangible description of a student’s experiences, Kayleigh van Oorschot has taken the liberty to provide her own account of the Humanities program.
Written by Kayleigh van Oorschot
I think that of all the majors, Humanities seems the vaguest. This is probably because humanities in itself contains a broader field. When explaining to people what the major entails I always end with the following sentence:
Studying history through literary works on philosophy and theology.
The main focus of the major is history and society, and it is the major where most reading is required. In only the first year we have read Homer, Sophocles, Saint Augustine, Averroes, Saint Tomás of Aquinas, Habermas, etc. The truth is that if you do not like reading, this is not the major for you. The biggest fear of my fellow students is probably the future career options. Liberal Arts and Sciences studies a broad field, and I am sure that every major struggles with this issue. The major Humanities however, has an unclear future path. I think that this is caused by the broadness of the field itself, it is not a very practical field and must be applied specifically to be of ‘any good’. Do not forget however that nowadays there is often a need for academics, or university-educated young adults, that have specialized in a certain field. Most important throughout the entire selection is process is staying in good contact with the head of your major, and have them help you form your minor and possible extra courses around your wishes.
Enough about that, what is the major exactly? This will probably sound like I am in a commercial promoting the program, but I love it! It is great! I have always loved reading and history always sparked my attention. Some of the subjects we had this year were the following:
Homer’s Army: an Unknown Legislator, in which we first studied the two great works of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, after which we studied other ancient works as tragedy’s by Sophocles to see what Homer’s influence has been on later literature.
Islam and the making of Europe, in which the formation of the idea of Europe is explained as a result of the influences the Islam had on Europe, in an academic, social, and economic view.
Middle Ages: at the Theological Political Crossroads, a course on the Middle Ages, on how they were not as ‘dark’ as we like to believe, studying the literature and political changes of the time.
Contemporary History: Literature and Politics since the 1990’s, in which historical notions of the public intellectual are given and applied to contemporary ‘so-called’ public intellectuals.
I feel that these courses give a good feel of what this major is about. I am very happy in this setting, the material matches my interests perfectly, the classes are small which stimulates interactive classes in which discussions are highly motivated, and much is expected from you. What I mean by that last part is that I have noticed recently that as soon as Professors expect more from you, you will realize you have more to offer. The setting of the Humanities major is perfect for this, with professors as: Prof.dr. Lesaffer, prof.dr. Beck, dr. Janssens, prof.dr. Van Lierop, prof.dr. Heynders, prof.dr. Blommaert, and prof.dr. Kroon. These names probably mean nothing to you now, but google them and you will soon realize that they are in the top of their field. If you have any further question, feel free to send me an e-mail: K.A.H.vanOorschot[at]uvt[dot]nl
Click here to go to the information about the Humanities Major at the Tilburg University website
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Program Director
Firstly, it is important to have a raw overview of the Social Sciences program. Thus, we shall take a look at the basic structure of the curriculum, which can be said to consist of 4 main parts:
1st year semester 2 (1. Modernity, Identity and Evil)
2nd year semester 1 (2. Self and Identity and 3. Methodology and statistics)
2nd year semester 2 (4. Learning project, 5. Leisure in a Globalising World, 6. Solidarity and Conflict, 7. People and Organisations)
3rd year semester 1 (8. Image, Culture and the body)
We shall now turn our attention to a more detailed synopsis of the curriculum represented in this table. In the first column the names of the courses are listed. In the second column are the semesters in which they occur (e.g 2.1 – 2nd Year 1st Semester). The third column refers the ECTS points for the respective courses. (For more information on ECTS please click here).
Course
Year
ECTS
Semester 2
1
1. Modernity, Identity and Evil (introductory course)
6
Semester 1
2
2. Self and Identity
6
3. Methodology and Statistics
12
Semester 2
2
4. Learning project
12
5. Leisure in a Globalizing world
6
6. Solidarity and Conflict
6
7. People and Organisations
6
Semester 1
3
8. Image, Culture and the Body
6
Total
60
For each of these distinct courses, below you can find a brief explanation and of what can be expected.
