Department of Historical Studies at CEU
A Place for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Past, from Late Antiquity to the Present Day
The Department of Historical Studies at CEU is a consciously multidisciplinary department which provides intellectually challenging comparative and interdisciplinary postgraduate education on all aspects of the history and culture of the period from c.300 to the present day. We offer one- and two-year MA programs, as well as two four-year PhD programs. Our MA programs include a collaboration with the Wien Museum, offering students a combination of practical museum experience and academic learning. All our degrees are accredited in Austria and the United States.
Unit details
| Head of Department | Volker L. Menze |
|---|---|
| General Inquiry Email | historicalstudies@ceu.edu |
| Location |
Vienna, Quellenstrasse 51 |
| Website | https://historicalstudies.ceu.edu |
Our programs
Why Choose Historical Studies at CEU?
The Department is a thriving part of Central European University (CEU), the only transnational, English-language graduate school in Europe that is accredited both in the European Union and the United States. The academic environment with faculty and students from more than 30 countries challenges our community to study the past and present using the most innovative methodologies and theoretical frameworks from a global perspective, and to work closely together and learn from one another in order to produce new knowledge and ground-breaking research. We are a close-knit community where students interact on a daily basis, sharing their research perspectives on everything from medieval art to modern gender history, the Merovingians to Mehmed II, and Byzantine Emperors to post-war Sarajevo. Students are encouraged and supported, in particular through regular field trips, to explore the material culture and rich archival history of the city of Vienna and the wider region, including the Blinken Open Society Archives in Budapest and ongoing collaborations with Charles University, Prague. They integrate into Vienna's university life, attending lectures, organising conferences and receiving external supervision from the city’s academic community.
Research Fields
The research interests of our faculty and students cover late antiquity to the present day. Our research has a global range, and we have particular strengths in the history of Central and Eastern Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Cluster of Excellence: EurAsian Transformations"
The Cluster of Excellence explores the transformation processes of Eurasia - understood as the entire landmass of both continents, Europe and Asia - from antiquity to the present.
Natalie Zemon Davis Memorial Lectures 2026
After the sad passing of Natalie Zemon Davis, our long-running lecture series has been renamed in her memory. It will continue to engage with topics that engaged her scholarship and inspired generations of historians