1) Modernity, Identity and Evil
Lecturers: Dr. A van Lenning and Dr. D. Janssens
This course in an introduction in disciplines to come when you choose Social Sciences as your major. One of the topic that will be discussed are Western modes of thinking about the self since the 18th century. Also focus is put on the question whether individuals can be deemed to be good or bad independent of the context, do really good or bad people exist? Furthermore the course consists of studying contemporary forms of violence using texts from psychiatrists and lawyers on the character and psychology of the perpetrators of violent actions.
2) Self and Identity
Lecturer: Dr. M. Poortvliet
Do we have knowledge of the Self? Why is self-esteem so important? Is showing our best side always the best? Can we control ourselves and what are the implications of the illusion of self control? These are questions dealt with in the course Self and Identity. The course aims to give students inside in the strategies of the self, how is it that we are always trying to make the best of all situations?
3) Methodology and Statistics
Lecturer: Dr. F. Tekle
This course discusses the principles of research in the social sciences. An introduction will be given to the conceptual framework of methodology as well as the acquisition of understanding the research process. Both fundamental and applied social science research will be discussed.
4) Learning project; Culture, Identity and Lifestyle
Lecturers: Prof. de Graaf and Dr. Sieben
This course aims to develop advanced, theoretically sound and empirically grounded contributions to scholarly work on culture, identity and lifestyle. During this course students will analyze existing data using SPSS in order to test their own hypotheses on these matters and discuss the outcomes.
5) Leisure in a globalizing world
Lecturers: Dr. H. van der Poel and Dr. G. Garib
This course gives insight into the idea that leisure is the new domain of research in social sciences. It explains how a globalizing world constitutes everyday life changes and how contemporary theories on leisure state that leisure activities are crucial for identity formation; Identity and sports, identity and tourism.
6) People and organizations
Lecturers: Dr. R. Jansen and Dr. R. Schalk
The focus in this course will be on the processes that influence the functioning of organizations and people in it. The joint activities of and continuous exchanges between participants will be discussed while collaboration between parties is the central topic. Students will be given an active role in exploring different aspects of several themes related to collaboration within and between organizations.
7) Solidarity and welfare; Identities, interests and conflicts
Lecturer: Prof. dr. ing & W. van Oorschot
Sociological perspectives on the role of group identities and class positions in the social differentiation of modern societies, as well as about their role in the reproduction of social inequality are being dealt with in this course. Students will analyze current processes of identity-based inclusion and exclusion in the context of globalizing European welfare states and the possible social conflicts related to this.
8.) Visual, Culture and the Body
Lecturers: Dr. A. van Lenning and Dr. J. Slatman
The focus of this course lies on the effects of visual media on the formation of identity. Furthermore it will be on the effects of the flow of images on the self-image and experience of the body of western individuals.
After your studies?
There are several possibilities if you want to do a master. For the masters at Tilburg University you do not have to follow any extra courses, for majors in other universities this could be the case though. Keep that in mind when you choose the courses for your minor, since that is a perfect opportunity to follow the necessary courses! If it turns out that additional courses are still necessary, there is the possibility to do a pre-master; a year in which you can prepare for your master’s program.
- Social and behavioural sciences (research master) (2 Methods courses 12 ects 2 courses depending on the Masters 2x 6 ects. A course in the basics of social sciences 6ects)
- Leisure studies
- Human resource studies
- International Master in Social Policy Analysis
- Organisation studies
- Language and Communication (research master)
- Top Master: European studies
Other universities in the Netherlands that offer related master programmes are the University of Amsterdam, University of Utrecht, Radboud University Nijmegen, Groningen University (limited amount of students admitting), Rotterdam, Leiden and Maastricht.
Of course, you also have the possibility to follow a master’s program at an international university
Student testimonial
After our first year of Liberal Arts (at that time it was actually still called Liberal Arts without the sciences), I choose the Social Science major and up to this day I am still really happy with my choice.
Together with me 14 others also decided to do the social science major. The fifteen of us are: Tessa Adriaansen, Annes Alajmovic, Gianina Arustei, Sophia Degand, Claudia Egher, Nicole Jachmann, Jasmin Jurtan, Ilse Ketelaars, Derkjan Koning, Tomas Levy Barros, Steven Loeffen, Esther van der Lugt, Susanne Luijckx, Maike Pötschulat and Sandra Wagemakers.
I’ve always been interested in the social sciences so for me the choice was quite logical. In the first semester of the second year we just had 2 major courses: Self and Identity (a 6 ECT course about (social) psychology) and Methodology and Statistics (a 12 ECT course). I am probably not the right person to give a good impression of the latter course because contrary to many others I actually love statistics, like messing around with it and figuring things out. I found the course pretty interesting as it laid down the foundation of what research is about. Overall my fellow social scientists thought that our professor was really nice and he is really patient with us trying to explain everything carefully. Ever week you have one ‘normal’ lecture, which is a lecture like any most LAS-lectures: you just listen to what he says but can still ask questions if you don’t get what he’s saying. Next to that we had every week one ‘working group’ which means you make some assignments in advance and we discuss the difficulties in class, and one ‘SPSS Lab’ which is to learn about the program SPSS which is a statistical analysis program. The working groups provide you with an excellent opportunity to discuss things you do not know yet or are unclear. Plus, practice is what this course is all about and the working groups provide you with this opportunity. I believe that if you practice enough, everyone can pass it. During our year, our exams where open-book exams which really emphasizes that you have to understand what is going on rather than know all the formulas etc. by heart. (You can check the exam to have a better idea about it in our exam section)
For me the second semester is more intensive and the balance is not equally distributed over the semester (but they’re still learning and improving) Plus for me this might also be due to the fact that I am taking some extra courses this semester and thus I would have it busier anyhow. Also, you have to know that the programme is not entirely like Modernity, Identity, and Evil. To me it is equally interesting, but it is different to some extent as well, but I guess that counts for all introductory courses into the majors.
After Liberal Arts and Sciences the places where we want to go seem to vary quite a lot. A lot of options are possible also depending on what you do in your minor. People consider different options such as a research master of Cultures of Art, Science, and Technology, at the University of Maastricht, Gender, Sexuality and Society‘ at the University of Amsterdam, Research Master of Sociology of Culture, Media and the Arts at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, Social Policy and Social Interventions at Utrecht University, Organisation studies at Tilburg University, but there are many possibilities both in and outside of the Netherlands and just like with the other majors it depends on what you want and take in your minor where you will end up :)
Click here to go to the information about the social sciences major at the Tilburg University website
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Program Director
General overview major
The Business & Management Major is your opportunity to develop specialized knowledge in the key areas of accounting, finance, marketing, organization and strategy.
Liberal Arts and Sciences is a program that is interdisciplinary, intellectual and selective. At first glance, the world of Business and Management may not seem to fit perfectly with Liberal Arts and Sciences, but you will see that both worlds do complement each other. This can be illustrated by the description of the world of business: international, performance-focused and offering broad career opportunities.
The major differs from traditional management courses in that it takes an integrated and contextual approach. As it is specially designed for Liberal Arts and Sciences, the interdisciplinary character also takes shape in the major Business and Management. You will gain a comprehensive and holistic knowledge of business and its broader role in the community that will prove invaluable for your future career.
Interaction is the central feature in the small-scale classes, while all the key principles of management are covered. Thus, the major is a legitimate management program made fit for Liberal Arts & Sciences students.
Some Facts about Tilburg School of Economics and Business
# 1 in Europe in Economics research by the latest rankings in the Journal of the European Economic Association
# 3 in Europe in Business Research according to the ranking of the School of Management of the University of Texas, Dallas in 2009
Elsevier’s Higher Education Review 2009
#1 in Economics
#1 in Fiscal Economics
#2 in International Business Administration
#1 in Econometrics and Operations Research
AACSB International accreditation for business programs since 2002
Are you intrigued by why and how organizations work? Would you like to pursue a specialized or general Master’s degree in business? Or does pursuing a career in profit and nonprofit management sound interesting to you?
If you answer one of these questions with ‘yes’, then the major Business and Management will suit your ambitions.
Overview courses
Below you will find more information on the courses of the major Business and Management.
1. Organization Theory
Lecturer: Dr. N. Noorderhaven
Organization Theory is one of the elective courses in the second semester of the first year. It introduces questions like:
· Why do organizations exist and how do they function?
· What is the economic approach to organizations (agency theory, transaction cost economics)?
· How to use the organizational behavior approach (motivation, teams, organizational structure, and organizational culture)?
The goal of this course is to help students acquire an understanding, from several theoretical perspectives, of why organizations exist and how they function.
2. Economic Agents and Markets
Lecturer: Dr. G. van de Kuilen and dr. S. Suetens
The purpose of this course is to teach students and let them experience the basic principles of the functioning of markets. Subjects are for example consumer and producer behaviour, market failure and the question of how markets increase welfare.
The course consists of a combination of lectures and tutorials. In the lectures students are taught general economic principles and the application of these principles to specific economic topics. In the tutorials students participate in and discuss the results from economic experiments that relate to the topics discussed in the lectures.
3. Finance and Accounting
Lecturers: Prof. dr. J. Suijs (coordinator) and Dr. B. van den Brand
What are the main financial decisions? How do organizations report their performance? How can you judge whether an organization is doing well? The course Finance and Accounting is dealing with questions like these.
This course aims to teach students the basic principles in corporate finance and financial accounting, as well as their interrelationship.
4. Managerial Accounting
Lecturers: Prof. dr. J. Suijs (coordinator) and Prof. dr. L.A.G.M. van Lent
This course provide students with some basic insights into (i) costing and pricing decisions and (ii) how to use economics to analyze questions of organizational structure, performance evaluation, and incentive compensation. Therefore, questions like ‘How to use (cost) information?’ and ‘How do you solve real managerial problems (e.g., design of organization structure and incentives)?’ have a central role. Managerial Accounting takes the shape of a problem-solving course, since working problems are used to gain familiarity with the topics.
5. The Making of Modern Macro Economics
Lecturers: Dr.H Gremmen and dr. B.V.G. Goderis
The purpose of this course is to give the students a basic insight into the macroeconomic side of economics. The following questions give an idea of the contents of the course:
· What are the main developments in economic thought?
· How do economies interact internationally?
· What can we learn from a game?
6. Research Methods for Business
Lecturer: Thijs ten Raa
What approaches are available to perform research in business and management? How can you apply mathematics and statistics to solve managerial issues? These questions give an indication of the topics the course will be dealing with.
The course consists of three parts. The first part discusses philosophies and approaches to business research and functions as an introduction. The second part focuses on mathematics as a tool to model and analyze economic problems. The final part will address some basic key elements of game theory.
7. Quantitative Methods for Business
Lecturer: Thijs ten Raa
This course continues the quantitative approach taken in the course Research Methods for Business. Now, the focus is on statistics and the objective is to introduce students to descriptive statistics, probability, and inferential statistics.
8. Strategy and Marketing
Lecturer: Dr. E.E.A. Dreezens
Central questions in this course are: What can we learn from psychology? How to design a marketing plan? How do professionals and clients evaluate your marketing plan?
The course combines the academic fields of strategy and marketing in focusing on complex issues that face the entire organization. Theoretical foundations of key concepts in this field will be dealt with and tools of analysis will be introduced and applied, both of which will contribute in adopting a strategic perspective on organizations.
9. Strategy and Organization in Context
Lecturers: Dr. E. Dooms and Dr. A.A.C.J. van Oijen
· What is strategy and how should you implement it?
· What are the economic, sociological and psychological drivers?
· How has strategy developed internationally?
As can be derived from the questions above, this course focuses on understanding corporate-level strategy and organization including its theoretical explanations and models. One of the objectives is to learn to perform an analysis of the historical development of a corporation. In this course, attention is paid to practicing oral and written presentation skills.
10. Investor Behaviour and the History of Financial Markets
Lecturers: dr. P.C. de Goeij and dr. F. Braggion
This course focuses on the behavior of investors and corporate finance. A question that will be dealt with is: What can we learn from the development of markets in history?
Decisions made by the management of companies are at the heart of this course, including methods and techniques that are involved in making these decisions. Note: to enable study abroad, Investor Behaviour and the History of Financial Markets will be offered as a distant-learning course.
After your studies?
Below you can find some possibilities for your master. For some masters you do not need specific subjects to be able to start, for others there might be some courses that you need in order to start. Keep that in mind when you choose the courses for your minor, since that is a perfect opportunity to follow the necessary courses! If it turns out that additional courses are still necessary, there is the possibility to do a pre-master; a year in which you can prepare for your master’s program.
- General: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- International: International Business, International Management
- More specialized: Accounting and Control, Actuarial Sciences. Change Management, Consulting, Economics and Consumer Studies, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management and Banking, Human Resource Management, Intelligence and Information Management, Innovation, Marketing, Organization, Strategic Management, Supply Chain Management
- Related: Agro-Economical Knowledge, Energy, Natural Resources & the Environment, European Studies, Leisure Studies
You can choose from many different Universities. You can decide to follow a master’s program at Tilburg University, or another university in the Netherlands.
Of course, you also have the possibility to follow a master’s program at an international university.
Student Testimonial
Written by Lucas Noordhoorn
One of the four majors one can choose as a part of the liberal arts and sciences program is the major ‘business and management’. The perhaps unusual combination with the interdisciplinary character of the general program, proves to be interesting as well as challenging, I will briefly tell you why.
The major consists of what you could call ‘the most important aspects of business and management’, in a way it is like a crash course into this particular field, which allows you to combine the vital parts of this discipline with the interdisciplinary background of the first year of liberal arts and sciences.
Truthfully, the character of the first year and the second year on, are hardly comparable. The first year being far more focused on combining subjects from a large array of fields of interest, the major-component being focused on one subject at a time. However, it is interesting to see that most professors try to incorporate recent events into the lectures, creating an atmosphere well know to the liberal arts student.
The options concerning masters is substantial, ranging from masters in the field of strategy, marketing, international management and so on. The options can even be increased in number by choosing ones minor program carefully.
The major ‘business and management’ is a good choice for students who like the interdisciplinary aspect of liberal arts and sciences, but want to add a more specific business component to their curriculum in order to add to the value of one’s diploma and to create numerous option concerning further education.
Click here to go to the information about the business and management major at the Tilburg University website
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Program Director
In order to be able to attend the Law in Europe major of the Liberal Arts and Sciences program, students have to take the introductory course Understanding Law in the second semester of their first year. This course will give some introduction to the philosophy of law and some basic understanding of the civil-, respectively the common law systems.
Setting
Lectures takes place in an informal setting, and students are encouraged to participate actively in seminars and debates. For each class, there will be an article, a judicial review or other piece of text to be read and prepared for discussion.
Exams
In the major Law in Europe, exams will take the form either of a paper, an oral test or a regular exam.
Topics
In the first semester of the major, there are currently three subjects dedicated to the introduction to legal philosophy, legal language and civil and common law traditions. In the second semester, a more detailed introduction to European Law and Criminal Law will be given and one course on the topic of Comparative Political Institutions will be given. The third year is to a great extent dedicated to a chosen minor subject and the bachelor thesis.
Courses Year one, First semester
1) The Civil and Common Law Traditions
This course provides a greater understanding of the developments of the civil and common law traditions. It offers a historical and comparative analysis of the two legal systems and the focus lies on tort law. Roman legal texts are studied and analyzed by identifying facts, legal problems and arguments.
Lecturer: dr. O.E. Tellegen-Couperus
2) Language of the Law
The course Language of the Law provides an insight into legal linguistics and semantics, interpretation, discourse analysis and translation. E.g. EU directives are studied and interpreted and an assignment can take the form of preparing for a debate on a topic related to the course.
Lecturer: Mrs. mr.C. Elion- Valter
3) Law in Society
In the course Law in Society, material from both sociology-, and philosophy of law will be studied. The course aims at identifying philosophical problems in the relationship between positive law, morality and politics. During the course, students learn to develop legal arguments through e.g. classroom debate.
Lecturers: Dr. Koen van Aeken, Prof. Dr Willem Witteveen (Coördinator)
Two elective courses
At present, students choose two elective courses, e.g. Law and Film, Consumerism, Perception Art and Culture or Religion and Public Life.
Courses Year one, Second semester
4) A Common Law for Europe
There are currently 27 countries in the EU, and just as many legal systems. This course deals with the question of identifying a ‘common law for Europe’. It is discussed whether there is a process of harmonization in the legal field in Europe and if such a harmonization is possible and through which means.
Lecturers:prof.dr.J.M. Smits, Mrs. prof.dr.M.L.H.K. Claes
5) Comparative Political Institutions
Political institutions around the world will be investigated in this course with focus on electoral, political institutions, and historical institutional organizations.
6) Criminal Law in Context
This course addresses three main subjects. First, the two basic systems of criminal proceedings, the accusatorial and inquisitorial will be dealt with. Second, there will be given an overview of international criminal proceedings. The third subject deal with law enforcement cooperation within the EU.
Lecturer(s): Dr. A.C.M. Spapens, Dr. Mr. T. Kooijmans, Dr. Mr. A.L.M. de Brouwer, Dr. Mr. C.R.J.J. Rijken
7) European Public Law and Public International Law
The focus of this course is the underlying structures of the institutional structure of the European Union, with regard to European Law.
Lecturer: Dr.mr. S.C. van Bijsterveld
8.) European Labor Law and Social Policy
The underlying theme of the course is a reflection on the uniformity or diversity of European integration and the European Social Model. The focus of the course is on the division of competences in the area of labor law and social policy.
Year three
The third year is to a great extent dedicated to the minor, the minor can consist of a subject in a special interest field. It is a possibility to study a semester abroad in the first semester of the third year, then the subject that is chosen to study abroad contains the minor. In accordance to the minor, a course on Liability on the Internet will be given as a course to be studied at a distance.
The second semester of the third year will be dedicated to the Bachelor Thesis. One minor course and a thesis-specific course is also given in the last semester.
The major Law in Europe prepare for a master in International and European Public Law and International and Social European Law at Tilburg University.
Student testimonial
The Liberal Arts and Sciences Law in Europe Major is a dynamic and wide ranging major preparing the student for a career of problem solving, objective assessment, and deeper understanding of legal-societal problems. Personally speaking, the teaching methods have been effective through mandatory attendance, engaging topics and most importantly, debate. While some classes can be dry due to tedious legal topics, there is always room for lively debate. Extremely often we are lucky enough to be taught by guest lectures; this is always incredibly interesting. The guests are often experts in their fields due to the draw of high level funding and credibility of the Tilburg LAS program. This benefits the students enormously. Overall, the program has more than met my expectations. There are, however certain aspects which are left to be desired. I will list not only these negatives but also certain positives about the course which are missing from non Liberal Arts programs.
Positives:
- Tilburg’s LAS program has allowed me to analyze problems from more than one perspective allowing me, therefore, to make more informed decisions.
- LAS Law program has taught us the problems we are encountering behind the law system. The broadly taught courses force students to do a lot of self study to keep up.
- I firmly believe that the Liberal Arts approach that we have been taught by will give LAS Law students a huge advantage in comparison to extremely specialized law students elsewhere
Negatives:
- There are certain subjects of law which are passed over leaving the student needing more training to be able to get an accredited law degree for perhaps, the British Solicitors Regulation Authority.
- There is a general consensus of unsure feelings regarding future career options without extra studies.
- The newness of the program leaves one unsure as to the direction, reputation, and solidness of the law study itself – nobody has gone before.
Click here to go to the information about the law major at the Tilburg University website
More information
For more information on the program, click here.
For information on masters programs, click here.
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